Cellular insertion of primary and secondary myotubes in embryonic rat muscles

Mammalian muscles develop from two populations of myotubes; primary myotubes appear first and are few in number; secondary myotubes appear later and form most of the muscle fibres. We have made an ultrastructural study to investigate how primary and secondary myotubes in embryonic rat muscles transmit tension during the period of their development. Primary myotubes extend from end to end of the muscle from the earliest times, and attach directly to the tendon. In contrast, newly formed secondary myotubes are short cells which insert solely into the primary myotubes by a series of complex interdigitating folds along which adhering junctions occur. As the secondary myotubes lengthen and mature, their insertion is progressively transferred from the primary myotube to the tendon proper. We suggest that this variable insertion of immature secondary myotubes, combined with complex patterns of innervation and electrical coupling in developing muscle, makes it difficult to predict the overall contribution of secondary myotubes to muscle tension development. This work extends other studies showing the unique relationship between a primary myotube and its associated secondary myotubes, indicating that these may constitute a developmental compartment.