CONTRACTILE CELLS
are adapted to generate motile forces
necessary for contractions by the sliding
interactions of the proteins ACTIN & MYOSIN
(contractile proteins)
1. STRIATED MUSCLE CELLS (skeletal muscle cells =
VOLUNTARY; cardiac muscle cells = INVOLUNTARY)
2. SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS (INVOLUNTARY)
3. OTHER CELLS (single-cell contractile units)
- MYOEPITHELIAL CELLS (expel secretion from glands)
- MYOFIBROBLASTS (able to contract & secrete collagen
role in the formation of the scar)
- PERICYTES
Myoepihelial cells (expel secretion from glands)
Myofibroblast (able to contract & secrete collagen
role in the formation of the scar)
Pericytes (surround blood vessels)
SKELETAL MUSCLE organization
responsible for voluntary movement under the influence
of the nervous system & for maintenance of posture
Skeletal muscle fibers type
Myotendinous junction
The outer sheath = epimysium (the whole muscle).
The middle sheath = perimysium (group of muscle fibres each fascicle=bundle).
The inner sheath = endomysium (single muscle fibre).
= bundles of muscle cells
= bundles of filaments
Muscle fibers (muscle cells)
Special terminology for some muscle
cell components:
- SARCOLEMMA (cell membrane)
- SARCOPLASM (cytoplasm)
- SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM
(smooth endoplasmic reticulum)
In each muscle fiber population of muscle
precursor cells (SATELLITE CELLS)
SKELETAL MUSCLE
Each skeletal muscle fiber (muscle
cell) is a multinucleated syncytium
formed by fusion of hundreds
individual, precursors cells
(mononucleated myoblasts) in
development
MUSCLE CELL Skeletal muscle cells (MYOFIBERS
OR or MUSCLE FIBERS) are extremely
elongated, unbranched cylindrical
MUSCLE FIBER cells 50-60 m in diameter and up to
10 cm long, with numerous flattened
OR
nuclei located at periphery, just
beneath the sarcolemma
MYOFIBER
SKELETAL MUSCLE
• in the cytoplasm lie MYOFIBRILS (1-2 m in diameter elongated cylindrical
structures, arranged parallel to one another & to the long axis of myofiber)
• within each myofibril - the highly ordered arrangement of the contractile
proteins (MYOFILAMENTS) gives rise to the appearance of cross-striations
(STRIATED MUSCLE)
MYOFIBER
= skeletal muscle fiber (cell)
MYOFIBRIL
= the contractile elements
of myofiber
MYOFILAMENT
= the contractile proteins,
actin (thin filaments) and
myosin (thick filaments) in
each myofibril
SKELETAL MUSCLE
STRIATIONS
The contractile elements of skeletal
muscle cells - MYOFIBRILS,
composed of assemblies of
•THICK FILAMENTS (myosin)
•THIN FILAMENTS (actin)
SARCOMERE, the skeletal muscle
fiber functional unit delineated
between two Z discs (lines)
•Miofibrils consist end-to end
repetitive arrangement of
sarcomers
•Lateral registration of sarcomers in
adjecent myofibrils
STRIATIONS – alternating light
I bands, isotropic in polarized light,
light bands
A bands, anisotropic, dark bands
SARCOMERE
the skeletal muscle fiber
functional unit delineated
between two Z discs (lines)
I band, light, isotropic
(thin filaments = actin filaments;
diameter: 6-8 nm, 1 um long)
A band, dark, anisotropic (thick
filaments = myosin filaments
Diameter: 15 nm, 1.5 um)
Z line, disc-like zone; thin
filaments are attached to Z line
FILAMENTS are held in place by plates of accessory proteins (lines)
Z line (α-actinin with nebulin, titin, telethonin, talin, desmin, myotilin, filamin C)
M line (myomesin, M protein, obscurin, creatine kinase)
Regular arrangement of contractile proteins
within each sarcomere: each thick filament
is surrounded by six thin filaments
Muscle contraction shortening of the sarcomere
The SLIDING FILAMENT
THEORY proposes that under
the influence of energy
released from ATP, the thick
and thin filaments slide over
one another, thus causing
shortening of the sarcomere
• the repetitive binding and
releasing of myosin head
along the actin filaments
During this proces neither the thick nor thin filaments change their length
Muscle contraction
CONTRACTION is mediated by a cycle of binding and releasing between actin
& myosin and under control by proteins (troponin) and Ca++ ions.
TRIAD: terminal cisternae, T-tubule, terminal cisternae
Muscle contraction
Following a nerve signal membrane excitaton of t tubule system
causes Ca++ ions to flood into the sarcoplasm and muscle contraction
Muscle contraction
Cardiac muscle cells develop cell
CARDIAC MUSCLE junctions anchoring each cell to its
neighbour
CARDIAC MUSCLE
• striated muscle (similar arrangement of actin & myosin filaments
like in skeletal muscle)
• differs significantly from skeletal muscle:
1. cardiac muscle cells contains ONE or TWO NUCLEI
2. individual cardiac muscle cells are linked into long chains
by system of specialized cell junction (termed
INTERCALATED DISKS)
3. stem cells not present = NO REGENERATION !!!
CARDIAC MUSCLE
INTERCALATED DISK
contains 3 types of cell
junction:
1. DESMOSOMAL JUNCTION
(tightly links adjacent cells,
involving the intermediate
filaments)
2. ADHERENT-TYPE JUNCTION
(anchors the actin fibers of the
sarcomers to end of the cell)
3. GAP JUNCTION (facilitates the
passage of membrane
excitation=synchronization of
muscle contraction)
CARDIAC MUSCLE
• the molecular basis of cardiac muscle contraction
is very similar to that of skeletal muscle
• contraction of cardiac muscle is regulated by
cytosolic Ca++ ion concentration
•Dyads - terminal cisternae and T-tubule/ Z-line
• contractions are strong and utilize a great deal of
energy (like skeletal muscle) BUT are continuous
and initiated by inherent mechanisms (like smooth
muscle)
SMOOTH MUSCLE
Smooth muscle cells are the main contractile cells in the walls of
most hollow viscera (gut, urinary bladder, uterus) and in the blood
vessels
In the wall smooth muscle cells are arranged in sheets aligned
circumferentially or longitudinally
SMOOTH MUSCLE
• individual muscle cells are anchored together into functional units by
extracellular matrix (linear bundles)
• each muscle cell is typically spindle-shaped and has a single, elongated,
centrally located nucleus
• in cross-section polygonal profile and centrally placed nucleus
Smooth muscle cell
• IRREGULARLY ARRANGED CONTRACTILE PROTEINS (no histological
appearance of cross-striations - do not show the highly organized system of
contractile proteins, i.g. myofilaments)
• bundles of CONTRACTILE PROTEINS CRISS-CROSS THE CELL
•Calmodulin and myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK) instead of troponin and
tropomyosin
Smooth muscle
contraction
INVOLUNTARY MUSCLES (under inherent autonomic and hormonal control)
RELAXED
(elongated shape)
CONTRACTED
(short, compact,
rounded shape)
