EMBO Member
Belinda Bullard
EMBO 1981
University of York, United Kingdom
Regulation of contraction in insect flight muscle.
We are studying the way in which insect flight muscle is activated by stretching. Flight muscle contracts at high frequencies when stretched periodically in a priming level of calcium. Contractions are regulated by troponin and we hope to find out how troponin responds to stretch as well as calcium. We also work on the elastic proteins in flight muscle. These determine passive tension and have a signalling function during development.
Keywords
Contractile proteins / insect flight muscle / cytoskeleton / muscle regulation / muscle development