Question

Mollusk catch muscles are able to generate tension for long periods of time without consuming much energy. We do not understand everything about how this is accomplished, but there are unique proteins, such as ___________, that seem to play a role.

Answer 1

Mollusk catch muscles use a unique protein called paramyosin and regulatory protein calmodulin to maintain contractions with high efficiency and low energy. These mechanisms facilitate the generation and maintenance of muscle tension for extended periods.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mollusk catch muscles demonstrate a fascinating biological efficiency where they generate tension for prolonged periods without significant energy consumption. Paramyosin is a unique protein that contributes to this ability in invertebrate muscles. It is believed to be involved in the formation of latch-bridges, a subset of cross-bridges between myosin heads and actin in smooth muscle fibers. These latch-bridges maintain the link between thick and thin filaments for extended periods without requiring ATP, hence conserving energy. Further, these muscles possess regulatory proteins like calmodulin, which differ from the troponin-tropomyosin complex found in striated muscles, and help manage the tension created during contraction. The understanding of these mechanisms is important not only to physiology but also for implications in medical treatments for muscle-related conditions.