myosin

[ mahy-uh-sin ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. the principal contractile protein of muscle.

myosin

/ ˈmaɪəsɪn /

noun

1. the chief protein of muscle that interacts with actin to form actomyosin during muscle contraction; it is also present in many other cell types

myosin

/ mī′ə-sĭn /

1. A protein found in muscle tissue as a thick filament made up of an aggregate of similar proteins. Myosin and the protein actin form the contractile units (sarcomeres) of skeletal muscle. In the sarcomere, actin and myosin filaments slide past each other to cause the shortening of a muscle fiber.

Word History and Origins

Origin of myosin¹

First recorded in 1865–70; my- + -ose ² + -in ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of myosin¹

C19: from myo- + -ose ² + -in

Example Sentences

By modulating the spatial distribution of myosin -- the molecular motor that drives cell movement -- the researchers were able to control the positioning of these attractors, directing cell accumulation to targeted areas of the embryo.

From Science Daily

The guideline includes recommendations for adding cardiac myosin inhibitors, a new class of medication for patients with symptomatic obstructive HCM who do not get adequate symptom relief from first-line drug therapy.

From Science Daily

The findings also suggest myosin -- a type of motor protein involved in muscle contraction -- plays a role in non-shivering thermogenesis during hibernation, where heat is produced independent of the muscle activity of shivering.

From Science Daily

Active RhoA turns on the motor protein non-muscle myosin II, which causes the back ends of the cells to constrict and let go of the surface they are moving along.

From Science Daily

The study titled "Cryo-EM structure of the human cardiac myosin filament" was published online in the journal Nature earlier this month.

From Science Daily