We studied the relative contributions of Ca 2+ binding to troponin C (TnC) and myosin binding to actin in activating thin filaments of rabbit psoas fibres. The ability of Ca 2+ to activate thin filaments was reduced by replacing native TnC with cardiac TnC (cTnC) or a site I-inactive skeletal TnC mutant (xsTnC). Acto-myosin (crossbridge) interaction was either inhibited using N -benzyl-p-toluene sulphonamide (BTS) or enhanced by lowering [ATP] from 5.0 to 0.5 mM. Reconstitution with cTnC reduced maximal force (F max ) by ∼1/3 and the Ca 2+ sensitivity of force (pCa 50 ) by 0.17 unit (P < 0.001), while reconstitution with xsTnC reduced F max by ∼2/3 and pCa 50 by 0.19 unit (P < 0.001). In both cases the apparent cooperativity of activation (n H ) was greatly decreased. In control fibres 3 µM BTS inhibited force to 57% of F max while in fibres reconstituted with cTnC or xsTnC, reconstituted maximal force (rF max ) was inhibited to 8.8% and 14.3%, respectively. Under control conditions 3 µM BTS significantly decreased the pCa 50 , but this effect was considerably reduced in cTnC reconstituted fibres, and eliminated in xsTnC reconstituted fibres. In contrast, when crossbridge cycle kinetics were slowed by lowering [ATP] from 5 to 0.5 mM in xsTnC reconstituted fibres, pCa 50 and n H were increased towards control values. Combined, our results demonstrate that when the ability of Ca 2+ binding to activate thin filaments is compromised, the relative contribution of strong crossbridges to maintain thin filament activation is increased. Furthermore, the data suggest that at low levels of Ca 2+ , the level of thin filament activation is determined primarily by the direct effects of Ca 2+ on tropomyosin mobility, while at higher levels of Ca 2+ the final level of thin filament activation is primarily determined by strong cycling crossbridges.