Corn Snakes Show Consistent Sarcomere Length Ranges Across Muscle Groups and Ontogeny.

ABSTRACT: The force-generating capacity of muscle depends upon many factors including the actin-myosin filament overlap due to the relative length of the sarcomere. Consequently, the force output of a muscle may vary throughout its range of motion, and the body posture allowing maximum force generation may differ even in otherwise similar species. We hypothesized that corn snakes would show an ontogenetic shift in sarcomere length range from being centered on the plateau of the length-tension curve in small individuals to being on the descending limb in adults. Sarcomere lengths across the plateau would be advantageous for locomotion, while the descending limb would be advantageous for constriction due to the increase in force as the coil tightens around the prey. To test this hypothesis, we collect

SUBMITTER: Jurestovsky DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9492312 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature