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Sergeeva XV, Lvova ID, Sharlo KA. Disuse-Induced Muscle Fatigue: Facts and Assumptions. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4984. [PMID: 38732203 PMCID: PMC11084575 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle unloading occurs during a wide range of conditions, from space flight to bed rest. The unloaded muscle undergoes negative functional changes, which include increased fatigue. The mechanisms of unloading-induced fatigue are far from complete understanding and cannot be explained by muscle atrophy only. In this review, we summarize the data concerning unloading-induced fatigue in different muscles and different unloading models and provide several potential mechanisms of unloading-induced fatigue based on recent experimental data. The unloading-induced changes leading to increased fatigue include both neurobiological and intramuscular processes. The development of intramuscular fatigue seems to be mainly contributed by the transformation of soleus muscle fibers from a fatigue-resistant, "oxidative" "slow" phenotype to a "fast" "glycolytic" one. This process includes slow-to-fast fiber-type shift and mitochondrial density decline, as well as the disruption of activating signaling interconnections between slow-type myosin expression and mitochondrial biogenesis. A vast pool of relevant literature suggests that these events are triggered by the inactivation of muscle fibers in the early stages of muscle unloading, leading to the accumulation of high-energy phosphates and calcium ions in the myoplasm, as well as NO decrease. Disturbance of these secondary messengers leads to structural changes in muscles that, in turn, cause increased fatigue.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kristina A. Sharlo
- Institute of Biomedical Problems, RAS, Khorosevskoye Shosse, 76a, 123007 Moscow, Russia; (X.V.S.); (I.D.L.)
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Lee KY, Rhodes JS, Saif MTA. Astrocyte-mediated Transduction of Muscle Fiber Contractions Synchronizes Hippocampal Neuronal Network Development. Neuroscience 2023; 515:25-36. [PMID: 36736611 PMCID: PMC10023357 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Exercise supports brain health in part by enhancing hippocampal function. The leading hypothesis is that muscles release factors when they contract (e.g., lactate, myokines, growth factors) that enter circulation and reach the brain where they enhance plasticity (e.g., increase neurogenesis and synaptogenesis). However, it remains unknown how the muscle signals are transduced by the hippocampal cells to modulate network activity and synaptic development. Thus, we established an in vitro model in which the media from contracting primary muscle cells (CM) is applied to developing primary hippocampal cell cultures on a microelectrode array. We found that the hippocampal neuronal network matures more rapidly (as indicated by synapse development and synchronous neuronal activity) when exposed to CM than regular media (RM). This was accompanied by a 4.4- and 1.4-fold increase in the proliferation of astrocytes and neurons, respectively. Further, experiments established that factors released by astrocytes inhibit neuronal hyper-excitability induced by muscle media, and facilitate network development. Results provide new insight into how exercise may support hippocampal function by regulating astrocyte proliferation and subsequent taming of neuronal activity into an integrated network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki Yun Lee
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Justin S Rhodes
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - M Taher A Saif
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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3
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Karpicheva OE. Hallmark Features of the Tropomyosin
Regulatory Function in Several Variants of Congenital Myopathy. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093021030133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Hessel AL, Monroy JA, Nishikawa KC. Non-cross Bridge Viscoelastic Elements Contribute to Muscle Force and Work During Stretch-Shortening Cycles: Evidence From Whole Muscles and Permeabilized Fibers. Front Physiol 2021; 12:648019. [PMID: 33854441 PMCID: PMC8039322 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.648019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The sliding filament-swinging cross bridge theory of skeletal muscle contraction provides a reasonable description of muscle properties during isometric contractions at or near maximum isometric force. However, it fails to predict muscle force during dynamic length changes, implying that the model is not complete. Mounting evidence suggests that, along with cross bridges, a Ca2+-sensitive viscoelastic element, likely the titin protein, contributes to muscle force and work. The purpose of this study was to develop a multi-level approach deploying stretch-shortening cycles (SSCs) to test the hypothesis that, along with cross bridges, Ca2+-sensitive viscoelastic elements in sarcomeres contribute to force and work. Using whole soleus muscles from wild type and mdm mice, which carry a small deletion in the N2A region of titin, we measured the activation- and phase-dependence of enhanced force and work during SSCs with and without doublet stimuli. In wild type muscles, a doublet stimulus led to an increase in peak force and work per cycle, with the largest effects occurring for stimulation during the lengthening phase of SSCs. In contrast, mdm muscles showed neither doublet potentiation features, nor phase-dependence of activation. To further distinguish the contributions of cross bridge and non-cross bridge elements, we performed SSCs on permeabilized psoas fiber bundles activated to different levels using either [Ca2+] or [Ca2+] plus the myosin inhibitor 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM). Across activation levels ranging from 15 to 100% of maximum isometric force, peak force, and work per cycle were enhanced for fibers in [Ca2+] plus BDM compared to [Ca2+] alone at a corresponding activation level, suggesting a contribution from Ca2+-sensitive, non-cross bridge, viscoelastic elements. Taken together, our results suggest that a tunable viscoelastic element such as titin contributes to: (1) persistence of force at low [Ca2+] in doublet potentiation; (2) phase- and length-dependence of doublet potentiation observed in wild type muscles and the absence of these effects in mdm muscles; and (3) increased peak force and work per cycle in SSCs. We conclude that non-cross bridge viscoelastic elements, likely titin, contribute substantially to muscle force and work, as well as the phase-dependence of these quantities, during dynamic length changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony L Hessel
- Institute of Physiology II, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Jenna A Monroy
- W.M. Keck Science Department, Claremont Colleges, Claremont, CA, United States
| | - Kiisa C Nishikawa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
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5
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Stenfors BA, Staples RJ, Biros SM, Ngassa FN. Crystal structure of 4-methyl- N-(4-methyl-benz-yl)benzene-sulfonamide. Acta Crystallogr E Crystallogr Commun 2020; 76:235-238. [PMID: 32071753 PMCID: PMC7001832 DOI: 10.1107/s2056989020000535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The title compound, C15H17NO2S, was synthesized via a substitution reaction between 4-methyl-benzyl-amine and p-toluene-sulfonyl chloride. In the crystal, N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules, forming ribbons running along the b-axis direction. One of the aromatic rings hosts two inter-molecular C-H⋯π inter-actions that link these hydrogen-bonded ribbons into a three-dimensional network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brock A. Stenfors
- Department of Chemistry, 1 Campus Dr., Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49401, USA
| | - Richard J. Staples
- Center for Crystallographic Research, Michigan State University, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Shannon M. Biros
- Department of Chemistry, 1 Campus Dr., Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49401, USA
| | - Felix N. Ngassa
- Department of Chemistry, 1 Campus Dr., Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49401, USA
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Iwamoto H. Effects of myosin inhibitors on the X-ray diffraction patterns of relaxed and calcium-activated rabbit skeletal muscle fibers. Biophys Physicobiol 2018; 15:111-120. [PMID: 29892517 PMCID: PMC5992860 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.15.0_111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We studied the effect of myosin inhibitors, N-benzyl-p-toluenesulfonamide (BTS), blebbistatin, and butanedione monoxime (BDM) on X-ray diffraction patterns from rabbit psoas fibers under relaxing and contracting conditions. The first two inhibitors suppressed the contractile force almost completely at a 100 μM concentration, and a similar effect was obtained at 50 mM for BDM. However, still substantial changes were observed in the diffraction patterns upon calcium-activation of inhibited muscle fibers. (1) The 2nd actin layer-line reflection was enhanced normally, indicating that calcium binding to troponin and the subsequent movement of tropomyosin are not inhibited, (2) the myosin layer-line reflections became much weaker, and (3) the 1,1/1,0 intensity ratio of the equatorial reflections was increased. The observations (2) and (3) indicate that, even in the presence of the inhibitors at a saturating concentration, myosin heads leave the helix on the thick filaments and approach the thin filaments. Interestingly, the d1,0 spacing of the filament lattice remained unchanged upon activation of inhibited fibers, in contrast to the case of normal activation in which the spacing is decreased. This suggests that the normal activated myosin heads exert a pull in both axial and radial directions, but in the presence of the inhibitors, the pull is suppressed, and as a result, the heads simply bind to actin without exerting any force. The results support the idea that the inhibitors do not block the myosin binding to actin, but block the step of force-producing transition of the bound actomyosin complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Iwamoto
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, SPring-8, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
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7
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Bunda J, Gittings W, Vandenboom R. Myosin phosphorylation improves contractile economy of mouse fast skeletal muscle during staircase potentiation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.167718. [PMID: 29361581 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.167718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) by skeletal myosin light chain kinase (skMLCK) potentiates rodent fast twitch muscle but is an ATP-requiring process. Our objective was to investigate the effect of skMLCK-catalyzed RLC phosphorylation on the energetic cost of contraction and the contractile economy (ratio of mechanical output to metabolic input) of mouse fast twitch muscle in vitro (25°C). To this end, extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles from wild-type (WT) and from skMLCK-devoid (skMLCK-/-) mice were subjected to repetitive low-frequency stimulation (10 Hz for 15 s) to produce staircase potentiation of isometric twitch force, after which muscles were quick frozen for determination of high-energy phosphate consumption (HEPC). During stimulation, WT muscles displayed significant potentiation of isometric twitch force while skMLCK-/- muscles did not (i.e. 23% versus 5% change, respectively). Consistent with this, RLC phosphorylation was increased ∼3.5-fold from the unstimulated control value in WT but not in skMLCK-/- muscles. Despite these differences, the HEPC of WT muscles was not greater than that of skMLCK-/- muscles. As a result of the increased contractile output relative to HEPC, the calculated contractile economy of WT muscles was greater than that of skMLCK-/- muscles. Thus, our results suggest that skMLCK-catalyzed phosphorylation of the myosin RLC increases the contractile economy of WT mouse EDL muscle compared with skMLCK-/- muscles without RLC phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Bunda
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - William Gittings
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Rene Vandenboom
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
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Carlo C, Pura B, Magaly R, Marino D. Differential effects of contractile potentiators on action potential-induced Ca 2+ transients of frog and mouse skeletal muscle fibres. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 2016; 37:169-180. [PMID: 27590123 DOI: 10.1007/s10974-016-9455-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Muscle fibres, isolated from frog tibialis anterior and mouse flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) were loaded with the fast dye MagFluo-4 to study the effects of potentiators caffeine, nitrate, Zn2+ and perchlorate on Ca2+ transients elicited by single action potentials. Overall, the potentiators doubled the transients amplitude and prolonged by about 1.5-fold their decay time. In contrast, as shown here for the first time, nitrate and Zn2+, but not caffeine, activated a late, secondary component of the transient rising phase of frog but not mouse, fibres. The rise time was increased from 1.9 ms in normal solution (NR) to 3.3 ms (nitrate) and 4.4 ms (Zn2+). In NR, a single exponential, fitted the rising phase of calcium transients of frog (τ1 = 0.47 ms) and mouse (τ1 = 0.28 ms). In nitrate and Zn2+ only frog transients showed a secondary exponential component, τ2 = 0.72 ms (nitrate) and 0.94 ms, (Zn2+). We suggest that nitrate and Zn2+ activate a late slower component of the ΔF/F signals of frog but not of mouse fibres, possibly promoting Ca2+ induced Ca2+ release at level of the RyR3, that in frog muscle fibres are localized in the para-junctional region of the triads and are absent in mouse FDB muscle fibres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caputo Carlo
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Celular, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, IVIC, Apartado 21827, Caracas, 1020, Venezuela.
