The avian pectoralis: histochemical characterization and distribution of muscle fiber types

Rosser, Benjamin W. C.; George, J. C.

doi:10.1139/z86-176

Cited by 145 publications

(112 citation statements)

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“…Present understanding is that the pectoralis via downstroke provide the majority of the work and power necessary for flapping flight [12,31] even in hummingbirds, where the upstroke contribution during hovering and slow flight is 25-30% of the total lift production [19,20,62,63]. The fibre composition of the pectoralis is remarkably uniform among most species, including only fast-twitch fibres with relatively limited variation in myosin isoforms [64,65]. Exceptions to this pattern are certain soaring birds that exhibit deep accessory bellies composed of slow-twitch fibres [66,67].…”

Section: Muscle Function Proximal To Distal In the Wingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of avian flight: muscles and constraints on performance

Tobalske¹

2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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One contribution of 17 to a theme issue 'Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight'. Competing hypotheses about evolutionary origins of flight are the 'fundamental wing-stroke' and 'directed aerial descent' hypotheses. Support for the fundamental wing-stroke hypothesis is that extant birds use flapping of their wings to climb even before they are able to fly; there are no reported examples of incrementally increasing use of wing movements in gliding transitioning to flapping. An open question is whether locomotor styles must evolve initially for efficiency or if they might instead arrive due to efficacy. The proximal muscles of the avian wing output work and power for flight, and new research is exploring functions of the distal muscles in relation to dynamic changes in wing shape. It will be useful to test the relative contributions of the muscles of the forearm compared with inertial and aerodynamic loading of the wing upon dynamic morphing. Body size has dramatic effects upon flight performance. New research has revealed that mass-specific muscle power declines with increasing body mass among species. This explains the constraints associated with being large. Hummingbirds are the only species that can sustain hovering. Their ability to generate force, work and power appears to be limited by time for activation and deactivation within their wingbeats of high frequency. Most small birds use flap-bounding flight, and this flight style may offer an energetic advantage over continuous flapping during fast flight or during flight into a headwind. The use of flap-bounding during slow flight remains enigmatic. Flap-bounding birds do not appear to be constrained to use their primary flight muscles in a fixed manner. To improve understanding of the functional significance of flap-bounding, the energetic costs and the relative use of alternative styles by a given species in nature merit study.This article is part of the themed issue 'Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight'. OverviewMuscles are obviously key to the capacity of birds for flight, and the goal of this review is to explore current hypotheses of the ways muscles permit and constrain this capacity. Insight into the phylogeny of birds is improving rapidly, and this offers great promise for improving understanding of how evolution transformed ancestral theropod forms [1] into the derived, volant bird species we observe today. Genomic study [2][3][4] and the extraordinary rate of new discovery of fossil dinosaurs [5][6][7][8][9][10] have provided rich phylogenetic hypotheses from which we can begin to test patterns of historical transformation [11]. Concurrently, modern empirical and modelling techniques in comparative biomechanics offer new ways of testing hypotheses that link form and function. These include in vivo and in situ measures of the contractile behaviour of muscle [12 -14]: high-speed, three-dimensional videography that can reveal details of wing motion [15,16]; X-ray videography of skeletal kinematics [16,17]; particle ima...

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Section: Muscle Function Proximal To Distal In the Wingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of avian flight: muscles and constraints on performance

Tobalske¹

2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…Specifically, rat muscles used for mitochondrial isolation consisted of 71.7% fast glycolytic fibers (type IIb), with fast oxidative glycolytic (type IIa) and slow oxidative fibers (type I) constituting the remaining 20.5 and 7.8%, respectively (Armstrong and Phelps, 1984). Sparrow pectoralis is comprised exclusively of fast oxidative glycolytic fibers (George and Berger, 1966;Rosser and George, 1986). …”

