Comparative structural and enzymatic properties of skeletal muscle myosin from neonatal and adult rabbits

Effects of postnatal maturation on energetics and cross-bridge properties in rat diaphragm

The effects of maturation on cross-bridge (CB) properties were studied in rat diaphragm strips obtained at postnatal days 3, 10, and 17 and in adults (10-12 wk old). Calculations of muscle energetics and characteristics of CBs were determined from standard Huxley equations. Maturation did not change the curvature of the force-velocity relationship or the peak of mechanical efficiency. There was a significant increase in the total number of CBs per cross-sectional area (m) with aging but not in single CB force. The turnover rate of myosin ATPase increased, the duration of the CB cycle decreased, and the velocity of CBs decreased significantly only after the first week postpartum. There was a linear relationship between maximum total force and m (r = 0.969, P < 0.001), and between maximum unloaded shortening velocity and m (r = 0.728, P < 0.001). When this study in the rat and previous study in the hamster are compared, it appears that there are few species differences in the postnatal maturation process of the diaphragm.

Native myosin from adult rabbit skeletal muscle: isoenzymes and states of aggregation

The globular heads of skeletal muscle myosin have been shown to exist as isoenzymes S1 (A1) and S1 (A2), and there are also isoforms of the heavy chains. Using capillary electrophoresis, we found two dominant isoenzymes of the whole native myosin molecule, in agreement with what has previously been found by various techniques for native and nondenatured myosin from adult rabbits. Findings about possible states of aggregation of myosin and its heads are contradictory. By analytical ultracentrifugation, we confirmed the existence of a tail-tail dimer. By laser light scattering, we found a head-head dimer in the presence of MgATP. Capillary electrophoresis coupled with analytical ultracentrifugation and laser light scattering led us to refine these results. We found tail-tail dimers in a conventional buffer. We found tail-tail and head-head dimers in the presence of 0.5 mM MgATP and pure head-head dimers in the presence of 6 mM MgATP. All the dimers were homodimers. Naming the dominant isoenzymes of myosin a and b, we observed tail-tail dimers with isoenzyme a (TaTa) and with isoenzyme b (TbTb) and also head-head dimers with isoenzyme a (HaHa) and with isoenzyme b (HbHb).

Myosin heavy chain transitions during development. Functional implications for the respiratory musculature

The myosin heavy chain (MHC) exists as multiple isoforms that are encoded for by a family of genes. The respiratory musculature demonstrates muscle-specific and temporally-dependent changes in MHC isoform expression during maturation. Developmental expression of MHC isoforms correlate well with postnatal changes in actomyosin ATPase activity, specific force generation (P0/CSA), maximum unloaded velocity of shortening (V0) and and fatigue resistance. More specifically, as the expression of MHCneonatal declines and MHC2A, MHC2X, and MHC2B increase, actomyosin ATPase activity, P0/CSA, V0, and muscle fatigability increase. The increase in actomyosin ATPase activity with maturation is partially offset by a postnatal increase in oxidative capacity; however, as fatigue resistance declines with development it is apparent that the energy costs of contraction are not fully matched by an increase in energy production. Developmental transitions in smooth muscle MHC phenotype also occur although their functional importance remains unclear.

Developmental changes in crossbridge properties and myosin isoforms in hamster diaphragm

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of maturation on crossbridge properties and myosin isoform composition in hamster diaphragm muscle. Diaphragm strips were obtained at postnatal Days 1 and 8 and in adults (10 to 12 wk). Peak isometric tension and maximum unloaded shortening velocity (Vmax) increased with age (p < 0.001). The single crossbridge force (pi), the total number of crossbridges normalized per cross-sectional area (m x 10(9)/mm2), the turnover rate of myosin ATPase (kcat), and peak mechanical efficiency (Effmax) were calculated from Huxley's equations. The value of m increased significantly from birth to adulthood (p < 0.001), with no changes in pi or Effmax; kcat increased significantly only after the first week postpartum. There was a strong linear relationship between peak isometric tension and m (p < 0.001). Conversely, changes in Vmax were not related to kcat. Myosin electrophoresis showed that neonatal bands and slow myosin isoforms (S) were present at birth. The number of fast adult myosin isoforms increased progressively from birth to adulthood, whereas S increased during the first week postpartum. In conclusion, development changes in diaphragm muscle force and myosin isoform composition were associated with changes in crossbridge number and kinetics, with no changes in the average force per crossbridge or in mechanical efficiency.

