Influence of fiber type and muscle source on Ca2+ sensitivity of rat fibers.

This study investigated the influence of muscle source and fiber type on the calcium sensitivity of skinned rat skeletal muscle fibers from predominantly slow muscles [soleus (SOL) and adductor longus (AL)], mixed muscle [posterior gracilis (PG)], and predominantly fast-twitch muscle [extensor digitorum longus (EDL)]. Fibers were characterized histochemically and by one-dimensional protein gel electrophoresis, and calcium-tension relationships were determined. Fiber type and muscle source had significant effects on the negative log of the calcium concentration associated with half-maximal tension (pCa1/2). Slow-twitch fibers had larger values of pCa1/2 than did fast-twitch fibers. Slow-twitch fibers from the predominantly slow muscles, SOL and AL, had similar values of pCa1/2 but slightly smaller values than from the mixed muscle, PG. Fast-glycolytic (FG) fibers from the predominantly fast muscle, EDL, had a higher pCa1/2 than fibers from the mixed fiber type muscle, PG. There were no differences between the pCa1/2 associated with FG and fast-oxidative-glycolytic fibers.