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The Journal of Experimental Biology 205, 2167-2173 (2002)
© 2002 The Company of Biologists Limited

Review

Supercontracting muscle: producing tension over extreme muscle lengths

Anthony Herrel^1,*, Jay J. Meyers², Jean-Pierre Timmermans³ and Kiisa C. Nishikawa²

¹ Laboratory of Functional Morphology, Biology Department, University of Antwerp (UIA), Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium
² Functional Morphology and Physiology Group, Biology Department, Northern Arizona University, PO Box 5640, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
³ Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp (RUCA), B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium

^* e-mail: aherrel{at}uia.ua.ac.be

Accepted 13 May 2002

Muscle mechanics dictates a trade-off between the ability of a muscle to generate isometric force and its length. This intrinsic trade-off is the result of the need for overlap between thick and thin filaments upon extension of the sarcomere and of the limitations imposed by the physical interference between the thin filaments and the thick filaments with the Z-disk upon contraction. However, previously published data indicate that chameleons are able to produce a nearly constant tongue retraction force over a wide range of tongue extension lengths, made possible by the presence of supercontracting muscle in the tongue retractors. Investigation of the length/tension properties and ultrastructure of the tongue retractor in a closely related agamid lizard (Pogona vitticeps) indicates that the ability to generate tension at extreme elongation is probably a derived feature for chameleons. Whereas chameleons are unique among vertebrates in possessing supercontracting muscle, this seems to be a common phenomenon in invertebrates. However, the presence of supercontracting muscle in chameleons and in several invertebrate groups seems to be coupled to the need to generate tension over large changes in muscle length and might be a more general solution for this problem.

Key words: supercontraction, lizard, transmission electron microscopy, contractile properties, muscle

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