Molecular Mechanisms in Striated Muscle (Lezioni Lincee) Book

Striated, or skeletal, muscle is the most common muscle type in the vertebrate body. This book describes in molecular terms the events that occur in the muscle cell during the contraction and relaxation of striated muscle. The book begins with coverage of motile systems occurring throughout the biological world and their relation to the highly specialized contractile system of muscle. From here, the text moves to a discussion of the mechanochemical process and the regulatory roles of calcium, I filament proteins and phosphorylation. The book ends with an examination of the role of dystrophin and its implications in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common form of muscle disease. Throughout the text, the author makes observations in light of recent advances in the knowledge of the atomic structure of major proteins involved in muscle movement. This book is an important source of information and current theory for researchers and students in physiology, biochemistry, and medicine.