Myofibrillar differences among mammalian skeletal muscle fibres at the ultrastructural level. A comparison of immunocytochemical and morphometrical parameters.

In the light microscope two types (I, II) of skeletal muscle fibres can be distinguished with antibodies against myosin isozymes. At the ultrastructural level a difference in Z-line width has led to muscle fibre classification. In this study we distinguish at the ultrastructural level between type I and type II fibres of the M. soleus and M. plantaris of adult mice using ultracryosections with immuno-ferritin and antisera against myosin isozymes. Muscle fibres of the M. plantaris are identified as type II fibres and the fibres of the M. soleus are divided in type I and type II fibres. In the immunologically identified fibres the filament overlap in the Z-line was measured. The type II fibres of the M. plantaris have narrow Z-lines, whereas type I and type II fibres of the M. soleus have wide Z-lines. We conclude that a classification of fibres based on Z-line width differs from the type I/type II classification. The antimyosin antibodies react exclusively with the A-band. In serial sections the myosin isozymes can be identified unambiguously. This is a prerequisite for further studies of myosin isozyme distribution in "mixed" muscle fibres.