Editor's Summary

7 August 2008

Muscle contraction: sarcomeres in close-up

Sarcomeres are the basic contractile units of striated muscle. Uncovering how sarcomeres change length and develop force is fundamental to understanding biomechanics, muscle physiology, and neuromuscular control. Llewellyn et al. describe the use of optical microendoscopy to visualize sarcomeres and their micrometre-scale motions in live mice and humans, revealing unanticipated local variations in sarcomere lengths. Imaging of human sarcomeres is expected to enable advances in biomechanical modelling, orthopaedic therapeutics, and the understanding and treatment of neuromuscular disorders.

Letter: Minimally invasive high-speed imaging of sarcomere contractile dynamics in mice and humans

Michael E. Llewellyn, Robert P. J. Barretto, Scott L. Delp & Mark J. Schnitzer

doi:10.1038/nature07104

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