| | - Bolaños Pura
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Celular, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, IVIC, Apartado 21827, Caracas, 1020, Venezuela
| | - Ramos Magaly
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Celular, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, IVIC, Apartado 21827, Caracas, 1020, Venezuela
| | - DiFranco Marino
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CF, USA
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Primary Murine Myotubes as a Model for Investigating Muscular Dystrophy. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:594751. [PMID: 26380282 PMCID: PMC4561302 DOI: 10.1155/2015/594751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Muscular dystrophies caused by defects in various genes are often associated with impairment of calcium homeostasis. Studies of calcium currents are hampered because of the lack of a robust cellular model. Primary murine myotubes, formed upon satellite cell fusion, were examined for their utilization as a model of adult skeletal muscle. We enzymatically isolated satellite cells and induced them to differentiation to myotubes. Myotubes displayed morphological and physiological properties resembling adult muscle fibers. Desmin and myosin heavy chain immunoreactivity in the differentiated myotubes were similar to the mature muscle cross-striated pattern. The myotubes responded to electrical and chemical stimulations with sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release. Presence of L-type calcium channels in the myotubes sarcolemma was confirmed via whole-cell patch-clamp technique. To assess the use of myotubes for studying functional mutation effects lentiviral transduction was applied. Satellite cells easily underwent transduction and were able to retain a positive expression of lentivirally encoded GFP up to and after the formation of myotubes, without changes in their physiological and morphological properties. Thus, we conclude that murine myotubes may serve as a fruitful cell model for investigating calcium homeostasis in muscular dystrophy and the effects of gene modifications can be assessed due to lentiviral transduction.
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10
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Nocella M, Cecchi G, Bagni MA, Colombini B. Force enhancement after stretch in mammalian muscle fiber: no evidence of cross-bridge involvement. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2014; 307:C1123-9. [PMID: 25298425 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00290.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Stretching of activated skeletal muscles induces a force increase above the isometric level persisting after stretch, known as residual force enhancement (RFE). RFE has been extensively studied; nevertheless, its mechanism remains debated. Unlike previous RFE studies, here the excess of force after stretch, termed static tension (ST), was investigated with fast stretches (amplitude: 3-4% sarcomere length; duration: 0.6 ms) applied at low tension during the tetanus rise in fiber bundles from flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) mouse muscle at 30°C. ST was measured at sarcomere length between 2.6 and 4.4 μm in normal and N-benzyl-p-toluene sulphonamide (BTS)-added (10 μM) Tyrode solution. The results showed that ST has the same characteristics and it is equivalent to RFE. ST increased with sarcomere length, reached a peak at 3.5 μm, and decreased to zero at ∼4.5 μm. At 4 μm, where active force was zero, ST was still 50% of maximum. BTS reduced force by ∼75% but had almost no effect on ST. Following stimulation, ST developed earlier than force, with a time course similar to internal Ca(2+) concentration: it was present 1 ms after the stimulus, at zero active force, and peaked at ∼3-ms delay. At 2.7 μm, activation increased the passive sarcomere stiffness by a factor of ∼7 compared with the relaxed state All our data indicate that ST, or RFE, is independent of the cross-bridge presence and it is due to the Ca(2+)-induced stiffening of a sarcomeric structure identifiable with titin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Nocella
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; and Interuniversity Institute of Myology, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cecchi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; and Interuniversity Institute of Myology, Italy
| | - Maria Angela Bagni
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; and Interuniversity Institute of Myology, Italy
| | - Barbara Colombini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; and Interuniversity Institute of Myology, Italy
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11
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Analysis of spontaneous and nerve-evoked calcium transients in intact extraocular muscles in vitro. Exp Eye Res 2012; 100:73-85. [PMID: 22579493 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2012.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2012] [Revised: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 04/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Extraocular muscles (EOMs) have unique calcium handling properties, yet little is known about the dynamics of calcium events underlying ultrafast and tonic contractions in myofibers of intact EOMs. Superior oblique EOMs of juvenile chickens were dissected with their nerve attached, maintained in oxygenated Krebs buffer, and loaded with fluo-4. Spontaneous and nerve stimulation-evoked calcium transients were recorded and, following calcium imaging, some EOMs were double-labeled with rhodamine-conjugated alpha-bungarotoxin (rhBTX) to identify EOM myofiber types. EOMs showed two main types of spontaneous calcium transients, one slow type (calcium waves with 1/2(max) duration of 2-12 s, velocity of 25-50 μm/s) and two fast "flash-like" types (Type 1, 30-90 ms; Type 2, 90-150 ms 1/2(max) duration). Single pulse nerve stimulation evoked fast calcium transients identical to the fast (Type 1) calcium transients. Calcium waves were accompanied by a local myofiber contraction that followed the calcium transient wavefront. The magnitude of calcium-wave induced myofiber contraction far exceeded those of movement induced by nerve stimulation and associated fast calcium transients. Tetrodotoxin eliminated nerve-evoked transients, but not spontaneous transients. Alpha-bungarotoxin eliminated both spontaneous and nerve-evoked fast calcium transients, but not calcium waves, and caffeine increased wave activity. Calcium waves were observed in myofibers lacking spontaneous or evoked fast transients, suggestive of multiply-innervated myofibers, and this was confirmed by double-labeling with rhBTX. We propose that the abundant spontaneous calcium transients and calcium waves with localized contractions that do not depend on innervation may contribute to intrinsic generation of tonic functions of EOMs.
