Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Histochemical properties and innervation pattern of fast and slow-tonic fibre types of the anterior latissimus dorsi muscle of the chick

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

Summary

The anterior latissimus dorsi muscle of the chick is largely composed of slow-tonic fibres but contains a few fast fibres defined by their acid-labile, alkali-stable myofibrillar ATPase activity. These fibres are referred to as α fibres. Differing from the slow-tonic (α′ and β′) fibres which are multiply innervated withen grape endings, the α (fast) fibres are innervated by typicalen plaque endings. The innervation of thirty-two α fibres were studied closely and it was concluded that about a half of the α fibres were focally innervated whereas a half were innervated in two distinct loci byen plaque endings. In only one case, a fast fibre with three widely spaceden plaque endings was observed. The mean intersynaptic length was significantly larger on α fibres than on α′ and β′ fibres. No variation in the histochemical properties of myofibrillar ATPase was observed either along the entire length of singly and dually innervated α fibres, or along α′ and β′ fibres. It is concluded that the three extrafusal fibre types of the anterior latissimus dorsi muscle maintain uniform histochemical characteristics along their length in spite of a possible innervation by several motoneurons.

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

  • Arndt, I. &Pepe, F. A. (1975) Antigenic specificity of red and white muscle myosin.J. Histochem., Cytochem. 23, 159–68.

    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 

  • Barets, A. (1961) Contribution à l'étude des systèmes moteurs ‘lent’ et ‘rapide’ du muscle latéral des téléostéens.Arch. Anat. Microsc. Morph. Exp. 50, 91–187.

    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 

  • Boesiger, B. (1970) Comparaison du muscle peroneus longus de la Caille japonaise et de l'Etourneau.C. r. Séanc. Soc. Biol. 164, 527–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M. C., Jansen, J. K. S. &Van Essen, D. (1976) Polyneuronal innervation of skeletal muscle in new-born rats and its elimination during maturation.J. Physiol., Lond. 261, 387–422.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidowitz, J., Philips, G. &Breinin, G. M. (1980) Variation of mitochondrial volume fraction along multiply innervated fibers in rabbit extraocular muscle.Tiss. Cell 12, 449–57.

    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 

  • Farrell, P. R. &Fedde, M. R. (1969) Uniformity of structural characteristics throught ththe length of skeletal muscle fibers.Anat. Rec. 164, 219–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fedde, M. R. (1969) Electrical properties and acetylcholine sensitivity of singly and multiply innervated avian muscle fibres.J. gen. Physiol. 53, 624–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gauthier, G. F. &Lowey, S. (1977) Polymorphism of myosin among skeletal muscle fiber types.J. Cell Biol. 74, 760–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ginsborg, B. L. (1960) Some properties of avian skeletal muscle fibres 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.Bibl. Anat. 2, 174–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, T., Perry, R., Tuffery, A. &Vrbová, G. (1974) Possible mechanisms determining synapse formation in developing skeletal muscles of the chick.Cell Tiss. Res. 155, 13–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, T. &Vrbová, G. (1975) Changes in chemosensitivity of developing chick muscle fibres in relation to endplate formation.Pflügers Arch. 360, 349–64.

    Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Haimann, A., Mallart, A., Tomás I. Ferré, J. &Zilber-Gachelin, N. F. (1981) Patterns of motor innervation in the pectoral muscle of adultXenopuslaevis: evidence for possible synaptic remodelling.J. Physiol., Lond. 310, 241–56.

    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 fibres and their nerve endings in chickens.J. Physiol., Lond. 157, 221–31.

    Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Karnovsky, M. J. &Roots, L. (1964) A ‘direct-coloring’ thiocholine method for cholinesterases.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 12, 219–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karpati, G. &Engel, W. K. (1967) Transformation of the histochemical profile of skeletal muscle by ‘foreign’ innervation.Nature, Lond. 215, 1509–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koelle, G. B. &Friedenwald, J. S. (1949) A histochemical method for localizing cholinesterase activity.Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med. 70, 617–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, J. (1970) Contribution à l'étude de la morphologie des plaques motrices des Grands Dorsaux antérieur et postérieur du poulet après innervation croisée.Arch. Anat. Micr. Morph. Exp. 59, 403–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuffler, D. P., Thomson, W. &Jansken, J. K. S. (1977) The elimination of synapses in multiply-innervated skeletal muscle fibres of the rat: dependence on distance between endpllates.Brain Res. 138, 353–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miledi, R. (1963) Formation of extra nerve-muscle junctions in innervated muscle.Nature, Lond. 199, 1191–2.

    Google Scholar 

  • McArdle, J. J. &Pensone, F. M. (1977) Re-innervation of fast and slow twitch muscle following nerve crush at birth.J. Physiol., Lond. 271, 567–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nemeth, P. M., Pette, D. &Vrbová, G. (1980) Malate dehydrogenase homogeneity of single fibers of the motor unit. InPlasticity of Muscle (edited byPette, D.), pp. 45–57. Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • O'brien, R. A. D. &Vrbová, G. (1978) Acetylcholine synthesis in nerve endings to slow and fast muscles of developing chicks: effect of muscle activity.Neurosci. 3, 1227–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pette, D. &Schnez, U. (1977) Myosin light chain patterns of individual fast and slow twitch fibres of rabbit muscles.Histochemistry 54, 97–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pette, D., Wimmer, M. &Nemeth, P. (1980) Do enzyme activities vary along muscle fibres?Histochemistry 67, 225–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pierobon Bormioli, S., Sartore, S., Vitadello, M. &Schiaffino, S. (1980) ‘Slow’ myosins in vertebrate skeletal muscle. An immunofluorescence study.J. Cell Biol. 85, 672–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ridge, R. M. A. P. &Thomson, A. M. (1980) Polyneural innervation: mechanical properties of overlapping motor units in a small foot muscle ofXenopus laevis.J. Physiol., Lond. 306, 29–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shear, C. R. &Goldspink, G. (1971) Structural and physiological changes associated with the growth of avian fast and slow muscle.J. Morphol. 135, 351–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toutant, J. P., Rouaud, T. &Le Douarin, G. H. (1981) Histochemical properties of the biventer cervicis muscle of the chick: a relation between multiple innervation and slow-tonic fibre types.Histochem. J. 13, 481–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toutant, J. P., Toutant, M., Renaud, D. &Le Douarin, G. H. (1980) Histochemical differentiation of extrafusal muscle fibres of the anterior latissimus dorsi in the chick.Cell Different. 9, 305–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tweedle, C. D. & Stephens, K. S. (1980) Development of complexity in rat neuromuscular junctions.10th Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Cincinatti, abstract 277-1.

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Vyskocil, F., Vycklicky, L. &Huston, R. (1971) Quantum content at the neuromuscular junction of fast muscle after cross-union with the nerve of slow muscle in the chick.Brain Res. 26, 443–5.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Jean-Pierre Toutant

    Present address: Laboratoire de Neurobiologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46 rue d'Ulm, F-75230, Paris Cédex 05, France

Authors and Affiliations

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

    Thierry Rouaud & Jean-Pierre Toutant

Authors
  1. Thierry Rouaud
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jean-Pierre Toutant
    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

Rouaud, T., Toutant, JP. Histochemical properties and innervation pattern of fast and slow-tonic fibre types of the anterior latissimus dorsi muscle of the chick. Histochem J 14, 415–428 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01011854

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01011854

Keywords

Search

Navigation