Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1972 Dec;227(1):1–17. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1972.sp010016

Changes in sarcomere length during isometric tension development in frog skeletal muscle

D R Cleworth, K A P Edman
PMCID: PMC1331259  PMID: 4539586

Abstract

1. Changes in sarcomere length during isometric contraction of isolated semitendinosus muscle fibres from the frog were studied using laser diffraction techniques. Movements of the first-order diffraction line relative to the zero-order reference were recorded from a screen on continuously moving film. Sarcomere length changes of 50 Å could be resolved in this way.

2. Following a latent period of approximately 12 msec after the stimulus of a single skeletal muscle fibre at 1-2° C, there appeared to be a simultaneous onset of tension development and sarcomere shortening. Provided that the fibre was uniformly excited along its length, different regions shortened together by approximately the same amount. The extent of the shortening was a function of the total compliance of the tendons and tension measuring device.

3. During the plateau of a smooth tetanus no fluctuations of first-order line width or zero- to first-order line spacing were detectable at any point examined along the preparation. This finding provides evidence that, in a functionally intact fibre, no synchronous oscillations of the sarcomeres, at least no length changes exceeding 50 Å, occur during a fused tetanus. Furthermore, the fact that the first-order line did not increase in width as the preparation went from rest to full activity indicates that contraction proceeds without appreciable change in distribution of sarcomere lengths.

4. The sarcomere movements during relaxation differed along the length of the fibre. As the tension declined smoothly, sarcomeres in some parts of the fibre underwent further shortening, while the end sarcomeres near the tendons and in one or two regions in the middle segment of the fibre were further extended. These data indicate that the duration of the mechanical activity differs in different regions along the length of the fibre. The pattern of relaxation, i.e. the behaviour of the sarcomeres in different fibre segments, is unique to any particular fibre.

Full text

PDF
1

Images in this article

16-2C and D
on p.16-2
16-3A, B and C
on p.16-3
16-3D, E and F
on p.16-3
16-4Plate 4
on p.16-4
16-1A
on p.16-1
16-1B
on p.16-1
16-1C
on p.16-1
16-1G, H
on p.16-1

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Cleworth D., Edman K. A. Laser diffraction studies on single skeletal muscle fibers. Science. 1969 Jan 17;163(3864):296–298. doi: 10.1126/science.163.3864.296. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Edman K. A., Kiessling A. The time course of the active state in relation to sarcomere length and movement studied in single skeletal muscle fibres of the frog. Acta Physiol Scand. 1971 Feb;81(2):182–196. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1971.tb04891.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Edman K. A. The relation between sarcomere length and active tension in isolated semitendinosus fibres of the frog. J Physiol. 1966 Mar;183(2):407–417. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007873. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Goldspink G., Larson R. E., Davies R. E. Fluctuations in sarcomere length in the chick anterior and posterior latissimus dorsi muscles during isometric contraction. Experientia. 1970 Jan 15;26(1):16–18. doi: 10.1007/BF01900361. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. González-Serratos H. Inward spread of activation in vertebrate muscle fibres. J Physiol. 1971 Feb;212(3):777–799. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009356. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. HUXLEY A. F. Muscle structure and theories of contraction. Prog Biophys Biophys Chem. 1957;7:255–318. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HUXLEY A. F., NIEDERGERKE R. Structural changes in muscle during contraction; interference microscopy of living muscle fibres. Nature. 1954 May 22;173(4412):971–973. doi: 10.1038/173971a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HUXLEY A. F., PEACHEY L. D. The maximum length for contraction in vertebrate straiated muscle. J Physiol. 1961 Apr;156:150–165. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1961.sp006665. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HUXLEY H. E. The double array of filaments in cross-striated muscle. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1957 Sep 25;3(5):631–648. doi: 10.1083/jcb.3.5.631. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. HUXLEY H., HANSON J. Changes in the cross-striations of muscle during contraction and stretch and their structural interpretation. Nature. 1954 May 22;173(4412):973–976. doi: 10.1038/173973a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Huxley A. F., Simmons R. M. Rapid 'give' and the tension 'shoulder' in the relaxation of frog muscle fibres. J Physiol. 1970 Sep;210(1):32P–33P. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. KLUG A., BERGER J. E. AN OPTICAL METHOD FOR THE ANALYSIS OF PERIODICITIES IN ELECTRON MICROGRAPHS, AND SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE MECHANISM OF NEGATIVE STAINING. J Mol Biol. 1964 Dec;10:565–569. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(64)80081-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mommaerts W. F. Energetics of muscular contraction. Physiol Rev. 1969 Jul;49(3):427–508. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1969.49.3.427. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES