Nonparallel isometric tension response of rabbit soleus skinned muscle fibers to magnesium adenosine triphosphate and magnesium inosine triphosphate.

The isometric tension response of single "skinned' rabbit soleus muscle fibers to MgATP and McITP in the absence of calcium was studied. [MgATP] or [MgITP] was varied in solutions of ionic strength 0.30 and temperature 20 degrees C. Steady-state tension that developed in MgATP or MgITP solutions was a biphasic bell-shaped function of log [MgATP] or log [MgITP] which increased from zero to maximum tension and then declined again to zero. Analysis of the data showed that, under comparable ionic conditions, percent tension vs. log [MgATP] and percent tension vs. log [MgITP] curves are not parallel. Instead, the percent tension vs. log [MgITP] curve is much broader. Additionally, under comparable ionic conditions maximum tension in MgITP solutions was higher than in MgATP solutions. In addition, in MgATP solutions, pH, [K+], and excess ATP were varied. Raising pH from 7 to 8, [K+] from 46 mM to 200 mM, or decreasing excess ATP from 2 to 0.5 mM all increased maximum tension. None of these factors, however, influenced the shape or position of the percent tension vs. log [MgATP] curve.