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Hernández-Ochoa EO, Schneider MF. Voltage clamp methods for the study of membrane currents and SR Ca(2+) release in adult skeletal muscle fibres. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2012; 108:98-118. [PMID: 22306655 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2012.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2011] [Revised: 01/14/2012] [Accepted: 01/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle excitation-contraction (E-C)(1) coupling is a process composed of multiple sequential stages, by which an action potential triggers sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)(2) Ca(2+) release and subsequent contractile activation. The various steps in the E-C coupling process in skeletal muscle can be studied using different techniques. The simultaneous recordings of sarcolemmal electrical signals and the accompanying elevation in myoplasmic Ca(2+), due to depolarization-initiated SR Ca(2+) release in skeletal muscle fibres, have been useful to obtain a better understanding of muscle function. In studying the origin and mechanism of voltage dependency of E-C coupling a variety of different techniques have been used to control the voltage in adult skeletal fibres. Pioneering work in muscles isolated from amphibians or crustaceans used microelectrodes or 'high resistance gap' techniques to manipulate the voltage in the muscle fibres. The development of the patch clamp technique and its variant, the whole-cell clamp configuration that facilitates the manipulation of the intracellular environment, allowed the use of the voltage clamp techniques in different cell types, including skeletal muscle fibres. The aim of this article is to present an historical perspective of the voltage clamp methods used to study skeletal muscle E-C coupling as well as to describe the current status of using the whole-cell patch clamp technique in studies in which the electrical and Ca(2+) signalling properties of mouse skeletal muscle membranes are being investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick O Hernández-Ochoa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 108 N. Greene St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
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13
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Ramsey KA, Bakker AJ, Pinniger GJ. Fiber-type dependence of stretch-induced force enhancement in rat skeletal muscle. Muscle Nerve 2010; 42:769-77. [PMID: 20976780 DOI: 10.1002/mus.21744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
When an active muscle is stretched, the force increases due to strain of contractile and noncontractile proteins. We examined this force enhancement in rat extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles, which differ in their composition of these proteins, and their susceptibility to damage. Small stretches were applied at different velocities during isometric contractions from which we quantified the velocity-dependent contractile and velocity-independent noncontractile contributions to force enhancement. Whereas the contractile contribution was significantly greater in soleus than EDL, the noncontractile force enhancement was significantly greater in EDL than soleus, and increased ≈6-fold after damaging eccentric contractions. The increased contractile stiffness may be functionally beneficial in slow muscle, as resistance to lengthening is fundamental to maintaining posture. Following stretch-induced muscle damage this capacity is compromised, leading to increased strain of noncontractile proteins that may facilitate the activation of signaling pathways involved in muscle adaptation to injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A Ramsey
- School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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Crossbridge and non-crossbridge contributions to force in shortening and lengthening muscle. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2010. [PMID: 20824528 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-6366-6_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Analysis of tension responses to ramp length changes in muscle can provide important information about the crossbridge cycle. During a ramp length change, the force response of an active muscle shows an early change in slope (the P₁ transition) followed by a later, gradual change in slope (the P₂ transition). Modeling shows that the first transition reflects the tension change associated with the crossbridge power stroke in shortening and with its reversal in lengthening; the reduction in slope at the second transition occurs when most of the crossbridges (myosin heads) that were attached at the start of the ramp become detached; the steady tension during shortening is borne mainly by post-stroke heads whereas tension during lengthening is borne mostly by pre-stroke heads. After the P₂ transition, the tension reaches a steady level in the model whereas in the experiments the tension continues to increase during lengthening or to decrease during shortening; this tension change is seen at a wide range of sarcomere lengths and even when active force is reduced by a myosin inhibitor. It appears that some non-crossbridge components in muscle fibers stiffen upon activation and contribute to the continued tension rise during lengthening; release of such tension leads to tension decline during shortening. Thus, non-crossbridge visco-elasticity in sarcomeres may also contribute to energy storage and release during in situ muscle function.
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15
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Minozzo FC, Rassier DE. Effects of blebbistatin and Ca2+ concentration on force produced during stretch of skeletal muscle fibers. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2010; 299:C1127-35. [DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00073.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
When activated muscle fibers are stretched at low speeds [≤2 optimal length ( Lo)/s], force increases in two phases, marked by a change in slope [critical force (Pc)] that happens at a critical sarcomere length extension ( Lc). Some studies attribute Pc to the number of attached cross bridges before stretch, while others attribute it to cross bridges in a pre-power-stroke state. In this study, we reinvestigated the mechanisms of forces produced during stretch by altering either the number of cross bridges attached to actin or the cross-bridge state before stretch. Two sets of experiments were performed: 1) activated fibers were stretched by 3% Lo at speeds of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 Lo/s in different pCa2+ (4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0), or 2) activated fibers were stretched by 3% Lo at 2 Lo/s in pCa2+ 4.5 containing either 5 μM blebbistatin(+/−) or its inactive isomer (+/+). All stretches started at a sarcomere length (SL) of 2.5 μm. When fibers were activated at a pCa2+ of 4.5, Pc was 2.47 ± 0.11 maximal force developed before stretch (Po) and decreased with lower concentrations of Ca2+. Lc was not Ca2+ dependent; the pooled experiments provided a Lc of 14.34 ± 0.34 nm/half-sarcomere (HS). Pc and Lc did not change with velocities of stretch. Fibers activated in blebbistatin(+/−) showed a higher Pc (2.94 ± 0.17 Po) and Lc (16.30 ± 0.38 nm/HS) than control fibers (Pc 2.31 ± 0.08 Po; Lc 14.05 ± 0.63 nm/HS). The results suggest that forces produced during stretch are caused by both the number of cross bridges attached to actin and the cross bridges in a pre-power-stroke state. Such cross bridges are stretched by large amplitudes before detaching from actin and contribute significantly to the force developed during stretch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio C. Minozzo
- Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dilson E. Rassier
- Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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16
