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Crossbridge Mechanism(s) Examined by Temperature Perturbation Studies on Muscle

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Muscle Biophysics

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 682))

Abstract

An overall view of the contractile process that has emerged from ­temperature-studies on active muscle is outlined. In isometric muscle, a small rapid temperature-jump (T-jump) enhances an early, pre-phosphate release, step in the acto-myosin (crossbridge) ATPase cycle and induces a characteristic rise in force indicating that crossbridge force generation is endothermic (force rises when heat is absorbed). Sigmoidal temperature dependence of steady force is largely due to the endothermic nature of force generation. During shortening, when muscle force is decreased, the T-jump force generation is enhanced; conversely, when a muscle is lengthening and its force increased, the T-jump force generation is inhibited. Taking T-jump force generation as a signature of the crossbridge – ATPase cycle, the results suggest that during lengthening the ATPase cycle is truncated before endothermic force generation, whereas during shortening this step and the ATPase cycle, are accelerated; this readily provides a molecular basis for the Fenn effect.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Wellcome Trust Foundation for financial support of our research, Dr. Gerald Offer (Bristol) for valuable discussions and Blackwell Publishing and Springer for permission to include data we had published in the Journal of Physiology and the Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Muscle Contraction Group, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK

    K. W. Ranatunga

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  1. K. W. Ranatunga
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  2. M. E. Coupland
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Correspondence to K. W. Ranatunga .

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  1. McGill University, Pine Avenue West 475, Montreal, H2W 1S4, Québec, Canada

    Dilson E. Rassier

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Ranatunga, K.W., Coupland, M.E. (2010). Crossbridge Mechanism(s) Examined by Temperature Perturbation Studies on Muscle. In: Rassier, D. (eds) Muscle Biophysics. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 682. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6366-6_14

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