Abstract
We studied the localization of desmin (skeletin), the major subunit of muscle-type intermediate filaments, by high resolution immunoelectron microscopy in adult chicken skeletal muscle. Immunoferritin labeling of ultrathin frozen sections of intact fixed sartorius muscle showed the presence of desmin between adjacent Z-bands and as strands peripheral to Z-bands, forming apparent connections between the Z-bands with adjacent sarcolemma, mitochondria, and nuclei. We observed no desmin labeling, however, in the vicinity of the T-tubules. In addition, intermediate filaments were morphologically discernible at the level of the Z-bands in plastic sections of glycerol-extracted muscle that had been infused with unlabeled antidesmin antibodies. Our results indicate that the desmin present in adult skeletal muscle, that had previously been detected by immunofluorescence light microscopy, is largely if not entirely in the form of intermediate filaments. The results provide evidence that these filaments serve to interconnect myofibrils at the level of their Z-bands, and to connect Z-bands with other specific structures and organelles in the myotube, but not with the T-tubule system.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (5.0 MB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bennett G. S., Fellini S. A., Toyama Y., Holtzer H. Redistribution of intermediate filament subunits during skeletal myogenesis and maturation in vitro. J Cell Biol. 1979 Aug;82(2):577–584. doi: 10.1083/jcb.82.2.577. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bloom S. Structural changes in nuclear envelopes during elongation of heart muscle cells. J Cell Biol. 1970 Jan;44(1):218–223. doi: 10.1083/jcb.44.1.218. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ferrans V. J., Roberts W. C. Intermyofibrillar and nuclear-myofibrillar connections in human and canine myocardium. An ultrastructural study. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 1973 Jun;5(3):247–257. doi: 10.1016/0022-2828(73)90065-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Franke W. W., Schinko W. Nuclear shape in muscle cells. J Cell Biol. 1969 Jul;42(1):326–331. doi: 10.1083/jcb.42.1.326. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gard D. L., Lazarides E. The synthesis and distribution of desmin and vimentin during myogenesis in vitro. Cell. 1980 Jan;19(1):263–275. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90408-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Geiger B., Singer S. J. Association of microtubules and intermediate filaments in chicken gizzard cells as detected by double immunofluorescence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Aug;77(8):4769–4773. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.8.4769. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Geiger B., Singer S. J. The participation of alpha-actinin in the capping of cell membrane components. Cell. 1979 Jan;16(1):213–222. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(79)90202-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Granger B. L., Lazarides E. The existence of an insoluble Z disc scaffold in chicken skeletal muscle. Cell. 1978 Dec;15(4):1253–1268. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(78)90051-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ishikawa H., Bischoff R., Holtzer H. Mitosis and intermediate-sized filaments in developing skeletal muscle. J Cell Biol. 1968 Sep;38(3):538–555. doi: 10.1083/jcb.38.3.538. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kelly D. E. Myofibrillogenesis and Z-band differentiation. Anat Rec. 1969 Mar;163(3):403–425. doi: 10.1002/ar.1091630305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Korn E. D. Biochemistry of actomyosin-dependent cell motility (a review). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Feb;75(2):588–599. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.2.588. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lazarides E., Granger B. L. Fluorescent localization of membrane sites in glycerinated chicken skeletal muscle fibers and the relationship of these sites to the protein composition of the Z disc. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Aug;75(8):3683–3687. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.8.3683. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lazarides E., Hubbard B. D. Immunological characterization of the subunit of the 100 A filaments from muscle cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Dec;73(12):4344–4348. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.12.4344. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Page S. G. Structure and some contractile properties of fast and slow muscles of the chicken. J Physiol. 1969 Nov;205(1):131–145. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008956. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Richardson F. L., Stromer M. H., Huiatt T. W., Robson R. M. Immunoelectron and immunofluorescence localization of desmin in mature avian muscles. Eur J Cell Biol. 1981 Dec;26(1):91–101. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Small J. V., Sobieszek A. Studies on the function and composition of the 10-NM(100-A) filaments of vertebrate smooth muscle. J Cell Sci. 1977 Feb;23:243–268. doi: 10.1242/jcs.23.1.243. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Thiedermann K. U., Ferrans V. J. Ultrastructure of sarcoplasmic reticulum in atrial myocardium of patients with mitral valvular disease. Am J Pathol. 1976 Apr;83(1):1–38. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tokuyasu K. T., Dutton A. H., Singer S. J. Immunoelectron microscopic studies of desmin (skeletin) localization and intermediate filament organization in chicken cardiac muscle. J Cell Biol. 1983 Jun;96(6):1736–1742. doi: 10.1083/jcb.96.6.1736. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tokuyasu K. T. Immunochemistry on ultrathin frozen sections. Histochem J. 1980 Jul;12(4):381–403. doi: 10.1007/BF01011956. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tokuyasu K. T., Singer S. J. Improved procedures for immunoferritin labeling of ultrathin frozen sections. J Cell Biol. 1976 Dec;71(3):894–906. doi: 10.1083/jcb.71.3.894. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]