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. 1972 Apr 1;53(1):53–65. doi: 10.1083/jcb.53.1.53

THE MYOFILAMENT LATTICE: STUDIES ON ISOLATED FIBERS

II. The Effects of Osmotic Strength, Ionic Concentration, and pH upon the Unit-Cell Volume

Ernest W April 1, Philip W Brandt 1, Gerald F Elliott 1
PMCID: PMC2108689  PMID: 5013602

Abstract

The effects of osmotic concentration, ionic strength, and pH on the myofilament lattice spacing of intact and skinned single fibers from the walking leg of crayfish (Orconectes) were determined by electron microscopy and low-angle X-ray diffraction. Sarcomere lengths were determined by light diffraction. It is demonstrated that the interfilament spacing in the intact fiber is a function of the volume of the fiber. It is also shown that the interfilament spacing of the skinned (but not of the intact) fiber is affected in a predictable manner by ionic strength and pH insofar as these parameters affect the electrostatic repulsive forces between the filaments. From these combined observations it is demonstrated that the unit-cell volume of the in vivo myofilament lattice behaves in a manner similar to that described for liquid-crystalline solutions.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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