Related Experiment Videos
Ipsi-and contralateral changes in rabbit soleus myosins by cross-reinnervation
Pflugers Archiv : European Journal of Physiology
|June 1, 1981
Summary
Cross reinnervation of the soleus muscle in rabbits alters myosin patterns. These changes, including the induction of fast-type myosin light chains and isomyosins, also appear in the contralateral muscle, suggesting neural signaling.
Area of Science:
- Muscle Physiology
- Neurobiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Skeletal muscle adaptation is influenced by neural input.
- Myosin expression patterns define muscle fiber type and function.
- Understanding neural control of muscle plasticity is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of cross-reinnervation on myosin expression in adult rabbit soleus muscle.
- To analyze changes in myosin light chain (MLC) and isomyosin profiles.
- To explore the influence of altered neural activity on contralateral muscle.
Main Methods:
- Surgical cross-reinnervation of the soleus muscle in adult rabbits.
- Electrophoretic analysis of myosin light chain (MLC) and isomyosin patterns.
- Comparison of protein expression between cross-reinnervated and contralateral soleus muscles.
Main Results:
- Cross-reinnervation induced a decrease in slow-type MLCs (LC1', LC2) and an increase in fast-type MLCs.
- Isomyosin analysis revealed a decrease in slow isomyosin (SM) and induction of fast isomyosins (FM1, FM2, FM3).
- An intermediate isomyosin, similar to rat isomyosin 4, was also induced in the soleus muscle.
Conclusions:
- Cross-reinnervation triggers significant shifts in myosin expression towards a fast-twitch phenotype in the soleus muscle.
- These myosin alterations were also observed, albeit to a lesser extent, in the contralateral soleus muscle.
- Altered afferent activity from cross-reinnervation may be neurally transmitted, influencing efferent activity and inducing plasticity in the contralateral muscle.