Regulation of myosin heavy chain expression in adult rat hindlimb muscles during short-term paralysis: comparison of denervation and tetrodotoxin-induced neural inactivation

The extent to which myosin profiles within adult fast and slow muscles are altered by short-term paralysis remains equivocal. We used an array of specific antibodies to identify adult and developmental MHC isoforms within EDL and soleus muscle fibers, and show a marked multiple expression of MHCs with a general shift towards slower and more energy efficient MHC profiles after 2 weeks of denervation or TTX nerve conduction block. Paralysis also induced marked expression of an embryonic MHC within most EDL cell types, and a subtle, paralysis-sensitive, expression of alpha-cardiac MHC within specific EDL and soleus extrafusal fibers. Comparison of treatment groups also permitted assessment of the relative influence of neural activity versus trophic factors on these isoforms, and confirmed activity as a major, but not sole, regulator of MHC expression.

Creatine kinase activity in rat skeletal muscle relates to myosin phenotype during development

Creatine kinase (CK) has been implicated in the maintenance of skeletal muscle intracellular energy supply via its ATP buffering capacity. We examined the postnatal expression of CK activity and isoform phenotype in four skeletal muscles [diaphragm (DIA), intercostal (IC), external abdominal oblique (EAO), and the soleus (SOL)] of the rat. Moreover, we correlated CK activity during development with postnatal changes in myosin heavy chain (MHC) phenotype, the latter an index of relative changes in the energetic demands of muscle contractile proteins. CK activity was lowest in the immediate newborn period and increased in all muscles during postnatal development; the highest levels of CK activity were observed in the adult IC and EAO. CK activity did relate to the MHC phenotype as indexed by the ratio of adult MHC isoform content (slow + IIa + IIx + IIb) to developmental MHC isoform content (slow + neonatal; r2 = 0.93, p < 0.001). Stepwise regression revealed that type IIb MHC expression alone accounted for 79% of the developmental variance in CK activity. We conclude that CK activity increases during postnatal development in a muscle specific fashion and relates to the energetic demands of the muscle contractile proteins as reflected by MHC isoform composition. We speculate that the role of CK as an energy buffer is greatest in muscles expressing the IIb MHC isoform.

Relationship between muscle myosin isoforms and contractile features in rabbit fast-twitch denervated muscle

The effects of 8-day-old rabbit fast-twitch gastrocnemius denervation on the type of myosin isoforms and on contractile features (maximum velocity Vmax and contraction time (CT) of the muscle were followed between 15 and 60 days postnatal. The myosin isoforms and the Vmax and CT values of the denervated gastrocnemius displayed large changes during this period. These changes, which led at 2 months postnatal to a muscle displaying the properties of a slow-twitch muscle did not occur in synchrony: complete conversion to slow-type myosin isoforms occurred only at 60 days postnatal, whereas complete conversion to slow-twitch Vmax and CT values occurred as soon as 35 days postnatal. The results address a new question concerning the relationship between muscle myosin and contractile features.

Inactivation, subunit dissociation, aggregation, and unfolding of myosin subfragment 1 during guanidine denaturation

The effect of guanidine hydrochloride on ATPase activity, gel filtration, turbidity, exposure of thiol groups, far-UV circular dichroism, and the fluorescence emission intensity of myosin subfragment 1 (S-1) was studied under equilibrium conditions. It was found that the denaturation process involves several intermediate states. The enzymatic activity of S-1 is at first lost at very low concentrations of GdnHCl (lower than 0.5 M). At a slightly higher GdnHCl concentration (about 0.5 M), the light chains dissociate and this dissociation is closely followed by the formation of aggregates between the naked heavy chains of S-1 molecules in the guanidine hydrochloride range of concentrations 0.5-1 M. At GdnHCl concentrations above 1 M, aggregates gradually disappear and S-1 loses its secondary and tertiary structures. These phenomena are partly reversible, and ATPase activity is only partially recovered under highly limited conditions. These results are discussed in relation to the nature of myosin subunit assembly. The head fragment of 20 kDa is thus suggested to be implicated in the binding of light chain to heavy chain and in the self-association of free heavy chains.

Expression of embryonic myosin heavy chain mRNA in stretched adult chicken skeletal muscle

Chronic stretch of the chicken fast-twitch patagialis muscle increases the rate of growth and percentage of fast-twitch oxidative fibers. We have analyzed the effects of stretch on the expression of two previously identified "embryonic" myosin heavy chain (MHC) mRNAs (p251 and p110). Both MHC mRNAs were expressed in the patagialis at their highest levels in the embryo and 1 wk after hatching. During posthatch development (7-52 wk), the p110 mRNA was expressed in only trace quantities while the p251 mRNA was not detectable. After 2 wk of stretch of the patagialis in 7- or 38-wk-old birds, the p110 mRNA was increased to levels similar to that found in patagialis of newly hatched chicks, whereas expression of the p251 transcript was not affected. The existence of two other MHC mRNAs homologous to the p110 mRNA was suggested by the S1 mapping analysis, one of which was expressed at dramatically reduced levels in the stretched patagialis. It is concluded that stretch can cause selective alterations in the expression of developmentally regulated MHC isoforms in chicken fast-twitch muscle.