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Related Concept Videos

Classification of Skeletal Muscle Fibers01:48

Classification of Skeletal Muscle Fibers

Skeletal muscles continuously produce ATP to provide the energy that enables muscle contractions. Skeletal muscle fibers can be categorized into three types based on differences in their contraction speed and how they produce ATP, as well as physical differences related to these factors. Most human muscles contain all three muscle fiber types, albeit in varying proportions.
Slow-Twitch Muscle Fibers
Slow oxidative, muscle fibers appear red due to large numbers of capillaries and high levels of...
The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells01:10

The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells

Actin and myosin or actomyosin filaments also play a significant role in cells other than those involved in muscle contraction (which occurs within the sarcomere of muscle cells). The mechanism of non-muscle cell contractile bundles was first observed in Dictyostelium and Acanthamoeba. In non-muscle cells, two bundles are commonly found: stress fibers and actomyosin adherence belts. These contractile bundles are smaller and less organized than the ones found in muscle cells. They  are held...
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...
Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts01:13

Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts

De novo myogenesis, or the formation of muscle fibers, begins during the early embryonic stages. The skeletal muscle is formed from somites– blocks of embryonic cell layers. The somites are further divided into dermatomes, myotomes, sclerotomes, and syndetomes. Among these, the myotomes give rise to muscle fibers.
Muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) are formed from the myotomes. MPCs express genes that encode the transcription factors Pax3 and Pax7. Along with Pax 3/7, other transcription factors...
Types of Skeletal Muscle Fibers01:32

Types of Skeletal Muscle Fibers

Skeletal muscles comprise various fibers, each with distinct characteristics and roles in movement and stability. They are mainly categorized into three types — fast-twitch, slow-twitch, and intermediate.
Fast-twitch fibers
Fast-twitch fibers, or Type II fibers, are designed for quick, powerful bursts of speed and strength. They reach peak tension within approximately 0.01 seconds following stimulation. Characterized by a large diameter and densely packed myofibrils, these fibers contain...
Fascicle Arrangement in Skeletal Muscles01:25

Fascicle Arrangement in Skeletal Muscles

Fascicles are bundles of muscle fibers in a skeletal muscle. Muscle fascicle arrangement is directly associated with the power and range of motion of various muscles. The configuration of these fascicles can vary, leading to different functional outcomes.
The four primary types of muscle based on fascicle arrangement are:

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Related Experiment Video

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Analysis of Embryonic and Larval Zebrafish Skeletal Myofibers from Dissociated Preparations
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Axial muscle-fibre orientations in larval zebrafish.

Noraly M M E van Meer1, Johan L van Leeuwen1, Henk Schipper1

  • 1Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Journal of Anatomy
|November 18, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Larval zebrafish at 4 days post-fertilization exhibit a helical muscle fiber pattern that tapers towards the tail. This study introduces a new 3D imaging method to map these complex muscle orientations in developing fish.

Keywords:
Danio rerio3D muscle architectureconfocal laser scanning microscopymuscle developmentswimming muscles

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Area of Science:

  • * Developmental biology
  • * Comparative biomechanics
  • * Fish locomotion

Background:

  • * Teleost fish axial muscles power swimming and feeding through myomere contractions.
  • * Adult fish axial muscle fibers are pseudo-helical, optimizing strain distribution for efficient power generation.
  • * Larval fish muscle architecture and its developmental changes remain poorly understood, particularly regarding early swimming adaptations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To quantify muscle fiber orientations throughout the entire axial musculature of larval zebrafish.
  • * To establish a novel methodology for high-resolution 3D analysis of muscle architecture in developing fish.
  • * To investigate the muscle fiber patterns at 4 days post-fertilization (dpf) and their potential functional implications.

Main Methods:

  • * High-resolution confocal 3D scanning of genetically modified zebrafish larvae (4 dpf) expressing fluorescent proteins in fast muscle fibers.
  • * Segmentation of individual muscle fibers from 3D scans using fluorescence variation.
  • * Correction for fish position and orientation, followed by normalization for cross-individual analysis.

Main Results:

  • * At 4 dpf, larval zebrafish axial muscle fibers display a helical pattern that tapers posteriorly.
  • * Average fiber angles decrease from anterior to posterior, with specific variations along dorsoventral and mediolateral axes.
  • * Higher azimuth angles near the medial plane were observed only in the anterior 20% of the body.

Conclusions:

  • * The helical muscle fiber architecture in 4 dpf zebrafish larvae likely contributes to their swimming performance.
  • * Swimming performance may not be the sole determinant of this early muscle fiber pattern.
  • * The developed methodology enables detailed studies of muscle architecture across fish development and functional analyses.