Molecular Mechanism of Myosin Assembly (MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND INFORMATION-Biopolymer Structure)

Abstract

Myosin of muscle (skeletal muscle, smooth muscle or cardiac muscle) has an intensive tendency to assemble with the axial staggers of 14.3 and 43 nm under the physiological conditions of ionic strength 0.05.0.20 M and pH 6.8. For the molecular mechanism of self-assembly by the myosin molecule, we first reported that the myosin molecule has a specific region which is responsible for the self-assembly. Later, Nyitray et al. showed that this region is located near the COOH terminus of the rod segment of the myosin molecule. The molecular mechanism of myosin assembly has been studied in more detail in order to elucidate how this region is related to axial stagger of 43 nm.