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Colombini B, Nocella M, Bagni MA, Griffiths PJ, Cecchi G. Is the cross-bridge stiffness proportional to tension during muscle fiber activation? Biophys J 2010; 98:2582-90. [PMID: 20513402 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2010.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2009] [Revised: 01/27/2010] [Accepted: 02/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The cross-bridge stiffness can be used to estimate the number of S1 that are bound to actin during contraction, which is a critical parameter for elucidating the fundamental mechanism of the myosin motor. At present, the development of active tension and the increase in muscle stiffness due to S1 binding to actin are thought to be linearly related to the number of cross-bridges formed upon activation. The nonlinearity of total stiffness with respect to active force is thought to arise from the contribution of actin and myosin filament stiffness to total sarcomere elasticity. In this work, we reexamined the relation of total stiffness to tension during activation and during exposure to N-benzyl-p-toluene sulphonamide, an inhibitor of cross-bridge formation. In addition to filament and cross-bridge elasticity, our findings are best accounted for by the inclusion of an extra elasticity in parallel with the cross-bridges, which is formed upon activation but is insensitive to the subsequent level of cross-bridge formation. By analyzing the rupture tension of the muscle (an independent measure of cross-bridge formation) at different levels of activation, we found that this additional elasticity could be explained as the stiffness of a population of no-force-generating cross-bridges. These findings call into question the assumption that active force development can be taken as directly proportional to the cross-bridge number.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Colombini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiologiche and Istituto Interuniversitario di Miologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
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17
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Ottenheijm CAC, Hidalgo C, Rost K, Gotthardt M, Granzier H. Altered contractility of skeletal muscle in mice deficient in titin's M-band region. J Mol Biol 2009; 393:10-26. [PMID: 19683008 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2009.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2009] [Revised: 08/06/2009] [Accepted: 08/07/2009] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the contractile phenotype of skeletal muscle deficient in exons MEx1 and MEx2 (KO) of the titin M-band by using the cre-lox recombination system and a multidisciplinary physiological approach to study skeletal muscle contractile performance. At a maximal tetanic stimulation frequency, intact KO extensor digitorum longus muscle was able to produce wild-type levels of force. However, at submaximal stimulation frequency, force was reduced in KO mice, giving rise to a rightward shift of the force-frequency curve. This rightward shift of the force-frequency curve could not be explained by altered sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) handling, as indicated by analysis of Ca(2+) transients in intact myofibers and expression of Ca(2)(+)-handling proteins, but can be explained by the reduced myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity of force generation that we found. Western blotting experiments suggested that the excision of titin exons MEx1 and MEx2 did not result in major changes in expression of titin M-band binding proteins or phosphorylation level of the thin-filament regulatory proteins, but rather in a shift toward expression of slow isoforms of the thick-filament-associated protein, myosin binding protein-C. Extraction of myosin binding protein-C from skinned muscle normalized myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity of the KO extensor digitorum longus muscle. Thus, our data suggest that the M-band region of titin affects the expression of genes involved in the regulation of skeletal muscle contraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coen A C Ottenheijm
- Department of Physiology, Sarver Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
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18
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Glycolysis in contracting rat skeletal muscle is controlled by factors related to energy state. Biochem J 2009; 420:161-8. [PMID: 19250062 DOI: 10.1042/bj20082135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The control of glycolysis in contracting muscle is not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to examine whether activation of glycolysis is mediated by factors related to the energy state or by a direct effect of Ca2+ on the regulating enzymes. Extensor digitorum longus muscles from rat were isolated, treated with cyanide to inhibit aerobic ATP production and stimulated (0.2 s trains every 4 s) until force was reduced to 70% of initial force (control muscle, referred to as Con). Muscles treated with BTS (N-benzyl-p-toluene sulfonamide), an inhibitor of cross-bridge cycling without affecting Ca2+ transients, were stimulated for an equal time period as Con. Energy utilization by the contractile apparatus (estimated from the observed relation between ATP utilization and force-time integral) was 60% of total. In BTS, the force-time integral and ATP utilization were only 38 and 58% of those in Con respectively. Glycolytic rate in BTS was only 51% of that in Con but the relative contribution of ATP derived from PCr (phosphocreatine) and glycolysis and the relation between muscle contents of PCr and Lac (lactate) were not different. Prolonged cyanide incubation of quiescent muscle (low Ca2+) did not change the relation between PCr and Lac. The reduced glycolytic rate in BTS despite maintained Ca2+ transients, and the unchanged PCr/Lac relation in the absence of Ca2+ transients, demonstrates that Ca2+ is not the main trigger of glycogenolysis. Instead the preserved relative contribution of energy delivered from PCr and glycolysis during both conditions suggests that the glycolytic rate is controlled by factors related to energy state.
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19
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Rose AJ, Alsted TJ, Jensen TE, Kobberø JB, Maarbjerg SJ, Jensen J, Richter EA. A Ca(2+)-calmodulin-eEF2K-eEF2 signalling cascade, but not AMPK, contributes to the suppression of skeletal muscle protein synthesis during contractions. J Physiol 2009; 587:1547-63. [PMID: 19188248 PMCID: PMC2678225 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2008.167528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2008] [Accepted: 01/28/2009] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle protein synthesis rate decreases during contractions but the underlying regulatory mechanisms are poorly understood. It was hypothesized that there would be a coordinated regulation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4EBP1) phosphorylation by signalling cascades downstream of rises in intracellular [Ca(2+)] and decreased energy charge via AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in contracting skeletal muscle. When fast-twitch skeletal muscles were contracted ex vivo using different protocols, the suppression of protein synthesis correlated more closely with changes in eEF2 than 4EBP1 phosphorylation. Using a combination of Ca(2+) release agents and ATPase inhibitors it was shown that the 60-70% suppression of fast-twitch skeletal muscle protein synthesis during contraction was equally distributed between Ca(2+) and energy turnover-related mechanisms. Furthermore, eEF2 kinase (eEF2K) inhibition completely blunted increases in eEF2 phosphorylation and partially blunted (i.e. 30-40%) the suppression of protein synthesis during contractions. The 3- to 5-fold increase in skeletal muscle eEF2 phosphorylation during contractions in situ was rapid and sustained and restricted to working muscle. The increase in eEF2 phosphorylation and eEF2K activation were downstream of Ca(2+)-calmodulin (CaM) but not other putative activating factors such as a fall in intracellular pH or phosphorylation by protein kinases. Furthermore, blunted protein synthesis and 4EBP1 dephosphorylation were unrelated to AMPK activity during contractions, which was exemplified by normal blunting of protein synthesis during contractions in muscles overexpressing kinase-dead AMPK. In summary, in fast-twitch skeletal muscle, the inhibition of eEF2 activity by phosphorylation downstream of Ca(2+)-CaM-eEF2K signalling partially contributes to the suppression of protein synthesis during exercise/contractions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Rose
- Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre and Molecular Physiology Group, Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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20
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Linari M, Piazzesi G, Lombardi V. The effect of myofilament compliance on kinetics of force generation by myosin motors in muscle. Biophys J 2009; 96:583-92. [PMID: 19167306 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2008.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2008] [Accepted: 09/29/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We use the inhibitor of isometric force of skeletal muscle N-benzyl-p-toluene sulfonamide (BTS) to decrease, in a dose dependent way, the number of myosin motors attached to actin during the steady isometric contraction of single fibers from frog skeletal muscle (4 degrees C, 2.1 microm sarcomere length). In this way we can reduce the strain in the myofilament compliance during the isometric tetanus (T(0)) from 3.54 nm in the control solution (T(0,NR)) to approximately 0.5 nm in 1 microM BTS, where T(0) is reduced to approximately 0.15 T(0,NR). The quick force recovery after a step release (1-3 nm per half-sarcomere) becomes faster with the increase of BTS concentration and the decrease of T(0). The simulation of quick force recovery with a multistate model of force generation, that adapts Huxley and Simmons model to account for both the high stiffness of the myosin motor (approximately 3 pN/nm) and the myofilament compliance, shows that the increase in the rate of quick force recovery by BTS is explained by the reduced strain in the myofilaments, consequent to the decrease in half-sarcomere force. The model estimates that i), for the same half-sarcomere release the state transition kinetics in the myosin motor are five times faster in the absence of filament compliance than in the control; and ii), the rate of force recovery from zero to T(0) is approximately 6000/s in the absence of filament compliance.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Linari
- Laboratorio di Fisiologia, Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica, Università di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy
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21
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Kramerova I, Kudryashova E, Wu B, Ottenheijm C, Granzier H, Spencer MJ. Novel role of calpain-3 in the triad-associated protein complex regulating calcium release in skeletal muscle. Hum Mol Genet 2008; 17:3271-80. [PMID: 18676612 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddn223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Calpain-3 (CAPN3) is a non-lysosomal cysteine protease that is necessary for normal muscle function, as mutations in CAPN3 result in an autosomal recessive form of limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A. To elucidate the biological roles of CAPN3 in skeletal muscle, we performed a search for potential substrates and interacting partners. By yeast-two-hybrid analysis we identified the glycolytic enzyme aldolase A (AldoA) as a binding partner of CAPN3. In co-expression studies CAPN3 degraded AldoA; however, no accumulation of AldoA was observed in total extracts from CAPN3-deficient muscles suggesting that AldoA is not an in vivo substrate of CAPN3. Instead, we found CAPN3 to be necessary for recruitment of AldoA to one specific location, namely the triads, which are structural components of muscle responsible for calcium transport and excitation-contraction coupling. Both aldolase and CAPN3 are present in the triad-enriched fraction and are able to interact with ryanodine receptors (RyR) that form major calcium release channels. Levels of triad-associated AldoA and RyR were decreased in CAPN3-deficient muscles compared with wild-type. Consistent with these observations we found calcium release to be significantly reduced in fibers from CAPN3-deficient muscles. Together, these data suggest that CAPN3 is necessary for the structural integrity of the triad-associated protein complex and that impairment of calcium transport is a phenotypic feature of CAPN3-deficient muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Kramerova
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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22
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Ottenheijm CAC, Fong C, Vangheluwe P, Wuytack F, Babu GJ, Periasamy M, Witt CC, Labeit S, Granzier H. Sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake and speed of relaxation are depressed in nebulin-free skeletal muscle. FASEB J 2008; 22:2912-9. [PMID: 18434434 DOI: 10.1096/fj.07-104372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Previous work suggested that altered Ca(2+) homeostasis might contribute to dysfunction of nebulin-free muscle, as gene expression analysis revealed that the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA)-inhibitor sarcolipin (SLN) is up-regulated >70-fold in nebulin knockout mice, and here we tested this proposal. We investigated SLN protein expression in nebulin-free and wild-type skeletal muscle, as well as expression of other Ca(2+)-handling proteins. Ca(2+) uptake capacity was determined in isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles and in intact myofibers by measuring Ca(2+) transients. Muscle contractile performance was determined in skinned muscle activated with exogenous Ca(2+), as well as in electrically stimulated intact muscle. We found profound up-regulation of SLN protein in nebulin-free skeletal muscle, whereas expression of other Ca(2+)-handling proteins was not (calsequestrin and phospholamban) or was minimally (SERCA) affected. Speed of Ca(2+) uptake was >3-fold decreased in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles isolated from nebulin-free muscle as well as in nebulin-free intact myofibers. Ca(2+)-activated stress in skinned muscle and stress produced by intact nebulin-free muscle were reduced to a similar extent compared with wild type. Half-relaxation time was significantly longer in nebulin-free compared with wild-type muscle. Thus, the present study demonstrates for the first time that nebulin might also be involved in physiological Ca(2+) handling of the SR-myofibrillar system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coen A C Ottenheijm
- Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, PO Box 245217, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
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23
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Barclay CJ, Woledge RC, Curtin NA. Energy turnover for Ca2+ cycling in skeletal muscle. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 2007; 28:259-74. [PMID: 17882515 DOI: 10.1007/s10974-007-9116-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2007] [Accepted: 08/09/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The majority of energy consumed by contracting muscle can be accounted for by two ATP-dependent processes, cross-bridge cycling and Ca(2+) cycling. The energy for Ca(2+) cycling is necessary for contraction but is an overhead cost, energy that cannot be converted into mechanical work. Measurement of the energy used for Ca(2+) cycling also provides a means of determining the total Ca(2+) released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum into the sarcoplasm during a contraction. To make such a measurement requires a method to selectively inhibit cross-bridge cycling without altering Ca(2+) cycling. In this review, we provide a critical analysis of the methods used to partition skeletal muscle energy consumption between cross-bridge and non-cross-bridge processes and present a summary of data for a wide range of skeletal muscles. It is striking that the cost of Ca(2+) cycling is almost the same, 30-40% of the total cost of isometric contraction, for most muscles studied despite differences in muscle contractile properties, experimental conditions, techniques used to measure energy cost and to partition energy use and in absolute rates of energy use. This fraction increases with temperature for amphibian or fish muscle. Fewer data are available for mammalian muscle but most values are similar to those for amphibian muscle. For mammalian muscles there are no obvious effects of animal size, muscle fibre type or temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Barclay
- School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Griffith University, PMB50 Gold Coast Mail Centre, Gold Coast, QLD 9726, Australia.
