Abstract
The grinding of minced muscle tissue with quartz sand followed by extraction of the resulting homogeneous mass with NaCl solution of low ionic strength (0.05) in ratio 1:2 leads to formation of extracts undergoing rapidly spontaneous gelatinization during storage.
The strength (viscosity) of the gels formed was studied by the “falling ball” method and Weiler and Rhebinder’s method of tangential shear of plate.
The effect of various factors such as temperature, Ca ions, ATP, ethyleneglycoldiamintetracetate (EGTA) was studied and in some instances estimated quantitatively. It was shown that Ca ion binding by the sarcoplasmic reticulum or EGTA was accompanied by conversion of the sarcoplasmic proteins solution into solid gel.
It is suggested that this phenomenon underlies the development of the smooth muscle catch function, “viscous after-effect” and tonic hardening of vertebrate skeletal muscles during catalopsy.
This concept does not contradict Lowy and Hanson’s hypothesis according to which the development mechanism of the catch function is due to the fact that after cessation of active contraction linkages between thick and thin filaments are either locked in the attached state or they detach very slowly.
It appears that both these mechanisms may co-exist and possibly supplement each other.
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