2+ stores is mainly mediated by two distinct families of tetrameric intracellular Ca 2+ -release channels, ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (Ins(1,4.5)P3Rs) (Berridge et al., 2000). Both channels are encoded by three different genes, leading to the expression of three different isoforms. The activity of these channels is tightly regulated by a plethora of cellular factors, such as Ca 2+ , pH, redox state, ATP and associated proteins (Mackrill, 1999;Patel et al., 1999;Bultynck et al., 2003).The type-1 RyR (RyR1) is predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle cells and is physiologically activated upon depolarisation of the plasma membrane by direct interaction with the dihydropyridine receptor. The type-2 RyR (RyR2) is predominantly expressed in cardiac muscle cells and is physiologically activated by Ca 2+ influx through voltagedependent L-type channels. The type-3 RyR (RyR3) is ubiquitously expressed in many cell types at very low levels, with the exception of diaphragm, neurons and skeletal muscle cells. It is physiologically activated by Ca 2+ -induced Ca 2+ release. The Ca 2+ -flux properties of the RyR1 and RyR2 are modulated through association with FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs), which belong to the class of immunophilins . It was shown that the 12 kDa FKBP (FKBP12) strongly associated with RyR1 with a stoichiometry of 4 FKBP12 molecules per tetrameric channel (Jayaraman et al., 1992). FKBP12 was essential for the cooperativity among the four different subunits of the RyR1 channel and for the stabilisation and activation of the channel (Timerman et al., 1993;Brillantes et al., 1994). Furthermore, Marks and coworkers demonstrated that FKBP12 was also involved in