Skeletal muscle fibre types: detection methods and embryonic determinants

Abstract

Muscle fibres used to be simply classified as either type I, IIa or lIb. Advances in molecular and histological techniques have, however, lead to the realisation that the phenotypes of muscles are more varied than this. An additional fibre type (IIX/IID) has been discovered, fibres with intermediate fibre types have been described and there is accumulating evidence that the fibres types described from the study of limb muscles are not necessarily applicable to other skeletal muscles, such as the jaw and extra-ocular muscles. Further to this has been the discovery that diversity occurs at all stages of muscle development. There are sllbpoplllations of myoblasts and myotubes as well as various types of muscle fibres. The relationships between the different stages of development is still under study. However, it is clear that each stage of muscle development is intluenced to a certain degree by prior events. Consequently, the characteristics of mature fibres reflect both their developmental origins and influences from the adult environment, such as their patterns of muscle activation.