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confidence: 99%

Mitochondrial function in sparrow pectoralis muscle

Kuzmiak

Sweazea

Willis

2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYFlying birds couple a high daily energy turnover with double-digit millimolar blood glucose concentrations and insulin resistance. Unlike mammalian muscle, flight muscle predominantly relies on lipid oxidation during locomotion at high fractions of aerobic capacity, and birds outlive mammals of similar body mass by a factor of three or more. Despite these intriguing functional differences, few data are available comparing fuel oxidation and free radical production in avian and mammalian skeletal muscle mitochondria. Thus we isolated mitochondria from English sparrow pectoralis and rat mixed hindlimb muscles. Maximal O 2 consumption and net H 2 O 2 release were measured in the presence of several oxidative substrate combinations. Additionally, NADand FAD-linked electron transport chain (ETC) capacity was examined in sonicated mitochondria. Sparrow mitochondria oxidized palmitoyl-L-carnitine 1.9-fold faster than rat mitochondria and could not oxidize glycerol-3-phosphate, while both species oxidized pyruvate, glutamate and malate-aspartate shuttle substrates at similar rates. Net H 2 O 2 release was not significantly different between species and was highest when glycolytic substrates were oxidized. Sonicated sparrow mitochondria oxidized NADH and succinate over 1.8 times faster than rat mitochondria. The high ETC catalytic potential relative to matrix substrate dehydrogenases in sparrow mitochondria suggests a lower matrix redox potential is necessary to drive a given O 2 consumption rate. This may contribute to preferential reliance on lipid oxidation, which may result in lower in vivo reactive oxygen species production in birds compared with mammals.Key words: skeletal muscle mitochondria, substrate oxidation, aging, reactive oxygen species, bird. THE JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY 2040to complete substrate oxidation pathways would be coupled with lower superoxide production (measured as net H 2 O 2 release) in mitochondria from English sparrow (Passer domesticus) pectoralis compared with rat (Rattus norvegicus) mixed hindlimb muscle. Thus, one purpose of the present study was to measure the maximum (state 3) mitochondrial O 2 consumption rate (J . O2 ), ETC flux capacity in sonicated mitochondria from three sites of electron entry, and ROS production by intact 'resting' (oligomycin-inhibited) mitochondria. To our knowledge, no investigation into ROS production from avian muscle mitochondria currently exists.Fuel selection by contracting muscles during locomotion differs markedly between birds and mammals. Humans and rats run at 75% of their maximum rate of O 2 uptake (V O2,max ) with a respiratory quotient (RQ) at or above 0.90 (Brooks and Donovan, 1983;Brooks and Gaesser, 1980; O'Brien et al., 1993), which reflects a general pattern of carbohydrate dependence in mammals exercising at or above moderate intensity (Roberts et al., 1996). In contrast, pigeons fly at this intensity with an RQ of 0.73 (Rothe, 1987), indicating that pigeon flight muscle supports locomotion with the almost exclusive oxidatio...

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“…This M. pectoralis in volant species mainly consists of red, type IIa, fast oxidative glycolytic (FOG) fibres and a small amount of white, type IIb, fast glycolytic (FG) fibres (Butler 1991). Although George and Berger (1966) claim that ducks have a combination of FG, FOG and SO in the M. pectoralis, the study by Rosser and George (1986) found that the M. pectoralis in Anseriformes (ducks and geese) consists of red, FOG fibres and white, FG fibres. This is believed to be a result of the fast muscle contracting requirements for movement of the wings (Rosser and George 1986).…”

Section: Breastmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Although George and Berger (1966) claim that ducks have a combination of FG, FOG and SO in the M. pectoralis, the study by Rosser and George (1986) found that the M. pectoralis in Anseriformes (ducks and geese) consists of red, FOG fibres and white, FG fibres. This is believed to be a result of the fast muscle contracting requirements for movement of the wings (Rosser and George 1986). Baeza et al (2000) also reported that the breast muscle of Mule ducks consisted of type IIa (88 %) and type IIb (12 %) muscle fibre types.…”

Section: Breastmentioning

confidence: 98%

Gamebirds: A sustainable food source in Southern Africa?

2013

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In order to alleviate the current food security situation the world is faced with, it is essential to investigate meat sources which have the potential to be used in a sustainable manner. This review provides substantial arguments to prove the viability of sport hunted wildfowl as a food source in Southern Africa. However, before the use of wildfowl meat can be realised, there are certain challenges to overcome in order to ensure meat of the best possible quality reaches the consumer. Important aspects to consider regarding the eating quality of wildfowl meat are identified and include the physical activity of the different portions and muscle fibre types, diet, breeding, age and gender as well as the post mortem handling/ageing of the meat. The safety issues involved in producing gamebird meat i.e. shot contamination (microbial or lead), are also discussed. Other areas that warrant scientific research include investigating the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that may have an influence on the ultimate meat quality and exploring possible techniques of improving the eating quality of wildfowl meat. The insights these investigations will provide have the potential to increase the commercial viability, directly or indirectly, of African wildfowl meat and thus contribute to food security.

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The avian pectoralis: histochemical characterization and distribution of muscle fiber types

Cited by 145 publications

References 0 publications

Evolution of avian flight: muscles and constraints on performance

Evolution of avian flight: muscles and constraints on performance

Mitochondrial function in sparrow pectoralis muscle

Gamebirds: A sustainable food source in Southern Africa?

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