title: Excited hydrogen bonds in the molecular mechanism of muscle contraction.
abstract: The mechanism of muscle contraction is considered. The hydrolysis of an ATP molecule is assumed to produce the excitation of hydrogen bonds A--H...B between electronegative atoms A and B, which are contained in the myosin head and actin filament. This excitation energy epsilon f depends on the interatomic distance AB = R and generates the tractive force f = -delta epsilon f/delta R, that makes atoms AB approach each other. The swing of the myosin head results in macroscopic mutual displacement of actin and myosin polymers. The motion of the actin filament under the action of this force is studied. The conditions under which a considerable portion of the excitation energy converts into the potential tension energy of the actin filament are analysed, and the probability of higher muscle efficiency existence is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Donetsk Physico-Technical Institute, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, U.S.S.R.
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Bespalova
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Tolpygo
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000502:physiology; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008954:Models, Biological; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009218:Myosins / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D009218:Myosins