Transitions of muscle fiber phenotypic profiles

Skeletal muscle is a complex, versatile tissue composed of a large variety of functionally diverse fiber types. The overall properties of a muscle largely result from a combination of the individual properties of its different fiber types and their proportions. Skeletal muscle fiber types, which can be delineated according to various parameters, for example, myofibrillar protein isoforms, metabolic enzyme profiles, and structural and contractile properties, are not fixed units but are capable of responding to altered functional demands and a variety of signals by changing their phenotypic profiles. This brief review summarizes our current understanding of the delineation of fiber types, modulations of their phenotypic profiles as induced under various conditions, and potential mechanisms involved in these transitions.