Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: Sarcomeres are the basic force generating units of striated muscles and consist of an interdigitating arrangement of actin and myosin filaments. While muscle contraction is usually triggered by neural signals, which eventually set myosin motors into motion, isolated sarcomeres can oscillate spontaneously between a contracted and a relaxed state. We analyze a model for sarcomere dynamics, which is based on a force-dependent detachment rate of myosin from actin. Our numerical bifurcation analysis of the spontaneous sarcomere dynamics reveals notably Hopf bifurcations, canard explosions, and gluing bifurcations. We discuss possible implications for experiments.
DOI: 10.1063/1.3523283
Authors: Stefan Günther, Karsten Kruse
Institution: Saarland University
Language: English
Subfield: Computer Networks and Communications
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2010910750