Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Histochemical properties of the biventer cervicis muscle of the chick: a relationship between multiple innervation and slow-tonic fibre types

  • Papers
  • Published:
The Histochemical Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Chick biventer cervicis muscle fibres have been studied histochemically. Fast-twitch, focally innervated (α) fibres represent 70–80% of the total fibres in this muscle. Two histochemical profiles of slow-tonic multi-innervated (β) fibres have been observed from embryonic life to the adult (three-months) stage. These two slow-tonic types differ in the activity of their histochemically demonstrated myofibrillar ATPase after either acid or alkaline preincubation, and after formalin fixation. Both slow-tonic fibre types have a high oxidative metabolism and are PAS-negative. They are referred as toβ 1 andβ 2R fibre types (slow-tonic oxidative) in an expansion of Ashmore's nomenclature, and compared to avian slow-tonic sub-types that have been described in recent reports.β 1 andβ 2 fibre types exhibit a similar pattern of innervation. Possible explanations of the origin of histochemical heterogeneity in multiple innervated fibres are discussed.

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

  • Ashmore, C. R., Addis, P. B., Doerr, L., &Stokes, H. (1973) Development of muscle fibers in thecomplexus muscle of normal and dystrophic chicks.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 21, 266–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashmore, C. R. &Doerr, L. (1971) Postnatal development of fiber types in normal and dystrophic skeletal muscle of the chick.Expl Neurol. 30, 431–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashmore, C. R. &Doerr, L. (1976) Transplantation of theanterior latissimus dorsi muscle of the chicken.Expl Neurol. 50, 312–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashmore, C. R., Kikuchi, T. &Doerr, L. (1978a) Some observations on the innervation patterns of different fiber types of chick muscle.Expl Neurol. 58, 272–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashmore, C. R., Vigneron, P., Marger, L. &Doerr, L. (1978b) Simultaneous cytochemical demonstration of muscle fiber types and acetylcholinesterase in muscle fibers of dystrophic chickens.Expl Neurol. 60, 68–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Asiedu, S. &Shafiq, S. A. (1972) Actomyosin ATPase activity of theanterior Latissimus dorsi muscle of the chicken.Expl Neurol. 55, 211–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, M. R. &Pettigrew, A. G. (1974) The formation of synapses in striated muscle during development.J. Physiol. Lond. 241, 515–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, M. R., Pettigrew, A. G. &Taylor, R. S. (1973) The formation of synapses in reinnervated and cross-reinnervated adult avian muscle.J. Physiol., Lond. 230, 331–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cosmos, E., Butler, J., Allard, E. P. &Mazliah, J. (1979) Factors that influence the phenotypic expression of genetically normal and dystrophic muscles.Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 317, 571–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edström, L. &Kugelberg, E. (1968) Histochemical composition, distribution of fibers and fatiguability of single motor units.J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. 31, 424–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farber, E., Sternberg, W. H. &Dunlap, C. D. (1956) Histochemical localization of specific oxidative enzymes. I. Tetrazolium stains for diphosphopyridine nucleotide diaphorase and triphosphopyridine nucleotide diaphorase.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 4, 254–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • George, J. C. &Berger, A. J. (1966)Avian Myology. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ginsborg, B. L. (1960) Some properties of avian skeletal muscle fibers with multiple neuromuscular junctions.J. Physiol. Lond. 154, 581–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ginsborg, B. L. &MacKay, B. (1960) The latissimus dorsi muscles of the chick.J. Physiol., Lond. 153, 19–20P.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ginsborg, B. L. &MacKay, B. (1961) A histochemical demonstration of two types of motor innervation in avian skeletal muscle.Biblphie. anat. 2, 174–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, T., Perry, R., Srihari, T. &Vrbová, G. (1977) Differentiation of slow and fast muscles in chickens.Cell Tiss Res. 180, 211–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, T. &Vrbová, G. (1975) The influence of innervation on the differentiation of contractile speeds of developing chick muscles.Pflügers Arch. ges. Physiol. 360, 199–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gijth, L. &Samaha, F. J. (1970) Procedure for the histochemical demonstration of actomyosin ATPase.Expl Neurol. 