# PROXIMITY RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PROTEINS

> **NIH NIH R01** · BOSTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 1987 · $143,584

## Abstract

The long-term objective of this project is to elucidate the mechanisms for
1) transduction of energy during contraction of skeletal muscle, 2) the
regulation of skeletal muscle contraction by calcium ions.  Since these two
processes are fundamental to the functioning of normal muscle tissue, this
work may provide insight into the nature of pathological muscle
conditions.  This objective will be achieved by determining the spatial
relationships among the four major contractile proteins:  myosin, actin,
tropomyosin and troponin.  Furthermore, how these spatial relationships
change with the functional state of muscle (relaxed, activated, or in
rigor) will be examined.  Information so derived will be used to
reconstruct the molecular events that occur during muscle contraction and
its regulation.

Principally, two techniques will be used to determine spatial
relationships:  excitation energy transfer, and photochemical
crosslinking.  The distances between sites in tropomyosin and in the three
subunits of troponin will be determined by excitation energy transfer
measurements.  Simultaneously, amino acid residues at the interfaces
between the proteins will be identified using photocrosslinking and peptide
analysis techniques.  Information derived from these studies will be used
to construct a three-dimensional model for the troponin.tropomyosin
complex.  In a similar fashion, distances between sites in tropomyosin,
actin and myosin will be determined, and the interaction interfaces between
these proteins identified.  This will yield information on the location of
tropomyosin in the myosin.actin.tropomyosin complex, and the contact region
between myosin and actin.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3155202
- **Project number:** 5R01AR021673-10
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** Terence Tao
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $143,584
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1979-08-01 → 1991-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3155202

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3155202, PROXIMITY RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PROTEINS (5R01AR021673-10). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3155202. Licensed CC0.

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