Highsmith S, Bloebaum P, Snowdowne K W
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1986 Aug 14;138(3):1153-62. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(86)80403-x.
Fura-2-am, the pentaester precursor of the fluorescent Ca(2+) indicator fura-2, is modified when it is exposed to isolated skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. The modified fura-2-am has enhanced fluorescence, is not sensitive to Ca(2+), and is partially bound to the SR membrane. The isolated product is further converted into fura-2 by esterase. It is suggested that the SR-induced modification is a selective enzymatic hydrolysis of only some of the five ester moieties on fura-2-am. A structure is proposed to account for the results. The potential for this effect of SR on fura-2-am to cause complications in measurements of in vivo intracellular free [Ca(2+)] is noted.
