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Crossbridge activity monitored from the state of polarization of light diffracted by activated frog muscle fibres

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Summary

The polarization properties of the first diffraction order have been measured when single frog fibres are illuminated by laser light. The relative difference in the amplitudes of the orthogonal electric field polarization components (differential field ratio) as well as their phase shift normalized by the pathlength (birefringence) have been obtained from fibres at rest and during fixedend twitches and tetani. The differential field ratio decreased during contraction and the change during a single twitch averaged 69% of that during a companion tetanus. The birefringence of the first order averaged 2.80±0.59×10−3 (mean±SD) at rest and the average decrease during a tetanus was 8.4%±6.4%. The decrease in the differential field ratio upon activation was a decreasing function of sarcomere length, maximum at rest length and falling to zero at about 3.7μm. Differences between the two first diffraction orders were observed for both the differential field ratio and the birefringence. At the time when force had risen to half the value reached at the end of the fast rise of tension, the change in the the differential field ratio lead the tension by about 10–15 ms. The differential field ratio returned to its resting value after the fall of tension. The above results suggest that the differential field ratio is a sensitive indicator of intact fibre structure. The temporal lead in the differential field ratio with respect to tension rise supports models in which crossbridges initially attach in a non-force-producing state.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of California, 95616, Davis Davis, CA, USA

    Ronald J. Baskin & Yin Yeh

  2. Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California, 95616, Davis Davis, CA, USA

    Kevin Burton

  3. The Department of Applied Science, University of California, 95616, Davis Davis, CA, USA

    Kevin Burton, Ronald J. Baskin & Yin Yeh

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Burton, K., Baskin, R.J. & Yeh, Y. Crossbridge activity monitored from the state of polarization of light diffracted by activated frog muscle fibres. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 11, 258–270 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01843579

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01843579

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