Bernie
Bressler The objective of our research program is to provide new information about the fundamental mechanisms for force production in skeletal muscle. Experiments are designed to test some fundamental assumptions of the cross-bridge model as well as the role of the protein troponin C in the regulation of calcium sensitivity in striated muscle. Part of our research is designed to explore how the level of activation
of skeletal muscle is controlled by the calcium binding properties of
troponin C - the protein responsible for the initiation of muscle contraction.
Troponin C has long been associated with the role of an on/off switch
which turns a muscle 'on' by binding calcium or 'off' when it releases
calcium. We have found that a shift in the balance between calcium being
bound or unbound produces a dramatic drop in the maximal levels of tension
development. A measurable change in the rate at which tension develops
is also observed with this shift in calcium affinity. These preliminary
experiments suggest a potential role for TnC on cross-bridge function.
The TnC project is only one of a series of projects designed to study
the mechanical properties of cross-bridges. |
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