Larval Muscles (larval + muscle)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Major muscle systems in the larval caenogastropod, Ilyanassa obsoleta, display different patterns of development

JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, Issue 10 2009
Carol C.E. Evans
Abstract This study describes the anatomical and developmental aspects of muscular development from the early embryo to competent larval stage in the gastropod Ilyanassa obsoleta. Staining of F-actin revealed differential spatial and temporal patterns of several muscles. In particular, two major muscles, the larval retractor and pedal retractor muscles originate independently and display distinct developmental patterns similar to observations in other gastropod species. Additionally, together with the larval retractor muscle, the accessory larval muscle developed in the embryo at the trochophore stage. Therefore, both these muscles develop prior to ontogenetic torsion. The pedal retractor muscle marked the most abundant growth in the mid veliger stage. Also during the middle stage, the metapodial retractor muscle and opercular retractor muscle grew concurrently with development of the foot. We show evidence that juvenile muscles, such as the buccal mass muscle and siphon muscle develop initially during the late veliger stage. Collectively, these findings substantiate that larval myogenesis involves a complex sequence of events that appear evolutionary conserved within the gastropods, and set the stage for future studies using this model species to address issues concerning the evolution and eventual fates of larval musculature in molluscs. J. Morphol., 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Myogenesis in Aplysia californica (Cooper, 1863) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia) with special focus on muscular remodeling during metamorphosis

JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, Issue 7 2008
Tim Wollesen
Abstract To date only few comparative approaches tried to reconstruct the ontogeny of the musculature in invertebrates. This may be due to the difficulties involved in reconstructing three dimensionally arranged muscle systems by means of classical histological techniques combined with light or transmission electron microscopy. Within the scope of the present study we investigated the myogenesis of premetamorphic, metamorphic, and juvenile developmental stages of the anaspidean opisthobranch Aplysia californica using fluorescence F-actin-labeling in conjunction with modern confocal laser scanning microscopy. We categorized muscles with respect to their differentiation and degeneration and found three true larval muscles that differentiate during the embryonic and veliger phase and degenerate during or slightly after metamorphosis. These are the larval retractor, the accessory larval retractor, and the metapodial retractor muscle. While the pedal retractor muscle, some transversal mantle fibers and major portions of the cephalopedal musculature are continued and elaborated during juvenile and adult life, the buccal musculature and the anterior retractor muscle constitute juvenile/adult muscles which differentiate during or after metamorphosis. The metapodial retractor muscle has never been reported for any other gastropod taxon. Our findings indicate that the late veliger larva of A. californica shares some common traits with veligers of other gastropods, such as a larval retractor muscle. However, the postmetamorphic stages exhibit only few congruencies with other gastropod taxa investigated to date, which is probably due to common larval but different adult life styles within gastropods. Accordingly, this study provides further evidence for morphological plasticity in gastropod myogenesis and stresses the importance of ontogenetic approaches to understand adult conditions and life history patterns. J. Morphol., 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


The pharmacological and physiological profile of glutamate receptors at the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction

PHYSIOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2005
Deval Bhatt
Abstract.,Drosophila larval muscles are commonly used for developmental assessment in regard to various mutations of synaptically relevant molecules. In addition, the molecular sequence of the glutamate receptors on the muscle fibre have been described; however, the pharmacological profiles to known agonists and antagonists have yet to be reported. Here, the responses of N -methyl- d -aspartic acid, ,-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA), l -glutamate, kainate, quisqualic acid, NBQX, AP5 and DNQX are characterized with regard to synaptic transmission and direct effects on the muscle fibres. The muscle fibres depolarize to application of glutamate or quisqualate and the excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) amplitudes are diminished. Kainate does not alter the muscle membrane potential but does reduce the EPSP amplitude. The known antagonists NBQX, AP5 and DNQX have no substantial effect on synaptic transmission at 1 mm, nor do they block the response of quisqualate. Kainate may be acting as a postsynaptic antagonist or via autoreceptors presynaptically to reduce evoked transmission. [source]


Biochemical properties of V91G calmodulin: A calmodulin point mutation that deregulates muscle contraction in Drosophila

PROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 12 2004
Bo Wang
Abstract A mutation (Cam7) to the single endogenous calmodulin gene of Drosophila generates a mutant protein with valine 91 changed to glycine (V91G D-CaM). This mutation produces a unique pupal lethal phenotype distinct from that of a null mutation. Genetic studies indicate that the phenotype reflects deregulation of calcium fluxes within the larval muscles, leading to hypercontraction followed by muscle failure. We investigated the biochemical properties of V91G D-CaM. The effects of the mutation on free CaM are minor: Calcium binding, and overall secondary and tertiary structure are indistinguishable from those of wild type. A slight destabilization of the C-terminal domain is detectable in the calcium-free (apo-) form, and the calcium-bound (holo-) form has a somewhat lower surface hydrophobicity. These findings reinforce the indications from the in vivo work that interaction with a specific CaM target(s) underlies the mutant defects. In particular, defective regulation of ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels was indicated by genetic interaction analysis. Studies described here establish that the putative CaM binding region of the Drosophila RyR (D-RyR) binds wild-type D-CaM comparably to the equivalent CaM-RyR interactions seen for the mammalian skeletal muscle RyR channel isoform (RYR1). The V91G mutation weakens the interaction of both apo- and holo-D-CaM with this binding region, and decreases the enhancement of the calcium-binding affinity of CaM that is detectable in the presence of the RyR target peptide. The predicted functional consequences of these changes are consonant with the in vivo phenotype, and indicate that D-RyR is one, if not the major, target affected by the V91G mutation in CaM. [source]