Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The ultrastructure of normal and glycerol treated muscle in the ghost crab, Ocypode cursor

  • Published:
Cell and Tissue Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The ultrastructure of normal and glycerol treated fibers of the closer muscle of the ghost crab, Ocypode cursor, was studied. The muscle is composed of presumably phasic (short sarcomeres) and tonic (long sarcomeres) fibers, the latter greatly predominating. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used as an extracellular tracer to delineate the tubular system (TS), and to determine to what extent this system becomes detached from the extracellular space as a result of glycerol treatment. Sarcolemmal clefts invade deeply into the muscle at Z-lines and I-bands; tubules invaginate into the muscle from the clefts and from the surface sarcolemma at the Z-lines, A-I overlaps and A-bands. A tubules are in frequent diadic or tetradic contact with the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), whereas Z tubules appear to be randomly associated with SR, terminal cisterns (TC) and Z-line fibrils. When HRP was administered to normal muscle, black reaction product was found adjacent to the outer surface of the sarcolemma, within the clefts and within profiles of the TS throughout the tissue. In glycerol treated muscle peripheral vacuolation frequently occurred; black reaction product penetrated only as far as the vacuoles and into dilated Z-line tubules, but was virtually absent from the rest of the TS. This lack of continuity between the extracellular space and the A tubules indicated disruption or constriction of the A tubules as a result of glycerol treatment, although Z tubule contact with the extracellular space appeared unimpaired.

These findings provide ultrastructural correlates of the electrophysiological changes produced by glycerol treatment of the closer muscle of the ghost crab (Papir, 1973), namely, interference with excitation-contraction (e-c) coupling. The random association of the Z tubules with SR and TC, and their resistance to disruption by glycerol treatment, tend to endorse the claims that the Z tubules in crustacean muscle are not directly involved in e-c coupling (Brandt et al., 1965; Peachey, 1967; Selverston, 1967).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

HRP:

horseradish peroxidase

TS:

tubular system

SR:

sarcoplasmic reticulum

TC:

terminal cisterns

e-c:

excitation-contraction

N.A.S.W.:

normotonic artificial sea water

G.A.S.W.:

glycerol artificial sea water

EM:

electron microscopy

References

  • Atwood, H. L.: Crustacean neuromuscular mechanisms. Amer. Zool. 7, 527–551 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brandt, P. W., Reuben, J. P., Girardier, L., Grundfest, H.: Correlated morphological and physiological studies in isolated single muscle fibers. I. Fine structure of the crayfish muscle fiber. J. Cell Biol. 25, 233–261 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brandt, P. W., Reuben, J. P., Grundfest, H.: Correlated morphological and physiological studies on isolated single muscle fibers. II. The properties of the crayfish transverse tubular system: localization of the sites of reversible swelling. J. Cell Biol. 38, 1 115–129 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Castel, M., Papir, D., Werman, R.: The ultrastructure of glycerol-treated crab muscle. Israel J. med. Sci. 10, 530 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, B., Eisenberg, R. S.: Transverse tubular system in glycerol-treated skeletal muscle. Nature (Lond.) 160, 1243–1244 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, R. S., Gage, P. W.: Frog skeletal muscle fibers: changes in electrical properties after disruption of transverse tubular system. Science (N. Y.) 158, 1700–1701 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fahrenbach, W. H.: The structure of fast and slow crustacean muscles. J. Cell Biol. 35, 69–79 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Franzini-Armstrong, C.: Natural variability in the length of thin and thick filaments in single fibers from a crab, Portunus clepurator. J. Cell Sci. 6, 559–592 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fujino, M., Yagamuchi, T., Fujino, S.: “Glycerol effect” in various kinds of muscle cell. Jap. J. Physiol. 22, 477–489 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fujino, M., Yagamuchi, T., Syzuki, K.: “Glycerol effect” and the mechanism linking excitation of the plasma membrane with contraction. Nature (Lond.) 192, 1159–1161 (1961)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gage, P. W., Eisenberg, R. S.: Action potentials and excitation contraction coupling in frog sartorius fibers without transverse tubules. J. gen. Physiol. 53, 298–310 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Howell, J. N., Jenden, D. J.: T-gubules of skeletal muscle morphological alteration which interrupt excitation contraction coupling. Fed. Proc. 26, 553 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Howell, J. N., Jenden, D. J.: A lesion of the transverse tubules of skeletal muscle. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 201, 515–533 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoyle, G., McNeill, P. A.: Correlated physiological and ultrastructural studies on specialized muscles. J. exp. Zool. 167, 523–550 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huxley, A. F., Taylor, R. E.: Local activation of striated muscle fibers. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 144, 426–441 (1958)

    Google Scholar 

  • Karnovsky, M. J.: The ultrastructural basis of capillary permeability studied with peroxidase as a tracer. J. Cell Biol. 35, 213–236 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Krolenko, S. A.: Changes in the T-system of muscle fibers under the influence of influx and efflux of glycerol. Nature (Lond.) 221, 966–968 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Krolenko, S. A.: Effect of fluxes of sugars and mineral ions on the light microscopic structure of frog fast muscle fibres. Nature (Lond.) 229, 5284 424–426 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakajima, S., Nakajima, Y., Peachey, L. D.: Speed of repolarization and morphology of glycerol-treated frog muscle fibers. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 234, 465–480 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Papir, D.: The effect of glycerol treatment on crab muscle fibres. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 230, 313–330 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Peachey, L. D.: Membrane systems of crab fibers. Amer. Zool. 7, 505–513 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Reuben, J. P., Brandt, P. W., Garcia, H., Grundfest, H.: Excitation-contraction coupling in crayfish. Amer. Zool. 7, 623–645 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Selverston, A.: Structure and function of the transverse system in crustacean muscle fibers. Amer. Zool. 7, 515–525 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, R. G., Atwood, H. L.: Correlated electrophysiological and ultrastructural studies of a crustacean motor unit. J. gen. Physiol. 59, 586–615 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Dalia Papir

    Present address: Department of Physiology, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

    Mona Castel & Dalia Papir

Authors
  1. Mona Castel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dalia Papir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

We thank Professors Robert Werman and Rami Rachamimoff for critical reading of the manuscript.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Castel, M., Papir, D. The ultrastructure of normal and glycerol treated muscle in the ghost crab, Ocypode cursor . Cell Tissue Res. 159, 369–378 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221783

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221783

Key words

Search

Navigation