Optical tweezers are tools made of light that enable contactless pushing, trapping, and
manipulation of objects, ranging from atoms to space light sails. Since the pioneering work …

Skeletal muscle fibers need to have mechanisms to decrease energy consumption during
intense physical exercise to avoid devastatingly low ATP levels, with the formation of rigor …

Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) is a positive cardiac inotrope in phase-3 clinical trials for
treatment of heart failure. Although initially described as a direct myosin activator …

In muscle, but not in single-molecule mechanics studies, actin, myosin and accessory
proteins are incorporated into a highly ordered myofilament lattice. In view of this difference …

Contraction of striated muscle is regulated by a dual mechanism involving both thin, actin-
containing filament and thick, myosin-containing filament. Thin filament is activated by Ca2+ …

Familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death and a
major indicator for heart transplant. The disease is frequently caused by mutations of …

Contraction of striated muscles is initiated by an increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration,
which is regulated by tropomyosin and troponin acting on actin filaments at the sarcomere …

Elevated levels of the metabolic by-products, including acidosis (ie, high [H+]) and
phosphate (Pi) are putative agents of muscle fatigue; however, the mechanism through …

Skeletal muscles produce forces relatively slowly compared with the action potentials that
excite them. The dynamics of force production are governed by multiple processes, such as …

The loss of muscle force and power during fatigue from intense contractile activity is
associated with, and likely caused by, elevated levels of phosphate (P _ i P i) and hydrogen …