Protein Chemistry. Structure, Properties, Research Methods - Shendryk A.N. 2022

Proteins of blood and muscle tissues
Proteins of the contractile system
Mechanism of muscle contraction - Features of the chemical composition of the myocardium

In terms of its chemical composition, The Heart Muscle occupies an intermediate position between skeletal and smooth Muscles. The myocardium contains significantly fewer myofibrillar Proteins than Skeletal Muscle does. Myosin, Tropomyosin, and troponin of the heart muscle and smooth musculature differ in their physicochemical properties from the corresponding proteins of skeletal muscle. The sarcoplasm of the myocardium has a relatively higher content of myoalbumin than the sarcoplasm of skeletal muscle. The ATP content per 1 g of muscle is as follows: smooth muscle, 1.38 μmol; heart muscle, 2.60 μmol; and skeletal muscle, 4.43 μmol. The cardiac and smooth muscles are characterized by a very low percentage of the dipeptides anserine and carnosine (no more than 0.1 g per 1 kg of wet weight). Compared to other Muscle Tissues, the myocardium is richer in phosphoglycerides. The oxidation of non-carbohydrate substrates accounts for about 65–70% of the myocardial energy demand. Among free Fatty acids, oleic acid is oxidized most readily in the heart muscle.



Last update: 06/08/2026

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