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Influence of fast and slow alkali myosin light chain isoforms on the kinetics of stretch-induced force transients of fast-twitch type IIA fibres of rat

  • Skeletal Muscle
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Abstract

This study contributes to understand the physiological role of slow myosin light chain isoforms in fast-twitch type IIA fibres of skeletal muscle. These isoforms are often attached to the myosin necks of rat type IIA fibres, whereby the slow alkali myosin light chain isoform MLC1s is much more frequent and abundant than the slow regulatory myosin light chain isoform MLC2s. In the present study, single-skinned rat type IIA fibres were maximally Ca2+ activated and subjected to stepwise stretches for causing a perturbation of myosin head pulling cycles. From the time course of the resulting force transients, myosin head kinetics was deduced. Fibres containing MLC1s exhibited slower kinetics independently of the presence or absence of MLC2s. At the maximal MLC1s concentration of about 75%, the slowing was about 40%. The slowing effect of MLC1s is possibly due to differences in the myosin heavy chain binding sites of the fast and slow alkali MLC isoforms, which changes the rigidity of the myosin neck. Compared with the impact of myosin heavy chain isoforms in various fast-twitch fibre types, the influence of MLC1s on myosin head kinetics of type IIA fibres is much smaller. In conclusion, the physiological role of fast and slow MLC isoforms in type IIA fibres is a fine-tuning of the myosin head kinetics.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Mag. H. Grassberger (Salzburg) for valuable comments and critical reading of the manuscript. The work was supported by a grant of the Austrian Science Foundation (FWF-P16709-B09).

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  1. Department of Cell Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria

    Oleg Andruchov & Stefan Galler

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  1. Oleg Andruchov
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  2. Stefan Galler
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Correspondence to Stefan Galler.

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Andruchov, O., Galler, S. Influence of fast and slow alkali myosin light chain isoforms on the kinetics of stretch-induced force transients of fast-twitch type IIA fibres of rat. Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 455, 1165–1172 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-007-0369-1

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