|
| |
|
|
|
|
||||
| Home Help Feedback Subscriptions Archive Search Table of Contents | ||||
Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 199, Issue 2 351-358, Copyright © 1996 by Company of Biologists
JOURNAL ARTICLES |
P. J. Schaeffer, K. E. Conley and S. L. Lindstedt
The western diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus atrox can rattle its tail continuously for hours at frequencies approaching 90 Hz. We examined the basis of these fast sustainable contractions using electromyography, data on oxygen uptake and the quantitative ultrastructure of the tailshaker muscle complex. The tailshaker muscle has no apparent unique structures; rather, the relative proportions of the structures common to all skeletal muscles appear to be present (1) to minimize activation, contraction and relaxation times via an extremely high volume density of sarcoplasmic reticulum (26 %) as well as, (2) to maximize ATP resysnthesis via a high volume density of mitochondria (26 %). The high rate of ATP supply is reflected in the in vivo muscle mass-specific oxygen uptake of this group of muscles which, at 585 ml O2 kg-1 min-1 during rattling at 30 °C body temperature, exceeds that reported for other ectotherm and many endotherm muscles. Since the change in oxygen uptake paralleled that of the rattling frequency over the range of measured body temperatures, there was a nearly constant O2 cost per muscle contraction (0.139+/-0.016 mul O2 g-1). Electromyo-graphic analysis suggests that each of the six muscles that make up the shaker complex may be a single motor unit. Finally, the maximum rate of mitochondrial oxygen uptake is similar to that of various mammals, a hummingbird, a lizard, an anuran amphibian and of isolated mitochondria (at 10 000-40 000 molecules O2 s-1 micrometre2 of cristae surface area, when normalized to 30 °C), suggesting a shared principle of design of the inner mitochondrial membrane among the vertebrates.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. Burrows Neural Control and Coordination of Jumping in Froghopper Insects J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2007; 97(1): 320 - 330. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. C. Nahirney, J. G. Forbes, H. D. Morris, S. C. Chock, and K. Wang What the buzz was all about: superfast song muscles rattle the tymbals of male periodical cicadas FASEB J, October 1, 2006; 20(12): 2017 - 2026. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. R. Moon, K. E. Conley, S. L. Lindstedt, and M. R. Urquhart Minimal shortening in a high-frequency muscle J. Exp. Biol., April 15, 2003; 206(8): 1291 - 1297. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. A. Syme and R. K. Josephson How to Build Fast Muscles: Synchronous and Asynchronous Designs Integr. Comp. Biol., August 1, 2002; 42(4): 762 - 770. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. E. Conley and S. L. Lindstedt Energy-saving mechanisms in muscle: the minimization strategy J. Exp. Biol., August 1, 2002; 205(15): 2175 - 2181. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. E. Conley, W. F. Kemper, and G. J. Crowther Limits to sustainable muscle performance: interaction between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation J. Exp. Biol., March 11, 2002; 204(18): 3189 - 3194. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. R. Moon, J. J. Hopp, and K. E. Conley Mechanical trade-offs explain how performance increases without increasing cost in rattlesnake tailshaker muscle J. Exp. Biol., March 1, 2002; 205(5): 667 - 675. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. B. Gladden Lactic acid: New roles in a new millennium PNAS, January 16, 2001; 98(2): 395 - 397. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Josephson, J. Malamud, and D. Stokes Power output by an asynchronous flight muscle from a beetle J. Exp. Biol., January 9, 2000; 203(17): 2667 - 2689. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Josephson, J. Malamud, and D. Stokes Asynchronous muscle: a primer J. Exp. Biol., January 9, 2000; 203(18): 2713 - 2722. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Jayne and M. Daggy The effects of temperature on the burial performance and axial motor pattern of the sand-swimming of the Mojave fringe-toed lizard Uma scoparia J. Exp. Biol., January 4, 2000; 203(7): 1241 - 1252. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. C. Rome, C. Cook, D. A. Syme, M. A. Connaughton, M. Ashley-Ross, A. Klimov, B. Tikunov, and Y. E. Goldman Trading force for speed: Why superfast crossbridge kinetics leads to superlow forces PNAS, May 11, 1999; 96(10): 5826 - 5831. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M Girgenrath and R. Marsh Power output of sound-producing muscles in the tree frogs Hyla versicolor and Hyla chrysoscelis J. Exp. Biol., January 11, 1999; 202(22): 3225 - 3237. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. F. Kemper, S. L. Lindstedt, L. K. Hartzler, J. W. Hicks, and K. E. Conley From the Cover: Shaking up glycolysis: Sustained, high lactate flux during aerobic rattling PNAS, January 16, 2001; 98(2): 723 - 728. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
