Said, M., L. Vittone, C. Mundiñ a-Weilenmann, P. Ferrero, E. G. Kranias, and A. Mattiazzi. Role of dual-site phospholamban phosphorylation in the stunned heart: insights from phospholamban site-specific mutants. uptake and myocardial contractility and relaxation. In perfused rat hearts submitted to ischemia-reperfusion, we previously showed an ischemia-induced Ser 16 phosphorylation that was dependent on -adrenergic stimulation and an ischemia and reperfusion-induced Thr 17 phosphorylation that was dependent on Ca 2ϩ influx. To elucidate the relationship between these two PLB phosphorylation sites and postischemic mechanical recovery, rat hearts were submitted to ischemiareperfusion in the absence and presence of the CaMKII inhibitor KN-93 (1 M) or the -adrenergic blocker dl-propranolol (1 M). KN-93 diminished the reperfusion-induced Thr 17 phosphorylation and depressed the recovery of contraction and relaxation after ischemia. dl-Propranolol decreased the ischemia-induced Ser 16 phosphorylation but failed to modify the contractile recovery. To obtain further insights into the functional role of the two PLB phosphorylation sites in postischemic mechanical recovery, transgenic mice expressing wild-type PLB (PLB-WT) or PLB mutants in which either Thr 17 or Ser 16 were replaced by Ala (PLB-T17A and PLB-S16A, respectively) into the PLB-null background were used. Both PLB mutants showed a lower contractile recovery than PLB-WT. However, this recovery was significantly impaired all along reperfusion in PLB-T17A, whereas it was depressed only at the beginning of reperfusion in PLB-S16A. Moreover, the recovery of relaxation was delayed in PLB-T17A, whereas it did not change in PLB-S16A, compared with PLB-WT. These findings indicate that, although both PLB phosphorylation sites are involved in the mechanical recovery after ischemia, Thr 17 appears to play a major role. -ATPase 2 (SERCA2)] and/or in the rate of Ca 2ϩ reuptake by the SR have been described in several species, including rats, mice, dogs and humans, submitted to moderate and reversible injury during cardiac surgery (21,23,41,43). A decrease in the intracellular Ca 2ϩ transient has indeed been described in stunned myocytes isolated from chronically instrumented pigs (18) but was not detected in stunned rat myocytes and ventricular trabeculae or in isolated perfused ferret and dog hearts (5,9,11,18 appears to be normalized before complete recovery of myocardial performance in several species (5, 9, 11) does not necessarily mean that Ca 2ϩ homeostasis is not altered during ischemia and reperfusion. There is a compelling body of evidence that indicates that in all species studied, cytosolic Ca 2ϩ concentration rises during ischemia (2,27,31). Furthermore, reperfusion in-