Isoform-specific interactions between halothane and the ryanodine receptorCa2+-release channel: Implications for malignant hyperthermia and the protein theory of anaesthetic action

General anaesthetics exhibit a relatively close relationship between their pharmacological potency and their lipid solubility and may thus act by non- specific perturbation of biomembranes. However, more recent data on anaesth etic action suggests that inhalational drugs such as halothane bind directl y to hydrophobic protein domains, thereby modulating important receptor fun ctions. In support of this protein theory of anaesthetic action our native gel analysis presented here shows that halothane induces oligomerization of the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor (RyR) 1 Ca2+-release channel, but n ot its cardiac RyR-2 isoform. Thus, inhalational anaesthetics are not only able to influence protein-protein interactions directly but also appear to differentiate between protein isoforms and/or configurations. This suggests that distinct peptide binding sites exist for these pharmacological agents . In addition, similar mutations in the RyR-2 isoform, which would trigger an episode of malignant hyperthermia in skeletal muscle fibres via abnormal RyR-1 isoforms, would probably not induce an increase in cardiac Ca2+-rele ase upon administration of halothane.