Effect of ATP concentration and pH on rigor tension development and dissociation of rigor complex in glycerinated rabbit psoas muscle fiber.

Isometric rigor tension development of glycerinated rabbit psoas muscle fibers in a medium, due to the formation of rigor complexes, was estimated at varying ATP concentrations from 0 to 2.5 mM and pH values from 6.75 to 8.20. The dissociation of rigor complexes was also estimated under the same conditions. When muscle fibers developed rigor tension from the relaxed and rigor states, the magnitude of rigor tension increased with increasing concentration of ATP. Transition between rigor and relaxation in single fibers occurred discontinuously at constant levels (critical levels) of ATP which were determined by pH. The critical concentrations of ATP necessary for inducing the transitions between rigor and relaxed states were also increased exponentially with increased pH. Incomplete repetition of tension development by the same fiber was also observed. This incomplete reversibility was divided into two types: one which showed a decay in rigor tension and another which showed no decay. The reason for the incomplete reversibility was discussed