Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

The Mechanics of (Poro-)Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton
08:50

The Mechanics of (Poro-)Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton

Published on: March 10, 2023

Three distinct actin-attached structural states of myosin in muscle fibers

Ryan N Mello1, David D Thomas

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Biophysical Journal
|March 13, 2012
PubMed

More Related Videos

Probing Myosin Ensemble Mechanics in Actin Filament Bundles Using Optical Tweezers06:53

Probing Myosin Ensemble Mechanics in Actin Filament Bundles Using Optical Tweezers

Published on: May 4, 2022

Tuning the Contractility and Deformation Modes of Active Actin-Based Assemblies In Vitro: From Two-Dimensional Active Networks to Liquid Crystal Drops06:48

Tuning the Contractility and Deformation Modes of Active Actin-Based Assemblies In Vitro: From Two-Dimensional Active Networks to Liquid Crystal Drops

Published on: July 11, 2025

Related Concept Videos

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 Myosin Structure and Function01:15

Overview of Myosin Structure and Function

Myosins are a family of molecular motor proteins, first identified in the skeletal muscles, where they are responsible for muscle contraction. Along with their role in muscle contraction, these proteins also play a role in the intracellular transport of molecules and vesicles. There are twenty-four classes of myosins based on their domain sequence and organization. Of the twenty-four, six classes (Myosin I, Myosin II, Myosin V, Myosin VI, Myosin VII, and Myosin X)  have been well characterized.
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...
Introduction to Actin01:26

Introduction to Actin

Actin is a highly conserved cytoskeletal protein found abundantly in eukaryotic cells. It constitutes 10% weight of the total cellular protein in muscle cells, while in non-muscle cells, it is lower and makes up around 1–5 percent of the total cell protein. Actin found in the unicellular amoebae and complex multicellular animals is around 80% similar, demonstrating their conservation over a billion years of evolution.  Actin coding genes are conserved within species and across different species.
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,...
Formation of Higher-order Actin Filaments01:11

Formation of Higher-order Actin Filaments

The polymerization of G-actin monomers into filamentous F-actin is a multi-step process. Once the F-actins are formed, they can bundle together in different arrangements to form higher-order networks and regulate cellular functions. Common examples include the formation of lamellipodia and filopodia at the cell's leading edge by actin reorganization in a migrating cell. The microvilli on the brush border epithelial cells are also formed through the F-actin network.
The high-order actin networks...