Tropomyosin is a protein involved in muscle contraction. It blocks the binding sites on actin filaments, preventing myosin from attaching and initiating contraction until calcium ions are present.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
Tropomyosin is a regulatory protein that binds along the length of actin filaments.
In the presence of calcium ions, tropomyosin undergoes a conformational change, allowing myosin to bind to actin.
Tropomyosin works closely with another regulatory protein called troponin.
It plays a critical role in skeletal and cardiac muscle function by controlling the interaction between actin and myosin.
Mutations or malfunctions in tropomyosin can lead to muscle diseases such as cardiomyopathies.