Force Maintenance with Reduced Ability to Shorten Actively in Barnacle Striated Muscle

1. Fibres from adductor scutorum muscle of a barnacle Tetraclita squamosa were made to contract isometrically by electrical stimulation, and the change in the ability to shorten actively during the mechanical responses was examined by suddenly allowing the fibres to shorten under a very small load (<3 % of the force immediately before shortening) at various times after the onset of stimulation. 2. The shortening velocity (Vs)) was nearly constant during stimulation. After the cessation of stimulation, shortening velocity decreased steeply while isometric force decayed slowly, indicating that isometric force was maintained with reduced ability to shorten actively. 3. Similar results were obtained when the maximum rate of force redevelopment following a quick release was measured at various times during the mechanical response to electrical stimulation. 4. In these fibres, but not in fibres from frog skeletal muscle, a quick restretch following a quick release could restore the force to a level similar to that observed without a quick release. These results, together with those above, indicated a reduced cross-bridge cycling rate during the relaxation phase of mechanical responses of barnacle fibres to electrical stimulation. 5. During electrical stimulation, VS| showed less dependence on [Ca ]o than was shown by isometric force. 6. These results are discussed in connection with the mechanism of force maintenance with reduced cross-bridge cycling rate.