Award details

Unit cell structure and intermolecular interactions in insect flight muscle in defined states

ReferenceS10891
Principal Investigator / Supervisor Professor John Squire
Co-Investigators /
Co-Supervisors
Institution Imperial College London
DepartmentBiological Sciences
Funding typeResearch
Value (£) 150,444
StatusCompleted
TypeResearch Grant
Start date 05/01/1999
End date 05/01/2002
Duration36 months

Abstract

Muscular movement depends on the changing intermolecular interactions of actin molecules and myosin heads. These molecules are particularly well organised in insect flight muscles, where semi-crystalline low-angle X-ray diffraction patterns are obtained. We have already analysed and solved the structure of myosin filaments in relaxed insect flight muscle with a positional sensitivity of around 1 mm, using methods successfully developed in a BBSRC- funded study of fish muscle. We now plan to apply these same methods to solve the full unit cell structure in relaxed insect flight muscle. We will further extend this study to solving the structure of rigor insect muscle which is also crystalline and will provide direct information on the actin-myosin interface and on the conformation and flexibility of the myosin heads in different states.

Summary

unavailable
Committee Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research TopicsX – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research PriorityX – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative X - not in an Initiative
Funding SchemeX – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme
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