Mechanical activation and isometric oscillation in insect fibrillar muscle.

Abstract

In isolated contractile structures of insect fibrillar muscle (DLM of Lethocerus) a quick extension causes a delayed rise of tension which is often followed by (damped) isometric oscillations. Similar phenomena may be also observed after a quick release which causes an immediate tension fall followed by a small and nearly immediate tension recovery passing into oscillation. The oscillation frequency has a temperature coefficient (Q10) of about 3.5 but depends also on the nature of the muscle (8 Hz in DLM of Lethocerus maximus at 20° C; 14 Hz in DLM of Lethocerus annulipes); it is further affected by the ATPase reaction products but not by calcium ions (range 10−6–10−5 M) nor by stretch, and it corresponds to the optimum myogenic oscillation frequency in driven oscillation experiments at 0.5% length change as well as to the wingbeat frequency of Lethocerus. All these findings agree with a previous hypothesis (Pringle) that myogenic oscillation — at least at low amplitude and optimal frequency — may be due to a more or less synchronized cross-bridge action. Evidence for partial cross-bridge synchronization during isometric oscillation stems from ATPase estimations in conjunction with measurements of the immediate elasticity (stiffness); these indicate that a maximal number of cross-bridges attaches almost immediately after stretch activation, and nearly in synchrony. The immediate series elasticity determined by quick releases suggests cross-bridge movements of the order 100 A, in an oscillatory cycle. It is also concluded that contraction speed but not contractile tension is dependent on the turnover frequency of cross-bridges, if, indeed, the latter is reflected in the isometric oscillation frequency.