title: Quantification of subcellular glycogen in resting human muscle: granule size, number, and location.
abstract: A few qualitative investigations suggested that location of muscle glycogen (G) granules in specific sites may be associated with distinct metabolic roles. Similarly, it has been suggested that the acid-soluble and -insoluble G fractions (macro- and proglycogen, respectively) are different metabolic pools and also could exist as separate entities. We employed a transmission electron microscopic technique to quantify subcellular G particle size, number, and location in human vastus lateralis biopsies of 11 resting men. The intra- and interobserver variability for the various measures was generally <4%. Granule size and number were quantified in subcellular compartments (subsarcolemmal, intra- and intermyofibrillar). Subcellular location was critical: G was more densely concentrated in the subsarcolemmal than in the myofibrillar space, whereas the single-particle volume was greater in the latter. Single-particle diameter ranged from 10 to 44 etam and followed a continuous, normal distribution. This implies that proglycogen is not a distinct entity, but rather that pro- and macroglycogen are divisions of smaller and larger molecules. These results demonstrate a compartmentalized pattern of subcellular G deposition in human skeletal muscle for both the size and density of granules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, N1G 2W1, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marchand
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chorneyko
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tarnopolsky
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shearer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Potvin
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009210:Myofibrils / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology*; D012508:Sarcolemma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D006003:Glycogen