UMass @ Amherst: "An Ionic-Chemical-Mechanical Model of Muscle Contraction."
Muscle contraction occurs when myosin cross-bridges, powered by ATP hydrolysis, cause parallel arrays of actin filaments to slide toward each other. The cross bridge attachments to actin are at least partially electrostatic in nature, while the actin filament itself has some of the properties of an anionic polyelectrolyte. We will discuss the possible role of ionic interactions during the actin-myosin cycle.