The quick-freezing of single intact skeletal muscle fibers at known time intervals following electrical stimulation.
Single intact frog skeletal muscle fibers quick-frozen after known time intervals following electrical stimulation are examined electron microscopically in thin sections, after freeze-substitution, in freeze-fracture/etch preparations, and in cryosections prepared for x-ray microprobe analysis. Techniques are described to perform these operations on a single fiber. Notable morphological differences between conventionally fixed and cryopreserved muscle fibers, and between fibers quick-frozen at different post-stimulation intervals are demonstrated.
D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005613:Freeze Etching / Q000379:methods; D005614:Freeze Fracturing / Q000379:methods; D005615:Freezing; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011896:Rana temporaria; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013997:Time Factors