The regulatory mechanism of muscle contraction studied in terms of protein dynamics

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24510313
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Living organism molecular science
• Research Institution: Japan Atomic Energy Agency
• Principal Investigator: Fujiwara Satoru 国立研究開発法人日本原子力研究開発機構, 原子力科学研究部門 量子ビーム応用研究センター, 研究主幹 (10354888)
• Research Collaborator: MATSUO Tatsuhito 国立研究開発法人日本原子力研究開発機構, 原子力科学研究所・量子ビーム応用研究センター, 研究員 (60623907)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 筋収縮調節 / 蛋白質ダイナミクス / 中性子散乱 / 小角散乱

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Muscle contraction is regulated by Ca2+ concentration in muscle cells. This regulatory mechanism in skeletal and cardiac muscles lies in the regulatory proteins in "thin filaments" in muscle. In order to investigate the role of protein dynamics in the regulatory mechanism of muscle contraction, we carried out neutron scattering experiments on the thin filaments in the presence and absence of Ca2+. It was shown that as a function of Ca2+ concentration, flexibility of the thin filaments changes. This suggests that regulation of the dynamics of the thin filaments is important in the regulatory system of muscle contraction. Furthermore, small-angle X-ray scattering experiments on the thin filaments containing the cardiomyopathy-causing mutants of the regulatory proteins were carried out, and the structural changes of the thin filaments caused by the mutation were detected.

Free Research Field

生物物理学