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Quantized nature of sarcomere shortening steps

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Summary

A new technique providing real-time high-speed measurements of sarcomere length from on-line analysis of the striation image has been developed. This method of measurement is not susceptible to the problems of interpretation encountered in laser diffraction. Sarcomere shortening patterns were obtained, using this method, from single toe fibres ofRana pipiens, and stepwise phenomena similar to those previously reported from laser diffraction were observed. The distribution of step size showed several peaks, the most prominent corresponding to 5.7 nm per half sarcomere.

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Author notes

  1. R. C. Jacobson

    Present address: Department of Psychiatry, RP-10, University of Washington, 98195, Seattle, Washington, USA

  2. R. Tirosh

    Present address: Department of Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute, Rehovoth, Israel

  3. M. J. Delay

    Present address: Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Bioengineering and Department of Anesthesiology, University of Washington, WD-12, 98195, Seattle, Washington, USA

    R. C. Jacobson, R. Tirosh, M. J. Delay & G. H. Pollack

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  1. R. C. Jacobson
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  2. R. Tirosh
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  3. M. J. Delay
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  4. G. H. Pollack
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Jacobson, R.C., Tirosh, R., Delay, M.J. et al. Quantized nature of sarcomere shortening steps. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 4, 529–542 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00712113

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00712113

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