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. 1973 Apr 1;61(4):490–508. doi: 10.1085/jgp.61.4.490

The Myofilament Lattice: Studies on Isolated Fibers

III. The effect of myofilament spacing upon tension

Ernest W April 1, Philip W Brandt 1
PMCID: PMC2203471  PMID: 4694743

Abstract

The effect of ionic strength on the generation of tension and upon the interfilament spacing in living intact and skinned single striated muscle fibers from the walking leg of crayfish (Orconectes) were determined by isometric contraction studies correlated with low-angle X-ray diffraction. Sarcomere lengths were determined by light diffraction. Tensions were induced in intact fibers by caffeine in the bathing medium and by ionophoretic microinjection of calcium. Tensions were induced in skinned fibers by a buffered calcium-EGTA solution. The interfilament spacing of intact and skinned fibers over the range of ionic strengths investigated were determined by X-ray diffraction and correlated with the physiological data. It is demonstrated that the ionic strength affects the tension-generating capacity of the muscle as it affects the chemo-mechanical transform of excitation-contraction coupling. It is further demonstrated that interfilament spacing changes encountered during shortening and with variation in the osmotic strength have no effect upon the tension-generating capacity of muscle.

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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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