Tension generation by isolated myofibrils.
The technique for mechanical dissection of microscopic myofibrilar bundles containing few myofibrils is described. A sensitive electrooptical tension transducer capable of resolving the tension generated by such myofibrilar bundles to within a fraction of a percent is used to study the response of the preparations to low ATP concentrations. The rate of tension development decreased with a decrease in ATP concentration. Below 10(-6) M ATP the myofibrils did not demonstrate any mechanical activity at all. These findings are discussed in terms of the kinetics of the cross-bridge cycle.
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D007700:Kinetics; D008433:Mathematics; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D009210:Myofibrils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011817:Rabbits
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate