T-tubule

Also known as GO:0030315, transverse tubule

T-tubules (transverse tubules) are extensions of the cell membrane that penetrate into the center of skeletal and cardiac muscle cells. With membranes that contain large concentrations of ion channels, transporters, and pumps, T-tubules permit rapid transmission of the action potential into the cell, and also play an important role in regulating cellular calcium concentration.

Key facts

Anatomy.Name: T-tubule
Anatomy.Latin: tubulus transversus
Anatomy.Image: Blausen_0801_SkeletalMuscle.png
Anatomy.Caption: Skeletal muscle fiber, with T-tubule labelled in zoomed in image.
Anatomy.Image2: 1023 T-tubule.jpg
Anatomy.Caption2: T-tubule structure and relationship to the sarcoplasmic reticulum in skeletal muscle
Anatomy.Width: 400
Anatomy.Part_of: Cell membrane of skeletal and cardiac muscle cells

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image: Blausen 0801 SkeletalMuscle.png

Sources (1)

wikidata.org

Article

10 sections

Contents

Structure
Regulators
Function
Excitation-contraction coupling
Calcium control
Detubulation
History
Clinical significance
See also
References

Through these mechanisms, T-tubules allow heart muscle cells to contract more forcefully by synchronising calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum throughout the cell. T-tubule structure and function are affected beat-by-beat by cardiomyocyte contraction, as well as by diseases, potentially contributing to heart failure and arrhythmias. Although these structures were first seen in 1897, research into T-tubule biology is ongoing.