The actin-myosin lattice spacing of rabbit psoas fibers was osmotically compressed with a dextran T-500, and its effect on the elementary steps of the cross-bridge cycle was investigated. Experiments were performed at the saturating Ca (pCa 4.5-4.9), 200 mM ionic strength, pH 7.0, and at 20 degrees C, and the results were analyzed by the following cross-bridge scheme: [formula: see text] where A = actin, M = myosin head, S = MgATP, D = MgADP, and P = Pi = phosphate. From MgATP and MgADP studies on exponential process (C) and (D), the association constants of cross-bridges to MgADP (K0), MgATP (K1a), the rate constants of the isomerization of the AM S state (k1b and k-1b), and the rate constants of the cross-bridge detachment step (k2 and k-2) were deduced. From Pi study on process (B), the rate constants of the cross-bridge attachment (power stroke) step (k4- and k-4) and the association constant of Pi ions to cross-bridges (K5) were deduced. From ATP hydrolysis measurement, the rate constant of ADP-isomerization (rate-limiting) step (k6) was deduced. These kinetic constants were studied as functions of dextran concentrations. Our results show that nucleotide binding, the ATP-isomerization, and the cross-bridge detachment steps are minimally affected by the compression. The rate constant of the reverse power stroke step (k-4) decreases with mild compression (0-6.3% dextran), presumably because of the stabilization of the attached cross-bridges in the AM*DP state. The rate constant of the power stroke step (k4) does not change with mild compression, but it decreases with higher compression (> 6.3% dextran), presumably because of an increased difficulty in performing the power stroke. These results are consistent with the observation that isometric tension increases with a low level of compression and decreases with a high level of compression. Our results also show that the association constant K5 of Pi with cross-bridge state AM*D is not changed with compression. Our result further show that the ATP hydrolysis rate decreased with compression, and that the rate constants of the ADP-isomerization step (k6) becomes progressively less with compression. The effect of compression on the power stroke step and rate-limiting step implies that a large-scale molecular rearrangement in the myosin head takes place in these two slow reaction steps.