title: What is the role of titin in active muscle?
abstract: Several properties of muscle defy explanation solely based on the sliding filament-swinging cross-bridge theory. Indeed, muscle behaves as though there is a dynamic "spring" within the sarcomeres. We propose a new "winding filament" mechanism for how titin acts, in conjunction with the cross-bridges, as a force-dependent spring. The addition of titin into active sarcomeres resolves many puzzling muscle characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5640, USA. Jenna.Monroy@nau.edu
authors.forename: Jenna A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Monroy
authors.forename: Krysta L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.forename: Leslie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Gilmore
authors.forename: Theodore A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Uyeno
authors.forename: Stan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lindstedt
authors.forename: Kiisa C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D064211:Connectin; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D064211:Connectin; D009124:Muscle Proteins; C577285:TTN protein, human; D011494:Protein Kinases