The molecular mechanism of stretch activation in insect muscle

(PhysOrg.com) -- Flying insects are among the most successful species on our planet. Flight is very metabolically demanding and many insects have found a clever way to reduce energy costs in their flight muscles by employing a process called “stretch activation,” whereby nervous stimulation is just enough to maintain a constant low level of calcium and the muscles are “turned on” when they are stretched by antagonistic muscles. Stretch activation has been recognized since the 1960s as an interesting and physiologically important phenomenon, but a mechanistic explanation has been elusive.

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