28, 365–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi, M. &Freiman, D. G. (1966) An improved method of fixation for formalin sensitive enzymes with special reference to myosin adenosinetriphosphatase.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 14, 577–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hess, A. (1961) Structural differences of fast and slow extrafusal muscle fibers and their nerve endings in chickens.J. Physiol., Lond. 157, 221–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hess, A. (1970) Vertebrate slow muscle fibers.Physiol. Rev. 50, 40–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan, M. A. (1976) Histochemical sub-types of three fiber-types of avian skeletal muscle.Histochemistry 50, 9–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan, M. A. (1977) The histo-enzymology of striated muscle fibers: an overview.Cell. molec. Biol. 22, 383–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan, M. A. (1978) Histoenzymatic characterization of sub-types of type I fibers in fast muscles of rats.Histochemistry 55, 129–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan, M. A. (1979) Histochemical and ultrastructural characteristics of a new muscle fiber type in avian striated muscle.Histochem. J. 11, 321–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khaskiye, A., Toutant, J. P., Toutant, M., Renaud, D. &Le Douarin, G. H. (1980) Effect of heterotopic innervation on the development of synaptic pattern in chick embryo muscles.Archs Anat. microsc. Morph. exp. 69, 135–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, J. &Fardeau, M. (1973) Etude histochimique des muscles grands dorsaux antérieur et postérieur de poulet et des modifications observées après dénervation et reinnervation homologue ou croisée.Archs Anat. microsc. Morph. exp. 62, 249–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kugelberg, E. (1976) Adaptative tranformation of ratsoleus motor units during growth. Histochemistry and contraction speed.J. Neurol. Sci. 27, 269–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nachlas, M., Tsou, K. C., De Souza, E., Cheng, C. &Seligman, A. M. (1957) Cytochemical demonstration of succinic dehydrogenase by the use of a newp-nitrophenyl substituted ditetrazole.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 5, 420–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nemeth, P., Pette, D. &Vrbová, G. (1980) Malate dehydrogenase activity indicating metabolic homogeneity of single fibres of the motor unit.J. Physiol., Lond. 301, 73–4P.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nene, R. V. &Chinoy, N. J. (1965) Histochemical observations on the avian Mm.Latissimus dorsi, anterior andposterior.Pavo,3, 29–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peter, J. B., Barnard, R. J., Edgerton, V. R., Gillespie, C. A. &Stempel, K. A. (1972) Metabolic profiles of three fiber types of skeletal muscles in guinea pigs and rabbits.Biochemistry 11, 2627–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowlerson, A. (1980) Differentiation of muscle fibre types in fetal and young rats studied with a labelled antibody to slow myosin.J. Physiol., Lond. 301, 19P.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shafiq, S. A., Askanas, V. &Milhorat, A. T. (1971) Fiber types and preclinical changes in chicken muscular dystrophy.Archs. Neurol. 25, 560–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toutant, J. P., Toutant, M. N., Renaud, D. &Le Douarin, G. H. (1979) Enzymatic differentiation of muscle fibre types in embryonicLatissimus dorsii of the chick: effects of spinal cord stimulation.Cell Differ. 8, 375–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toutant, J. P., Toutant, M. N., Renaud, D. &Le Douarin, G. H. (1980) Histochemical differentiation of extrafusal muscle fibers of the anteriorLatissimus dorsi in the chick.Cell Differ. 9, 305–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vrbová, G., Gordon, T. &Jones, R. (1978)Nerve-Muscle Interaction. London: Chapman & Hall.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Physiologie animale et cellulaire, Faculté des Sciences, 2 rue de la Houssimière, 44072, Nantes Cedex, France

    J. P. Toutant, T. Rouaud & G. H. Le Douarin

Authors
  1. J. P. Toutant
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. Rouaud
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. H. Le Douarin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Toutant, J.P., Rouaud, T. & Le Douarin, G.H. Histochemical properties of the biventer cervicis muscle of the chick: a relationship between multiple innervation and slow-tonic fibre types. Histochem J 13, 481–493 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01005063

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01005063

Keywords

Search

Navigation