Effects of Thermal Tension Transients on the Muscle Crossbridge

The transverse thermal fluctuations of the myosin molecule are significant. This paper explores the contribution of lateral myosin bending to the developed crossbridge force and power stroke. The equipartition theorem is used to calculate the mode amplitudes for myosin bending. Crossbridge axial force Fx and power stroke Δx are developed by transverse in-plane fluctuations along the y- and z-axes. Practical applications include the effects of temperature on the flexibility of the myosin molecule stiffness and tension, relevant to man-made fabrication of synthetic muscle using micromachines and nanowires. Scaling laws for the S2 bending amplitude depend on filament length, mode number, and stiffness, as n−2,L2, and (EI)−1. This paper quantifies the effects of thermal motion on the mechanics of miniature molecular motors, including the muscle crossbridge.