Summary
Single human muscle fibers were analysed using a combination of histochemical and biochemical techniques. Routine myofibrillar adenosine triphosphatase (mATPase) histochemistry revealed a continuum of staining intensities between the fast fiber types IIA and IIB (type IIAB fibers) after preincubation at pH 4.6. Electrophoretic analysis of single, histochemically-identified fibers demonstrated a correlation between the staining intensity and the myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition. All fibers classified as type I contained exclusively MHCI and all type IIA fibers contained only MHCIIa. Type IIAB fibers displayed variable amounts of both MHCIIa and MHCIIb; the greater the staining intensity of these fibers after preincubation at pH 4.6, the greater the percentage of MHCIIb. Those fibers histochemically classified as type IIB contained either entirely MHCIIb or, in addition to MHCIIb, a small amount of MHCIIa. These data establish a correlation between the mATPase activity and MHC content in single human muscle fibers.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bär A, Pette D (1988) Three fast myosin heavy chains in adult rat skeletal muscle. FEBS Lett 235:153–155
Bergström J (1962) Muscle electrolytes in man. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 14 [Suppl 68]:1–110
Biral D, Betto R, Danieli-Betto D, Salviati G (1988) Myosin heavy chain composition of single fibres from normal human muscle. Biochem J 250:307–308
Brooke MH, Kaiser KK (1970) Three “myosin ATPase” systems: the nature of their pH lability and sulfhydryl dependence. J Histochem Cytochem 18:670–672
Danieli-Betto D, Zerbato E, Betto R (1986) Type I, 2A, and 2B myosin heavy chain electrophoretic analysis of rat muscle fibers. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 138:981–987
Ingjer F (1979) Effects of endurance training on muscle fibre ATPase activity, capillary supply and mitochondrial content in man. J Physiol 294:419–432
Klitgaard H, Zhou M, Richter EA (1990) Myosin heavy chain composition of single fibres from m. biceps brachii of male body builders. Acta Physiol Scand 140:175–180
Oakley BR, Kirsch DR, Morris NR (1980) A simplified ultrasensitive silver stain for detecting proteins in polyacrylamide gels. Anal Biochem 105:361–363
Pavlath GK, Rich K, Webster SG, Blau HM (1989) Localization of muscle gene products in nuclear domains. Nature 337:570–573
Perrie WT, Bumford SJ (1986) Electrophoretic separation of myosin isoenzymes. Implications for the histochemical demonstration of fibre types in biopsy specimens of human skeletal muscle. J Neurol Sci 73:89–96
Pette D, Staron RS (1988) Molecular basis of the phenotypic characteristics of mammalian muscle fibres. In: Evered D, Whalen J (eds) Plasticity of the neuromuscular system. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester New York Brisbane, pp 22–34
Pette D, Staron RS (1990) Cellular and molecular diversities of mammalian skeletal muscle fibers. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 116:1–76
Schiaffino S, Saggin L, Viel A, Gorza L (1985) Differentiation of fibre types in rat skeletal muscle visualized with monoclonal antimyosin antibodies. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 6:60–61
Staron RS, Pette D (1986) Correlation between myofibrillar ATPase activity and myosin heavy chain composition in rabbit muscle fibers. Histochemistry 86:19–23
Staron RS, Pette D (1987a) The multiplicity of combinations of myosin light chains and heavy chains in histochemically typed single fibres. Rabbit soleus muscle. Biochem J 243:687–693
Staron RS, Pette D (1987b) The multiplicity of combinations of myosin light chains and heavy chains in histochemically typed single fibers. Rabbit tibialis anterior muscle. Biochem J 243:695–699
Staron RS, Pette D (1987c) Nonuniform myosin expression along single fibers of chronically stimulated and contralateral rabbit tibialis anterior muscles. Pflugers Arch 409:67–73
Staron RS, Hikida RS, Hagerman FC (1983a) Reevaluation of human skeletal muscle fast-twitch subtypes: evidence for a continuum. Histochemistry 78:33–39
Staron RS, Hikida RS, Hagerman FC (1983b) Myofibrillar ATPase activity in human muscle fast-twitch subtypes. Histochemistry 78:405–408
Staron RS, Hikida RS, Hagerman FC, Dudley GA, Murray TF (1984) Human skeletal muscle fiber type adaptatiblity to various workloads. J Histochem Cytochem 32:146–152
Termin A, Staron RS, Pette D (1989) Myosin heavy chain isoforms in histochemically defined fiber types of rat muscle. Histochemistry 92:453–457
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Staron, R.S. Correlation between myofibrillar ATPase activity and myosin heavy chain composition in single human muscle fibers. Histochemistry 96, 21–24 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00266756
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00266756