Muscle contraction and movement of cellular organelles: are there two different types of mechanisms for their generation?
It has been shown that myosin molecules attached to Covaspheres can "walk along" polar actin filament in vitro. The driving force for this movement seems to explain only about 1% of the isometric tension developed by a muscle fibre. Therefore, the driving force for the bead movement seems to be incompatible with that found in muscle, and the bead movement cannot be considered as a model for muscle contraction. The origin of the bead movement may be related to a "molecular jet" process, resulting from the rapid ejection of the MgATP splitting products. This "molecular jet" might also explain the movements of many cellular organelles.
Morel
J E
JE
Département de Biologie, CEN-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Bachouchi
N
N
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009218:Myosins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015388:Organelles / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013816:Thermodynamics
D000199:Actins; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D009218:Myosins