title: Phase transitions and the molecular mechanism of contraction.
abstract: In this paper, the rotating cross-bridge mechanism for muscle contraction is discussed and much contradictory evidence is put forward. As an alternative, a model is given in which the motor of muscle contraction is placed in the myosin-rod hinge and/or in the actin filament. No definite choice for one of the proposed models can be made yet, although it is clear that some kind of phase transition plays an important role in the mechanism.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA. pollack@bioeng.washington.edu
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Pollack
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009124:Muscle Proteins