Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The development of Purkinje fibres and ordinary myocytes in the bovine fetal heart

An ultrastructural study

  • Published:
Anatomy and Embryology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A comparative ultrastructural study of bovine Purkinje fibres and ordinary myocytes during fetal development has been undertaken. Differences between the two cell types with respect to the intercalated disc, amount of myofibrils, arrangement of mitochondria, amount of glycogen and formation of T-tubules became apparent gradually. In all stages studied an abundance of intermediate filaments was typical for the Purkinje fibres. Myofibrillar M-bands developed at an earlier stage in Purkinje fibres than in ordinary myocytes. Myofilament-polyribosome complexes typical of adult cow Purkinje fibres were not observed in the fetal hearts. Only in late fetal stages were leptofibrils observed in both cell types.

We conclude that in the bovine heart Purkinje fibres develop along a different pathway from ordinary myocytes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arluk DJ, Rhodin JAG (1974) The ultrastructure of calf heart conducting fibers with special reference to nexuses and their distribution. J Ultrastruct Res 49:11–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Bencosme SA, Trillo A, Alanis J, Benitez D (1969) Correlative ultrastructural and electrophysiological study of the Purkinje system of the heart. J Electrophysiol 2:27–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett GS, Fellini SA, Toyama Y, Holtzer H (1979) Redistribution of intermediate filament subunits during skeletal myogenesis and maturation in vitro. J Cell Biol 82:577–584

    Google Scholar 

  • Bogusch G (1975) Electron microscopic investigations on leptomeric fibrils and leptomeric complexes in the hen and pigeon heart. J Molec Cell Cardiol 7:733–745

    Google Scholar 

  • Bogusch G (1979) Electron microscopic investigations on the differentiation of Purkinje cells in the ontogenetic development of the chicken heart. Anat Embryol 155:259–271

    Google Scholar 

  • Caesar R, Edwards GA, Ruska H (1958) Electron microscopy of the impulse conducting system of the sheep heart. Z Zellforsch 48:698–719

    Google Scholar 

  • Eriksson A, Thornell L-E (1979) Intermediate (skeletin) filaments in heart Purkinje fibers. A correlative morphological and biochemical identification with evidence of a cytoskeletal function. J Cell Biol 80:231–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Eriksson A, Thornell L-E, Stigbrand T (1979) Skeletin immunoreactivity in heart Purkinje fibers of several species. J Histochem Cytochem 27:1604–1609

    Google Scholar 

  • Forbes MS, Sperelakis N (1976) The presence of transverse and axial tubules in the ventricular myocardium of embryonic and neonatal guinea pigs. Cell Tiss Res 166:83–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Forsgren S, Thornell L-E, Eriksson A (1980) The development of the Purkinje fibre system in the bovine fetal heart. Anat Embryol 159:125–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Gard DL, Lazarides E (1980) The synthesis and distribution of desmin and vimentin during myogenesis in vitro. Cell 19:263–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirakow R (1966) Fine structure of Purkinje fibers in the chick heart. Arch Histol Jpn 27:485–499

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirakow R, Gotoh T (1975) A quantitative ultrastructural study on the developing rat heart. In: Lieberman, M., Sano, T. (eds): Developmental and physiological correlates of cardiac muscle. Raven Press, New York, pp 37–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarides E (1980) Intermediate filaments as mechanical integrators of cellular space. Nature 283:249–255

    Google Scholar 

  • Leak LV, Burke JF (1964) The ultrastructure of human embryonic myocardium. Anat Rec 149:623–650

    Google Scholar 

  • Legato MJ (1973) Ultrastructure of the atrial, ventricular and Purkinje cell with special reference to the genesis of arrythmias. Circulation 47:178–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Legato MJ (1975) Ultrastructural changes during normal growth in the dog and rat ventricular myofiber. In: Lieberman, M., Sano, T. (eds): Developmental and physiological correlates of cardiac muscle. Raven Press, New York, pp 249–274

    Google Scholar 

  • Legato MJ (1979) Cellular mechanisms of normal growth in the mammalian heart. Circ Res 44:263–279

    Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman M (1970) Physiologic development of impulse conduction in embryonic cardiac tissue. Am J Cardiol 25:279–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Luther P, Squire J (1978) Three-dimensional structure of the vertebrate muscle M-region. J Mol Biol 125:313–324

    Google Scholar 

  • Markwald RR (1973) Distribution and relationship of precursor Z material to organizing myofibrillar bundles in embryonic rat and hamster ventricular myocytes. J Molec Cell Cardiol 5:341–350

