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Related Concept Videos

The Sarcomere01:08

The Sarcomere

A sarcomere is a microscopic segment repeating in a myofibril. The sarcomere fundamentally consists of two main myofilaments: thick filaments called myosin and thin filaments called actin. These filaments interact by sliding past each other in response to stimulus. In addition to myosin and actin, several other proteins, such as tropomyosin, troponin, titin, nebulin, myomesin, α-actinin, and dystrophin, play crucial roles in regulating, structuring, and functioning of the sarcomere.
Each myosin...
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles01:13

Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles

Skeletal muscle cells, also called muscle fibers, are distinctly elongated, multi-nucleated, slender biological units. They are packed with specialized structures designed to facilitate their primary function, which is contraction.
The muscle sarcolemma is a plasma membrane enclosing each muscle cell that conducts electrical signals called action potentials. The sarcolemma extends into the cell to form T-tubules, ensuring the neural impulses are uniformly distributed across the entire muscle...
Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction01:16

Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction

Actin and myosin are contractile proteins that form the sarcomere found in skeletal muscle tissues for regulating muscle contraction. Actin, a globular contractile protein, interacts with myosin for muscle contraction. The skeletal tissue appears striped or striated under a microscope due to the repeated arrangement of contractile proteins actin and myosin along the length of myofibrils. Dark A bands and light I bands repeat along myofibrils, and the alignment of myofibrils in the cell causes...
Overview of Skeletal Muscle01:15

Overview of Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscles are composed of a bundle of muscle fibers and are attached to bones through tendons. Each skeletal muscle fiber is a single muscle cell. The sarcolemma, the plasma membrane of a skeletal muscle cell, consists of a lipid bilayer and glycocalyx that supports muscle fibers. The sarcolemma extends into the muscle cells to form tubular structures called transverse or T-tubules. Each side of the T-tubules consists of a membrane-bound structure called the sarcoplasmic reticulum,...
Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Muscles01:20

Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Muscles

Excitation-contraction coupling is a series of events that occur between generating an action potential and initiating a muscle contraction. It occurs at the triad, a structure found in skeletal muscle fibers that comprise a T-tubule and terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum on each side. These triads are visible in longitudinally sectioned muscle fibers. They are typically located at the A-I junction — the junction between the A and I bands of the sarcomere.
When an action potential...
Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts01:13

Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts

De novo myogenesis, or the formation of muscle fibers, begins during the early embryonic stages. The skeletal muscle is formed from somites– blocks of embryonic cell layers. The somites are further divided into dermatomes, myotomes, sclerotomes, and syndetomes. Among these, the myotomes give rise to muscle fibers.
Muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) are formed from the myotomes. MPCs express genes that encode the transcription factors Pax3 and Pax7. Along with Pax 3/7, other transcription factors...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Sarcomere Shortening of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes using Fluorescent-Tagged Sarcomere Proteins.
08:37

Sarcomere Shortening of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes using Fluorescent-Tagged Sarcomere Proteins.

Published on: March 3, 2021

The sarcomere and sarcomerogenesis.

Elisabeth Ehler1, Mathias Gautel

  • 1Cardiovascular Division, King's College London, London, UK. elisabeth.ehler@kcl.ac.uk

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|February 3, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Sarcomere assembly, crucial for muscle function, involves complex pathways regulated at multiple levels. Understanding these processes is key to addressing muscle diseases caused by disruptions.

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Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Sarcomere Shortening of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes using Fluorescent-Tagged Sarcomere Proteins.
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Sarcomere Shortening of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes using Fluorescent-Tagged Sarcomere Proteins.

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Area of Science:

  • Muscle biology
  • Cellular and molecular biology
  • Developmental biology

Background:

  • Striated muscle's unique structure arises from aligned sarcomeres, the fundamental contractile units.
  • Sarcomere assembly (sarcomerogenesis) is a highly regulated process involving transcriptional, translational, and posttranslational control.
  • The microtubule network acts as a crucial transient scaffold during myofibril assembly.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the ordered pathways of sarcomere assembly.
  • To identify regulatory mechanisms governing sarcomerogenesis.
  • To understand the role of transient scaffolds in myofibril formation.

Main Methods:

  • Studies utilizing cell culture models.
  • Investigations in developing embryonic systems.
  • Analysis of gene expression, protein regulation, and cytoskeletal dynamics.

Main Results:

  • Common pathways for sarcomere assembly identified in both cardiac and skeletal muscle.
  • Demonstration of multi-level regulation (transcriptional, translational, posttranslational) in sarcomerogenesis.
  • Evidence for the essential role of the microtubule network in myofibril organization.

Conclusions:

  • Sarcomere assembly follows conserved, regulated pathways in striated muscle.
  • Disruptions in these pathways are linked to the pathogenesis of muscle diseases.
  • Further research into sarcomerogenesis pathways may reveal therapeutic targets for muscle disorders.