Sarcomere size in developing muscles of a tarsonemid mite.

The embryo of a tarsonemid mite was found to be suitable for in vivo observations of muscle development by polarization microscopy. The four dorsal muscles of the metapodosoma each contain three sarcomeres, the anterior two of which can be seen clearly. These sarcomeres can be identified and followed during much of their development. Sarcomeres are about 2.5 micra long when first detected and increase in length until they are about 10 micra long. The change in length is associated with a slow, approximately constant rate of increase in the length of the A region, and an initially slow then much more rapid increase in the length of the I band. Preceding the period when the I band elongates rapidly there is an increase in the diameter of the muscle fibers and an increase in the retardation of the A band. A, I, Z, and H bands are visible during most of these changes. The change in A band length has been interpreted in terms of the growth of the A filaments which have been observed by electron microscopy in muscles of other animals. It is suggested that the exceptionally long sarcomeres in this mite result from the early fixing of the number of sarcomeres in a given muscle fiber.