The effect of ATP analogs on posthydrolytic and force development steps in skinned skeletal muscle fibers

ATP, 2-deoxy ATP (dATP), CTP, and UTP support isometric force and unloaded shortening velocity (Vu) to various extents (Regnier et al., Biophys. J. 74:3044-3058). Vu correlated with the rate of cross-bridge dissociation after the power stroke and the steady-state hydrolysis rate in solution, whereas force was modulated by NTP binding and cleavage. Here we studied the influence of posthydrolytic cross-bridge steps on force and fiber shortening by measuring isometric force and stiffness, the rate of tension decline (kPi) after Pi photogeneration from caged Pi, and the rate of tension redevelopment (ktr) after a sudden release and restretch of fibers. The slope of the force versus [Pi] relationship was the same for ATP, dATP, and CTP, but for UTP it was threefold less. ktr and kPi increased with increasing [Pi] with a similar slope for ATP, dATP, and CTP, but had an increasing magnitude of the relationship ATP < dATP < CTP. UTP reduced ktr but increased kPi. The results suggest that the rate constant for the force-generating isomerization increases with the order ATP < dATP < CTP < UTP. Simulations using a six-state model suggest that increasing the force-generating rate accounts for the faster kPi in dATP, CTP, and UTP. In contrast, ktr appears to be strongly affected by the rates of NTP binding and cleavage and the rate of the force-generating isomerization.