    Google Scholar 

  • Martinez-Palomo, A, Alanis J, Benitez D (1970) Transitional cardiac cells of the conductive system of the dog heart. J Cell Biol 47:1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Meijer AEFH, deVries GP (1978) Enzyme histochemical studies on the Purkinje fibres of the atrioventricular system of the bovine and porcine hearts. Histochem J 10:399–408

    Google Scholar 

  • Mochet M, Moravec J, Guillemot H, Hatt PY (1975) The ultrastructure of rat conductive tissue: An electron microscopic study of the atrioventricular node and the bundle of His. J Molec Cell Cardiol 7:879–889

    Google Scholar 

  • Myklebust R, Jensen H (1978) Leptomeric fibrils and T-tubule desmosomes in the Z-band region of the mouse heart papillary muscle. Cell Tiss Res 188:205–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliphant LW, Loewen RD (1976) Filament systems in Purkinje cells of the sheep heart: possible alterations of myofibrillogenesis. J Molec Cell Cardiol 8:679–688

    Google Scholar 

  • Page E, Power B, Fozzard HA, Meddoff DA (1969) Sarcolemmal evaginations with knob-like or stalked projections in Purkinje fibres of the sheep's heart. J Ultrastruct Res 28:288–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Schiebler TH (1961) Histochemische Untersuchungen am Reizleitungssystem tierischer Herzen. Naturwissenschaften 14:502–503

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon CA, Friedman WF, Sybers HD (1976) Scanning electron microscopy of fetal and neonatal lamb cardiac cells. J Molec Cell Cardiol 8:853–862

    Google Scholar 

  • Shelley HJ (1961) Glycogen reserves and their changes at birth and in anoxia. Brit Med Bull 17:137–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheridan DJ, Cullen MJ, Tynan MJ (1979) Qualitative and quantitative observations on ultrastructural changes during postnatal development in the cat myocardium. J Molec Cell Cardiol 11:1173–1181

    Google Scholar 

  • Sippel TO (1954) The growth of succinoxidase activity in the hearts of the rat and chick embryos. J Exp Zool 126:205–221

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith HE, Page E (1977) Ultrastructural changes in rabbit heart mitochondria during the perinatal period. Dev Biol 57:109–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Sommer JR, Johnson EA (1968) Cardiac muscle. A comparative study of Purkinje fibers and ventricular fibers. J Cell Biol 36:497–526

    Google Scholar 

  • Stigbrand T, Eriksson A, Thornell L-E (1979) Isolation and partial characterization of intermediate filament protein (skeletin) from cow heart Purkinje fibres. Biochim Biophys Acta 577:52–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Strehler EE, Eppenberger HM (1979) Immunochemical detection of M-protein. Experientia (Basel) 35:944–945

    Google Scholar 

  • Strehler EE, Pelloni G, Heizmann CU, Eppenberger HM (1980) Biochemical and ultrastructural aspects of Mr=165,000 M-protein in cross-striated chicken muscle. J Cell Biol 86:775–783

    Google Scholar 

  • Thiéry J-P (1967) Mise en évidence des polysaccharides sur coupes fines en microscopie électronique. J Microsc (Paris) 6:987–1018

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornell L-E (1972) Myofilament-polyribosome complexes in the conducting system of hearts from cow, rabbit and cat. J Ultrastruct Res 41:579–596

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornell L-E (1973a) Evidence of an imbalance in synthesis and degradation of myofibrillar proteins in rabbit Purkinje fibres. An electron microscopic study. J Ultrastruct Res 44:85–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornell L-E (1973b) Ultrastructural variations of Z-bands in cow Purkinje fibres. J Molec Cell Cardiol 5:409–417

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornell L-E (1974) Distinction of glycogen and ribosome particles in cow Purkinje fibres by enzymatic digestion en bloc and in sections. J Ultrastruct Res 49:157–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornell L-E, Eriksson A (1976) The ventricular conducting system — ultrastructure and function. Forensic Sci 8:97–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Warshaw JB (1969) Cellular energy metabolism during fetal development. I. Oxidative phosphorylation in the fetal heart. J Cell Biol 41:651–657

    Google Scholar 

  • Whalen RG, Butler-Browne GS, Gros F (1976) Protein synthesis and actin heterogeneity in calf muscle cells in culture. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 73:2018–2022

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Anatomy, University of Umeå, Umeå, Sweden

    Sture Forsgren & Lars-Eric Thornell

Authors
  1. Sture Forsgren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lars-Eric Thornell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This study was supported by grants from the Swedish Medical Research Council (12X-3934), the Faculty of Medicine, University of Umeå, and the Expressen Prenatal Fund

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Forsgren, S., Thornell, LE. The development of Purkinje fibres and ordinary myocytes in the bovine fetal heart. Anat Embryol 162, 127–136 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306485

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306485

Key words

Search

Navigation