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Fine structure and metabolism of multiply innervated fast muscle fibres in teleost fish

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Summary

Both the fast and slow muscle fibres of advanced teleost fish are multiply innervated. The fraction of slow-fibre volume occupied by mitochondria is 31.3%, 25.5% and 24.6%, respectively, for the myotomal muscles of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), crucian carp (Carassius carassius), and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), respectively. The corresponding figures for the fast muscles of these species are 9.3%, 4.6% and 2.0%, respectively. Cytochrome-oxidase and citrate-synthetase activities in the fast muscles of 9 species of teleost range from 0.20–0.93 μmoles substrate utilised, g wet weight muscle-1 min-1 (at 15° C) or around 4–17% of that of the corresponding slow fibres. Ultrastructural analyses reveal a marked heterogeneity within the fast-fibre population. For example, the fraction of fibres with <1% or >10% mitochondria is 0,4,42% and 36, 12 and 0%, respectively, for trout, carp and plaice. In general, small fibres (<500 μm2) have the highest and large fibres (>1,500 μm2) the lowest mitochondrial densities. The complexity of mitochondrial cristae is reduced in fast compared to slow fibres.

Hexokinase activities range from 0.4–2.5 in slow and from 0.08–0.7 μmoles, g wet weight-1 min-1 in fast muscles, indicating a wide variation in their capacity for aerobic glucose utilisation. Phosphofructokinase activities are 1.2 to 3.6 times higher in fast than slow muscles indicating a greater glycolytic potential. Lactate dehydrogenase activities are not correlated with either the predicted anaerobic scopes for activity or the anoxic tolerances of the species studied. The results indicate a considerable variation in the aerobic capacities and principal fuels supporting activity among the fast muscles of different species. Brook trout and crucian carp are known to recruit fast fibres at low swimming speeds. For these species the aerobic potential of the fast muscle is probably sufficient to meet the energy requirements of slow swimming.

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  1. Thomas W. Moon

    Present address: Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, K1N 9B4, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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  1. Department of Physiology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, Great Britain

    Ian A. Johnston & Thomas W. Moon

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Johnston, I.A., Moon, T.W. Fine structure and metabolism of multiply innervated fast muscle fibres in teleost fish. Cell Tissue Res. 219, 93–109 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00210021

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