On the coagulation of muscle plasma. II.―The solubility of myosin

Abstract

The coagulation of muscle plasma is shown to be due to the precipitation of myosin, the temp. and pH determining the rate and form, from a sol which is formed by the addition of salt to the muscle before expressing the plasma. In the living rabbit muscle not more than 10% of the total myosin exists in the form of a sol, the remainder is a gel. The former is not sufficient to cause an alteration of muscle hardness when thrown out of solution; the latter would appear to explain the hardness of muscle in rigor.