scholarly journals Comparison of Myosin Heavy Chain mRNAs, Protein Isoforms and Fiber Type Proportions in the Rat Slow and Fast Muscles

2013 ◽  
pp. 445-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. ŽURMANOVÁ ◽  
T. SOUKUP

We studied the expression of myosin heavy chain isoforms at mRNA and protein levels as well as fiber type composition in the fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and slow soleus (SOL) twitch muscles of adult inbred Lewis strain rats. Comparison of the results from Real Time RT-PCR, SDS-PAGE and fiber type analysis showed corresponding proportions of MyHC transcripts (MyHC-1, -2a, -2x/d, -2b), protein isoforms (MyHC-1, -2a, -2x/d, -2b) and fiber types (type 1, 2A, 2X/D, 2B) in both muscles. Furthermore, we found that slow MyHC-1 mRNA expression in the SOL was up to three orders higher than that of fast MyHC transcripts. This finding can explain the predominance of MyHC-1 isoform and fiber type 1 and the absence of pure 2X/D and 2B fibers in the SOL muscle. Based on our data presenting quantitative evidence of corresponding proportions between mRNA level, protein content and fiber type composition, we suggest that the Real Time RT-PCR technique can be used as a routine method for analysis of muscle composition changes and could be advantageous for the analysis of scant biological samples such as muscle biopsies in humans.

2008 ◽  
pp. 973-978
Author(s):  
J Žurmanová ◽  
F Půta ◽  
R Stopková ◽  
T Soukup

In order to re-evaluate the presence and relative quantity of 2b and 2x/d myosin heavy chain (MyHC) transcripts in rat slow soleus muscle by using real time RT-PCR we have compared the available relevant cDNA sequences and designed a new set of primers having similar melting temperatures, matching separate MyHC exons in the regions of maximal differences in MyHC coding sequences, and containing G or C at the 3 -end. These also yielded PCR products of corresponding length, which is an important requirement for real time RT-PCR quantification. The experiments were performed on 8-month-old inbred female Lewis strain rats used in our current study of regenerating transplanted muscles. The real time RT-PCR measurement confirmed the expression of all four MyHC mRNAs (type 1, 2a, 2x/d and 2b) in both fast extensor digitorum longus and slow soleus muscles, although in the soleus muscle of adult rats, only type 1 and 2a protein isoforms can be usually detected.


2015 ◽  
pp. 111-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. SOUKUP ◽  
M. DIALLO

Recently, we have established that slow soleus (SOL) and fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of euthyroid (EU) Lewis rats posses the same proportions between their four myosin heavy chain (MyHC) mRNAs, protein isoforms and fiber types as determined by real time RT-PCR, SDS-PAGE and 2-D stereological fiber type analysis, respectively. In the present paper we investigated if these proportions are maintained in adult Lewis rats with hyperthyroid (HT) and hypothyroid (HY) status. Although HT and HY states change MyHC isoform expression, results from all three methods showed that proportion between MyHC mRNA-1, ‑2a, -2x/d, -2b, protein isoforms MyHC-1, -2a, -2x/d, -2b and to lesser extent also fiber types 1, 2A, 2X/D, 2B were preserved in both SOL and EDL muscles. Furthermore, in the SOL muscle mRNA expression of slow MyHC-1 remained up to three orders higher compared to fast MyHC transcripts, which explains the predominance of MyHC-1 isoform and fiber type 1 even in HT rats. Although HT status led in the SOL to increased expression of MyHC-2a mRNA, MyHC-2a isoform and 2A fibers, it preserved extremely low expression of MyHC-2x and -2b mRNA and protein isoforms, which explains the absence of pure 2X/D and 2B fibers. HY status, on the other hand, almost completely abolished expression of all three fast MyHC mRNAs, MyHC protein isoforms and fast fiber types in the SOL muscle. Our data present evidence that a correlation between mRNA, protein content and fiber type composition found in EU status is also preserved in HT and HY rats.


2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ildus I. Ahmetov ◽  
Olga L. Vinogradova ◽  
Alun G. Williams

The ability to perform aerobic or anaerobic exercise varies widely among individuals, partially depending on their muscle-fiber composition. Variability in the proportion of skeletal-muscle fiber types may also explain marked differences in aspects of certain chronic disease states including obesity, insulin resistance, and hypertension. In untrained individuals, the proportion of slow-twitch (Type I) fibers in the vastus lateralis muscle is typically around 50% (range 5–90%), and it is unusual for them to undergo conversion to fast-twitch fibers. It has been suggested that the genetic component for the observed variability in the proportion of Type I fibers in human muscles is on the order of 40–50%, indicating that muscle fiber-type composition is determined by both genotype and environment. This article briefly reviews current progress in the understanding of genetic determinism of fiber-type proportion in human skeletal muscle. Several polymorphisms of genes involved in the calcineurin–NFAT pathway, mitochondrial biogenesis, glucose and lipid metabolism, cytoskeletal function, hypoxia and angiogenesis, and circulatory homeostasis have been associated with fiber-type composition. As muscle is a major contributor to metabolism and physical strength and can readily adapt, it is not surprising that many of these gene variants have been associated with physical performance and athlete status, as well as metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Genetic variants associated with fiber-type proportions have important implications for our understanding of muscle function in both health and disease.


