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Molecular structure of muscle filaments determined by electron microscopy
1Division of Cell Biology and Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester MA 01655, USA.
Abstract:
Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction have together played a key role in our understanding of the molecular structure and mechanism of contraction of muscle. This review highlights the role of electron microscopy, from early insights into thick and thin filament structure by negative staining, to studies of single myosin molecule structure, and finally to recent high-resolution structures by cryo-electron microscopy. Muscle filaments are designed for movement. Their labile structures thus present challenges to obtaining near-atomic detail, which are also discussed.
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