Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The Holy Grail of muscle biochemistry is to understand how muscle works. The operational components of a muscle can be likened to parts in an automobile. Automobiles have: an engine, an ignition, fuel delivery and brakes. Muscles have molecules called proteins, which can do all of these things. They produce a 'cool' system of movement; coordinated motion without having to resort to combustion. The biochemist's prime directive is to 'open the hood' of the muscle and look inside. Each glimpse constitutes one experiment. The combined results of many experiments enable researchers to draw up a blueprint of the inner-machinery, of what each protein is doing. Only when we know the role of each working component, will it be possible to make modifications to a muscle or repair one when it malfunctions. The experiments described in the application are expected to generate new knowledge on one of the key proteins in muscle, actin. We have discovered a new form of actin in certain bony fishes such as salmon and herring, which we propose helps these migratory species to swim in a particular way. By understanding how one protein - actin - can make a muscle work differently, we will understand more about what this protein is actually doing. This is the aim of my application for a Discovery grant.