Improved fatigue resistance in Gsα-deficient and aging mouse skeletal muscles due to adaptive increases in slow fibers

J Appl Physiol (1985). 2011 Sep;111(3):834-43. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00031.2011. Epub 2011 Jun 16.

Abstract

Genetically modified mice with deficiency of the G protein α-subunit (G(s)α) in skeletal muscle showed metabolic abnormality with reduced glucose tolerance, low muscle mass, and low contractile force, along with a fast-to-slow-fiber-type switch (Chen M, Feng HZ, Gupta D, Kelleher J, Dickerson KE, Wang J, Hunt D, Jou W, Gavrilova O, Jin JP, Weinstein LS. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 296: C930-C940, 2009). Here we investigated a hypothesis that the switching to more slow fibers is an adaptive response with specific benefit. The results showed that, corresponding to the switch of myosin isoforms, the thin-filament regulatory proteins troponin T and troponin I both switched to their slow isoforms in the atrophic soleus muscle of 3-mo-old G(s)α-deficient mice. This fiber-type switch involving coordinated changes of both thick- and thin-myofilament proteins progressed in the G(s)α-deficient soleus muscles of 18- to 24-mo-old mice, as reflected by the expression of solely slow isoforms of myosin and troponin. Compared with age-matched controls, G(s)α-deficient soleus muscles with higher proportion of slow fibers exhibited slower contractile and relaxation kinetics and lower developed force, but significantly increased resistance to fatigue, followed by a better recovery. G(s)α-deficient soleus muscles of neonatal and 3-wk-old mice did not show the increase in slow fibers. Therefore, the fast-to-slow-fiber-type switch in G(s)α deficiency at older ages was likely an adaptive response. The benefit of higher fatigue resistance in adaption to metabolic deficiency and aging provides a mechanism to sustain skeletal muscle function in diabetic patients and elderly individuals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological
  • Age Factors
  • Aging / genetics
  • Aging / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Chromogranins
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Female
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs / deficiency*
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs / genetics
  • Genotype
  • Kinetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Muscle Contraction*
  • Muscle Fatigue*
  • Muscle Fibers, Fast-Twitch / metabolism*
  • Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch / metabolism*
  • Muscle Relaxation
  • Muscle Strength
  • Muscle, Skeletal / innervation
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism*
  • Myofibrils / metabolism
  • Myosins / metabolism
  • Phenotype
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Troponin I / metabolism
  • Troponin T / metabolism

Substances

  • Chromogranins
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Troponin I
  • Troponin T
  • Gnas protein, mouse
  • Myosins
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs