TY - JOUR
T1 - Fast fibres in a large animal
T2 - Fibre types, contractile properties and myosin expression in pig skeletal muscles
AU - Toniolo, Luana
AU - Patruno, Marco
AU - Maccatrozzo, Lisa
AU - Pellegrino, Maria A.
AU - Canepari, Monica
AU - Rossi, Rosetta
AU - D'Antona, Giuseppe
AU - Bottinelli, Roberto
AU - Reggiani, Carlo
AU - Mascarello, Francesco
PY - 2004/5
Y1 - 2004/5
N2 - Little is known about the influence of Myosin Heavy Chain (MHC) isoforms on the contractile properties of single muscle fibres in large animals. We have studied MHC isoform composition and contractile properties of single muscle fibres from the pig. Masseter, diaphragm, longissimus, semitendinosus, rectractor bulbi and rectus lateralis were sampled in female pigs (aged 6 months, mass 160 kg). RT-PCR, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and gel electrophoresis were combined to identify and separate four MHC isoforms: MHC-slow and three fast MHC (2A, 2X, 2B). Maximum shortening velocity (V o) and isometric tension (Po) were measured in single muscle fibres with known MHC isoform composition. Six groups of fibres (pure: slow, 2A, 2X and 2B, and hybrid: 2A-2X and 2X-2B) with large differences in Vo and Po were identified. Slow fibres had mean V o=0.17±0.01 length s-1 and Po=25. 1±3.3 mN mm-2. For fast fibres 2A, 2X and 2B, mean V o values were 1.86±0.18, 2.55±0.19 and 4.06±0.33 length s-1 and mean Po values 74.93±8.36, 66.85±7.58 and 32.96±7.47 mN mm-2, respectively. An in vitro motility assay confirmed that Vo strictly reflected the functional properties of the myosin isoforms. We conclude that pig muscles express high proportions of fast MHC isoforms, including MHC-2B, and that V o values are higher than expected on the basis of the scaling relationship between contractile parameters and body size.
AB - Little is known about the influence of Myosin Heavy Chain (MHC) isoforms on the contractile properties of single muscle fibres in large animals. We have studied MHC isoform composition and contractile properties of single muscle fibres from the pig. Masseter, diaphragm, longissimus, semitendinosus, rectractor bulbi and rectus lateralis were sampled in female pigs (aged 6 months, mass 160 kg). RT-PCR, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and gel electrophoresis were combined to identify and separate four MHC isoforms: MHC-slow and three fast MHC (2A, 2X, 2B). Maximum shortening velocity (V o) and isometric tension (Po) were measured in single muscle fibres with known MHC isoform composition. Six groups of fibres (pure: slow, 2A, 2X and 2B, and hybrid: 2A-2X and 2X-2B) with large differences in Vo and Po were identified. Slow fibres had mean V o=0.17±0.01 length s-1 and Po=25. 1±3.3 mN mm-2. For fast fibres 2A, 2X and 2B, mean V o values were 1.86±0.18, 2.55±0.19 and 4.06±0.33 length s-1 and mean Po values 74.93±8.36, 66.85±7.58 and 32.96±7.47 mN mm-2, respectively. An in vitro motility assay confirmed that Vo strictly reflected the functional properties of the myosin isoforms. We conclude that pig muscles express high proportions of fast MHC isoforms, including MHC-2B, and that V o values are higher than expected on the basis of the scaling relationship between contractile parameters and body size.
KW - Isoform
KW - Myosin heavy chain
KW - Pig
KW - Shortening velocity
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U2 - 10.1242/jeb.00950
DO - 10.1242/jeb.00950
M3 - Article
C2 - 15107442
AN - SCOPUS:3042637781
VL - 207
SP - 1875
EP - 1886
JO - Journal of Experimental Biology
JF - Journal of Experimental Biology
SN - 0022-0949
IS - 11
ER -