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24
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Roots H, Offer GW, Ranatunga KW. Comparison of the tension responses to ramp shortening and lengthening in intact mammalian muscle fibres: crossbridge and non-crossbridge contributions. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 2007; 28:123-39. [PMID: 17610136 DOI: 10.1007/s10974-007-9110-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2007] [Accepted: 05/29/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We examined the tension responses to ramp shortening and lengthening over a range of velocities (0.1-5 L(0)/s) and at 20 degrees C and 30 degrees C in tetanized intact fibre bundles from a rat fast (flexor hallucis brevis) muscle; fibre length (L(0)) was 2.2 mm and sarcomere length approximately 2.5 microm. The tension change during ramp releases as well as ramp stretches showed an early transition (often appearing as an inflection) at 1-4 ms; the tension change at this transition and the length change at which it occurred increased with velocity. A second transition, indicated by a more gradual reduction in slope, occurred when the length had changed by 14-28 nm per half-sarcomere; the tension at this transition increased with lengthening velocity towards a plateau and it decreased with shortening velocity towards zero tension. The velocity dependence of the time to the transitions and the length change at the transitions showed some asymmetries between shortening and lengthening. Based on analyses of the velocity dependence of the tension and modelling, we propose that the first transition reflects the tension change associated with the crossbridge power stroke in shortening, or with the reversal of the power stroke in lengthening. Modelling shows that the reduction in slope at the second transition occurs when most of the crossbridges (myosin heads) that were attached at the start of the ramp become detached. After the second transition, the tension reaches a steady level in the model whereas the tension continues to increase during lengthening and continues to decrease during shortening in the experiments; this continuous tension change is seen at a wide range of initial sarcomere lengths and when active force is reduced by the myosin inhibitor, BTS. The continuous tension decline during shortening is not abolished by caffeine, but the rate of decline is reduced when the active force is depressed by BTS. We propose that stiffening of non-crossbridge visco-elastic elements upon activation contributes to the continuous tension rise during lengthening and the release of such tension and Ca-insensitive deactivation contribute to the tension decline during shortening in muscle fibres.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Roots
- Muscle Contraction Group, Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
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25
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Telley IA, Denoth J. Sarcomere dynamics during muscular contraction and their implications to muscle function. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 2007; 28:89-104. [PMID: 17530424 DOI: 10.1007/s10974-007-9107-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2006] [Accepted: 04/20/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This article attempts to identify the key aspects of sarcomere inhomogeneity and the dynamics of sarcomere length changes in muscle contraction experiments and focuses on understanding the mechanics of myofibrils or muscle fibres when viewed as independent units of biological motors (the half-sarcomeres) connected in series. Muscle force generation has been interpreted traditionally on the basis of the kinetics of crossbridge cycling, i.e. binding of myosin heads to actin and consecutive force generating conformational change of the head, under controlled conditions and assuming uniformity of sarcomere or half-sarcomere behaviour. However, several studies have shown that re-distribution of internal strain within myofibrils and muscle fibres may be a key player, particularly, during stretch or relaxation so that force kinetics parameters are strongly affected by sarcomere dynamics. Here, we aim to shed light on how force generation, crossbridge kinetics, and the complex sarcomere movements are to be linked and which mechanical concepts are necessary to develop a comprehensive contraction model of a myofibril.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo A Telley
- ETH Zurich, Institute for Biomechanics, HCI E 357.1, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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26
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Gailly P, De Backer F, Van Schoor M, Gillis JM. In situ measurements of calpain activity in isolated muscle fibres from normal and dystrophin-lacking mdx mice. J Physiol 2007; 582:1261-75. [PMID: 17510188 PMCID: PMC2075236 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2007.132191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Calpains are Ca(2+)-activated proteases that are thought to be involved in muscle degenerative diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Status and activity of calpains in adult muscle fibres are poorly documented. We report here in situ measurements of calpain activity in collagenase-isolated fibres from C57 mice and form two models of dystrophy: dystrophin-deficient mdx and calpain-3 knocked-out mice. Calpain activity was measured using a permeant, fluorogenic substrate and its Ca(2+) dependence was studied. A 30-fold change of activity was observed between the lowest and the highest steady-state Ca(2+) availability. Fast transient changes of [Ca(2+)](i) induced by electrical stimulation or KCl-dependent depolarization were ineffective in activating calpain. Slow [Ca(2+)] transients, as elicited during depletion of Ca(2+) stores, Ca(2+) store repletion and hypo-osmotic swelling were able to activate calpain. On return to resting conditions, calpain activity recovered its basal rate within 10 min. In resting intact muscle, mu-calpain was predominantly in the 80 kDa native form, with a small fraction in the 78 kDa autolysed form. The latter is thought to be responsible for the activity measured in our conditions. Calpain activity in mdx fibres showed an average 1.5-fold increase compared to activity in C57 fibres. This activity was reduced by a 10-fold lowering of [Ca(2+)](o). Calpain-3-deficient fibres showed about the same increase, thus calpain-3 did not contribute to the activity measured here and calpain activation is not specific to dystrophin deficiency. In fibres from transgenic mice over-expressing calpastatin, a 40-50% reduction of calpain activity was observed, as with synthetic drugs (Z-Leu-Leu-CHO and SNT198438). We provide novel information on the physiological factors that control calpain activity in situ, particularly the effect of intracellular Ca(2+) transients that occur in excitation-contraction coupling, Ca(2+) store depletion and refilling, and activation of mechanosensitive Ca(2+) channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Gailly
- Laboratory of Cell Physiology, Catholic University of Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
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27