1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (3) ◽  
pp. C507-C514 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Jiang ◽  
R. R. Roy ◽  
V. R. Edgerton

The metabolic plasticity of single fibers in adult cat medial gastrocnemius (MG) 6 mo after complete spinal cord transection (Sp) at T12-T13 was studied. Some Sp cats were trained to weight support (Sp-WS) 30 min/day beginning 1 mo posttransection. Cross-sectional area, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (GPD), and myofibrillar adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) activities were determined in fibers identified in frozen serial sections. Fibers were categorized as light or dark based on myosin ATPase staining, alkaline preincubation. The percentage of dark ATPase fibers was higher in Sp and Sp-WS (approximately 85%) than in control (approximately 60%). All dark ATPase fibers reacted positively to a fast myosin heavy chain monoclonal antibody. In both spinal groups, a higher percentage of dark ATPase fibers reacted to both fast and slow myosin heavy chain antibodies than in controls. Neither Sp nor Sp-WS cats showed fiber atrophy. Compared with control, SDH activity was decreased in both fiber types of Sp cats. Daily weight-support training ameliorated this adaptation. There were no differences among the three groups in mean GPD and ATPase activities for either fiber type. There was a slight tendency, however, for spinal cats to have higher GPD and ATPase activities (independent of type) than control, probably reflecting the larger proportion of dark ATPase fibers in these cats. These observations indicate that 6 mo after spinalization in adult cats, some of the fibers of a fast muscle became "faster" and developed oxidative and glycolytic enzyme profiles that normally are exhibited in fast fatigable motor units.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


2010 ◽  
pp. 783-801
Author(s):  
P Novák ◽  
G Zachařová ◽  
T Soukup

We analyzed fiber type composition of soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of 3- to 19-month-old male and female inbred Lewis rats using histochemical demonstration of mATPase activity. The rats were divided into four groups of the mean age of 3, 6, 9 and 14 months. We found that the soleus muscle of 3-month-old rats contained significantly more of fast 2A fibers and less of slow type 1 fibers compared to older rats, while no significant difference was found between female and male rats at any age group. In contrast, we found no significant difference in the EDL fiber type composition among the age groups, but we found that the EDL muscle of female rats contained significantly less 2A fibers and more 2B fibers than that of male animals. Our results thus revealed an age difference in the soleus muscle and a sex difference in the EDL muscle among postnatal Lewis rats. The number of slow type 1 fibers in the soleus muscle varied between 87 and 100 % and that of 2A fibers between 13 and 0 %. In the EDL the percentage of type 1 fibers varied between 2.6 and 8.7 %, that of 2A fibers between 12.6 and 25.8 % and that of 2B fibers between 70.4 and 81.6 %. Both muscles thus exhibited a considerable degree of variability among individual animals even in the same age group. Furthermore, a comparison of the Lewis rats with literature data of other rat strains showed that the number of fast 2A fibers in the soleus muscle of 4-month-old and older animals decreased in this order: SHR > Lister Hooded > Fisher 344 > SpragueDawley > Wistar > WBN/Kob > Lewis strain, being almost 20 % in the SHR and less than 2 % in the Lewis rats. In contrast, the “fastest” composition (judged according to the percentage of the fastest 2B fibers) of the EDL muscle was demonstrated by Lewis, Wistar and Fisher 344 rats (about 75 %), while Sprague-Dawley and WBN/Kob rats contained only about 50 % of 2B fibers. The percentage of slow type 1 fibers in the EDL was low in all strains (about 5 %). Our results thus show that the individual, age and sex as well as inter-strain differences in muscle fiber type composition should not be ignored when comparing results of different studies. We also demonstrated that the inbred Lewis strain appears to have more “specialized” muscle composition, as its soleus is the “slowest” and its EDL is the “fastest” among the routinely used rat strains.


2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 311-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Picquet ◽  
L De-Doncker ◽  
M Falempin

Our objective was to determine the effects of a clenbuterol (CB) treatment orally administered (2 mg per kg) to rats submitted to 14 days of hindlimb unloading (HU). The morphological and the contractile properties as well as the myosin heavy chain isoforms contained in each fiber type were determined in whole soleus muscles. As classically described after HU, a decrease in muscle wet weight and in body mass associated with a loss of muscular force, an evolution of the contractile parameters towards those of a fast muscle type, and the emergence of fast myosin heavy chain isoforms were observed. The CB treatment in the HU rats helped reduce the decrease in 1) muscle and body weights, 2) force and 3) the proportion of slow fibers, without preventing the emergence of fast myosin isoforms. Clenbuterol induced a complex remodelling of the muscle typing promoting the combination of both slow and fast myosin isoforms within one fiber. To conclude, our data demonstrate that CB administration partially counteracts the effects produced by HU, and they allow us to anticipate advances in the treatment of muscular atrophy.Key words: β2 agonist, clenbuterol, soleus, contractile parameters, myosin, immunohistochemistry, simulated microgravity, countermeasure.


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