Preparation of Coverslip Surfaces

Smooth muscle myosin filaments can be directly bound to a glass surface for the motility assay, but it is preferable that monomeric myosin or HMM be attached to a surface that is coated with either nitrocellulose or silicon. Nitrocellulose-coated coverslips can be prepared by placing one drop of 1% nitrocellulose (Superclean grade, EF Fullam, Schenectady, NY) in amyl acetate from a Pasteur pipet onto the surface of water in a 10-cm round glass dish. The amyl 

Silicon-coated coverslips can be prepared by diluting dichlorodimethlysilane to 2% in chloroform. Coverslips are immersed into this solution and allowed to air-dry. 

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