myosin light chains definition of myosin light chains in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

myosin (mī`əsĭn), one of the two major protein protein, any of the group of highly complex organic compounds found in all living cells and comprising the most abundant class of all biological molecules. Protein comprises approximately 50% of cellular dry weight.
..... Click the link for more information. constituents responsible for contraction of muscle. In muscle cells myosin is arranged in long filaments called thick filaments that lie parallel to the microfilaments of actin actin, a protein abundantly present in many cells, especially muscle cells, that significantly contributes to the cell's structure and motility. Actin can very quickly assemble into long polymer rods called microfilaments.
..... Click the link for more information. . In muscle contraction, filaments of actin alternately chemically link and unlink with those of myosin in a creeping or sliding action. The energy for this reaction is supplied by adenosine triphosphate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) (ədĕn`əsēn trī'fŏs`fāt)
..... Click the link for more information. . Myosin and actin also function in the motility of diverse non-muscle cells. In slime molds slime mold or slime fungus, a heterotrophic organism once regarded as a fungus but later classified with the Protista . In a recent system of classification based on analysis of nucleic acid (genetic material) sequences, slime molds have been
..... Click the link for more information. , for example, although present in much smaller quantities and forming shorter filaments, the interaction of the two proteins is employed to change cell shape and permit some movements.

myosin (redirected from myosin light chains)

myosin
(redirected from myosin light chains)