The origin and selective innervation of early muscle fiber types in the rat

The diversity of muscle fiber types present in adult animals is present also in the fetus. Fibers generated early and late in fetal development undergo a stereotyped sequence of myosin expressions in giving rise to these fiber types. The differentiation of these fetal fiber types does not require innervation. However, evidence obtained from experiments identifying the types of fibers innervated by single motors suggests that the nervous system comes to recognize this diversity, at least during early postnatal life. Reinnervation experiments suggest that this recognition can occur in the absence of the timing cues normally present in the genesis of fiber types. Thus, a selective innervation of muscle fiber types occurs during development. The role of rearrangement of initial synaptic connections in generating this selectivity is discussed.