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MUSCLE CONTRACTION
Cross-bridges
hinges
body
Molecular Characteristics of the
Contractile Filaments
• Body- bundled tails of myosin
molecules.
• Arm- extends the head outward from
the body.
• Head- globular polypeptide
structure.
• Cross-bridges- heads and arms
together.
• Hinges- flexible point of a
Molecular Characteristics of the
Contractile Filaments
• The total length of each myosin filament
if uniform, almost exactly 1.6
micrometers.
• The distance between cross-bridges
and body is 0.2 micrometers.
• Myosin filament itself is twisted from the
previous pair by 120 degrees ensuring
that cross-bridges are extended in all
directions around the filament.
Molecular Characteristics of the
Contractile Filaments
• Myosin molecule is composed of 6 polypeptide
chains.
– 2 heavy chains
• Molecular weight of 200,000 each
• Double helix
• Tail
– Ends: head
– 4 light chains
• Molecular weight of 20,000 each
• Part of myosin head (2 at each head)
• Help control the function of the head during
muscle contraction.
Molecular Characteristics of the
Contractile Filaments
• ATPase activity of the Myosin Head
– The myosin head functions as an ATPase
enzyme.
• Actin Filaments are composed of
Actin, Tropomyosin, and Troponin.
– The double stranded F-actin protein
molecule
• backbone of the actin filament
• wounded in a helix
• (each strand) is composed of polymerized G-actin
molecules.
Molecular Characteristics of the
Contractile Filaments
• G-actin molecule has a molecular weight
of about 42,000.
• One molecule of ADP is attached to each
of it.
• Each actin filament is about 1
micrometer long.
• The bases of the actin filaments is
inserted strongly into the Z-discs.
Molecular Characteristics of the
Contractile Filaments
Molecular Characteristics of the
Contractile Filaments
• Each molecule of tropomyosin found in
the actin filament has a molecular weight
of 70,000 and a length of 40 nanometers.
• These molecules are wrapped spirally
around the sides of the F-actin helix.
• In the resting stage, the tropomyosin
molecules lie on top of the active sites
of the actin strands.
Molecular Characteristics of the
Contractile Filaments
• Attached intermittently along the sides
of the tropomyosin molecule is the
troponin molecule.
• There are three subunits:
– Troponin 1: has strong affinity for actin
– Troponin T: for tropomyosin
– Troponin C: for calcium ions