Abstract
Myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-C) is a thick filament protein playing an essential role in muscle contraction, and MyBP-C mutations cause heart and skeletal muscle disease in millions worldwide. Despite its discovery 40 y ago, the mechanism of MyBP-C function remains unknown. In vitro studies suggest that MyBP-C could regulate contraction in a unique way--by bridging thick and thin filaments--but there has been no evidence for this in vivo. Here we use electron tomography of exceptionally well preserved muscle to demonstrate that MyBP-C does indeed bind to actin in intact muscle. This binding implies a physical mechanism for communicating the relative sliding between thick and thin filaments that does not involve myosin and which could modulate the contractile process.
Translated title of the contribution | Direct visualization of myosin-binding protein C bridging myosin and actin filaments in intact muscle |
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Original language | English |
Pages (from-to) | 11423 - 11428 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 108 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2011 |