The effect of neonatal deafferentation or defferentation on myosin heavy chain expression in intrafusal muscle fibers of the rat.
Muscle spindles were either deafferented or deefferented by selectively severing the sensory or motor nerve supply to neonatal soleus muscles of rats at a time when spindles are formed but when intrafusal muscle fibers are structurally and immunocytochemically immature. Experimental muscles were excised two months after nerve section. Control and experimental spindles were examined using monoclonal antibodies specific for myosin heavy chains of slow-tonic (ALD58) and fast-twitch (MF30) chicken muscles. Only intrafusal fibers bound these antibodies in intact soleus muscles. The deefferented spindles exhibited a pattern of ALD58 and MF30 binding similar to that of normal adult intrafusal fibers, whereas deafferented intrafusal fibers were unreactive with the two antibodies. Thus intact sensory innervation is essential for myosin heavy chain expression in intrafusal muscle fibers during postnatal development of rat spindles.
Kucera
J
J
Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Boston University, MA 02118.
Walro
J M
JM
D000344:Afferent Pathways; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D004525:Efferent Pathways; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009121:Muscle Denervation; D024510:Muscle Development; D009470:Muscle Spindles / Q000254:growth & development; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D010770:Phosphotransferases / Q000032:analysis; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D010770:Phosphotransferases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; C033142:myosin-heavy-chain kinase