title: Force generation by muscle fibers in rigor: a laser temperature-jump study.
abstract: A clear prediction of the helix-coil model for force generation in muscle is that force should be produced when the equilibrium (helix-coil) of a rigor (or activated) fiber is perturbed by a temperature jump near the melting temperature of the light meromyosin/heavy meromyosin hinge. An infrared, iodine-photodissociation laser was used to heat the fibers by approximately equal to 5 degrees C in under 1 mus. Under ionic conditions where rigor bridges are predominantly associated with the thick filament backbone, an abrupt drop in tension typical of normal thermoelastic expansion was seen. A similar response was observed below 41 degrees C for thick filament-released rigor bridges. Above this temperature, a rubber-like thermoelastic response was obtained typical of a helix-coil transition. At temperatures near 50 degrees C, the amount of force generated by a rigor fiber was large and comparable to that seen for an activated fiber at 5 degrees C. The relaxation spectra of force generation obtained for both systems (rigor and activated) show a step change followed by a biexponential kinetic process. The reciprocal relaxation times and amplitudes for these individual processes in activated and rigor fibers differ only by factors of 2-4. Force generation in the rigor muscle appears to arise from melting in the subfragment 2 hinge region of the myosin molecule since binding of subfragment 2 to the thick filament backbone inhibits force production. No significant force generation was observed following temperature jumps of relaxed fibers.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Harrington
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007834:Lasers; D008954:Models, Biological; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013696:Temperature