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Fredsted A, Gissel H, Madsen K, Clausen T. Causes of excitation-induced muscle cell damage in isometric contractions: mechanical stress or calcium overload? Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2007; 292:R2249-58. [PMID: 17332163 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00415.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Prolonged or unaccustomed exercise leads to muscle cell membrane damage, detectable as release of the intracellular enzyme lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH). This is correlated to excitation-induced influx of Ca2+, but it cannot be excluded that mechanical stress contributes to the damage. We here explore this question using N-benzyl-p-toluene sulfonamide (BTS), which specifically blocks muscle contraction. Extensor digitorum longus muscles were prepared from 4-wk-old rats and mounted on holders for isometric contractions. Muscles were stimulated intermittently at 40 Hz for 15-60 min or exposed to the Ca2+ ionophore A23187. Electrical stimulation increased 45Ca influx 3-5 fold. This was followed by a progressive release of LDH, which was correlated to the influx of Ca2+. BTS (50 microM) caused a 90% inhibition of contractile force but had no effect on the excitation-induced 45Ca influx. After stimulation, ATP and creatine phosphate levels were higher in BTS-treated muscles, most likely due to the cessation of ATP-utilization for cross-bridge cycling, indicating a better energy status of these muscles. No release of LDH was observed in BTS-treated muscles. However, when exposed to anoxia, electrical stimulation caused a marked increase in LDH release that was not suppressed by BTS but associated with a decrease in the content of ATP. Dynamic passive stretching caused no increase in muscle Ca2+ content and only a minor release of LDH, whereas treatment with A23187 markedly increased LDH release both in control and BTS-treated muscles. In conclusion, after isometric contractions, muscle cell membrane damage depends on Ca2+ influx and energy status and not on mechanical stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Fredsted
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
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28
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Weisleder N, Brotto M, Komazaki S, Pan Z, Zhao X, Nosek T, Parness J, Takeshima H, Ma J. Muscle aging is associated with compromised Ca2+ spark signaling and segregated intracellular Ca2+ release. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; 174:639-45. [PMID: 16943181 PMCID: PMC2064307 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200604166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Reduced homeostatic capacity for intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) movement may underlie the progression of sarcopenia and contractile dysfunction during muscle aging. We report two alterations to Ca2+ homeostasis in skeletal muscle that are associated with aging. Ca2+ sparks, which are the elemental units of Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum, are silent under resting conditions in young muscle, yet activate in a dynamic manner upon deformation of membrane structures. The dynamic nature of Ca2+ sparks appears to be lost in aged skeletal muscle. Using repetitive voltage stimulation on isolated muscle preparations, we identify a segregated [Ca2+]i reserve that uncouples from the normal excitation-contraction process in aged skeletal muscle. Similar phenotypes are observed in adolescent muscle null for a synaptophysin-family protein named mitsugumin-29 (MG29) that is involved in maintenance of muscle membrane ultrastructure and Ca2+ signaling. This finding, coupled with decreased expression of MG29 in aged skeletal muscle, suggests that MG29 expression is important in maintaining skeletal muscle Ca2+ homeostasis during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah Weisleder
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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29
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Pinniger GJ, Ranatunga KW, Offer GW. Crossbridge and non-crossbridge contributions to tension in lengthening rat muscle: force-induced reversal of the power stroke. J Physiol 2006; 573:627-43. [PMID: 16627571 PMCID: PMC1779750 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2005.095448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Lengthening of active muscle is an essential feature of animal locomotion, but the molecular processes occurring are incompletely understood. We therefore examined and modelled tension responses to ramp stretches (5% fibre length, L0) over a wide range of velocities (0.1-10 L(0) s(-1)) of tetanized intact rat muscle fibre bundles (L0 approximately 2 mm) with a resting sarcomere length of 2.5 microm at 20 degrees C. Tension rose to a peak during stretch and decayed afterwards to a level which was higher than the prestretch tetanic tension. This residual force enhancement was insensitive to velocity. The tension rise during stretch showed an early transition (often appearing as an inflection) at approximately 1 ms. Both the stretch (L1) and the tension rise at this transition increased in proportion to velocity. A second transition, marked by a reduction in slope, occurred at a stretch of approximately 18 nm per half-sarcomere; the rise in tension at this transition increased with velocity towards a plateau. Based on analyses of the velocity dependence of the tension and modelling, we propose that the initial steep increase in tension arises from increasing strain of all attached crossbridges and that the first transition reflects the tension loss due to the original post-stroke heads executing a reverse power stroke. Modelling indicates that the reduction in slope at the second transition occurs when the last of the heads that were attached at the start of the ramp become detached. Thereafter, the crossbridge cycle is largely truncated, with prepower stroke crossbridges rapidly detaching at high strain and attaching at low strain, the tension being borne mainly by the prestroke heads. Analysis of the tension decay after the ramp and the velocity dependence of the peak tension suggest that a non-crossbridge component increasingly develops tension throughout the stretch; this decays only slowly, reaching at 500 ms after the ramp approximately 20% of its peak value. This is supported by the finding that, in the presence of 10 microm N-benzyl-p-toluene sulphonamide (a myosin inhibitor), while isometric tension is reduced to approximately 15%, and the crossbridge contribution to stretch-induced tension rise is reduced to 30-40%, the peak non-crossbridge contribution and the residual force enhancement remain high. We propose that the residual force enhancement is due to changes upon activation in parallel elastic elements, specifically that titin stiffens and C-protein-actin interactions may be recruited.
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Affiliation(s)
- G J Pinniger
- Muscle Contraction Group, Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
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Zhang SJ, Andersson DC, Sandström ME, Westerblad H, Katz A. Cross bridges account for only 20% of total ATP consumption during submaximal isometric contraction in mouse fast-twitch skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2006; 291:C147-54. [PMID: 16481370 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00578.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
It is generally believed that cross bridges account for >50% of the total ATP consumed by skeletal muscle during contraction. We investigated the effect of N-benzyl-p-toluene sulfonamide (BTS), an inhibitor of myosin ATPase, on muscle force production and energy metabolism under near-physiological conditions (50-Hz stimulation frequency at 30 degrees C results in 35% of maximal force). Extensor digitorum longus muscles from mice were isolated and stimulated to perform continuous isometric tetanic contractions. Metabolites of energy metabolism were analyzed with fluorometric techniques. ATP turnover was estimated from the changes in phosphocreatine (PCr), ATP, and lactate (-2DeltaATP - DeltaPCr + [1.5Deltalactate]). During contractions (2-10 s), BTS decreased force production to approximately 5% of control. Under these conditions, BTS inhibited ATP turnover by only 18-25%. ATP turnover decreased markedly and similarly with and without BTS as the duration of contraction progressed. In conclusion, cross bridges (i.e., actomyosin ATPase) account for only a small fraction (approximately 20%) of the ATP consumption during contraction in mouse fast-twitch skeletal muscle under near-physiological conditions, suggesting that ion pumping is the major energy-consuming process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Jin Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Von Eulers väg 8, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
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