Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Gene expression in muscle in response to exercise

  • Published:
Journal of Muscle Research & Cell Motility Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Muscle has an intrinsic ability to adapt to different types of work by changing fibre type and muscle mass. This process involves quantitative and qualitative changes in gene expression including those of the myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isogenes that encode different types of molecular motors. Increased expression of slow MyHC and of metabolic genes result in increased fatigue resistance. Recently, there has been some insight into how oxidative metabolism, as well as slow myosin expression, is regulated and the role of calcium in initiating switches in gene expression. In relation to muscle mass and power output it has been appreciated that local as well as systemic factors are important. Our group have cloned three types of IGF-I in human muscle which are derived from the IGF-I gene by alternative splicing. The expression of one of these that appears to be an autocrine/paracrine splice variant is only detectable after mechanical stimulation (MGF) and a systemic type (IGF-IEa) that is produced by the liver and other tissue including muscle. As the result of a reading frame shift, the MGF peptide has a different C terminal sequence to IGF-IEa. Interestingly, the MGF C terminal peptide has been found to act as a separate growth factor and to initially activate mononluceated myoblasts (satellite cells). MGF also responds to different signals and has different expression kinetics to IGF-IEa. The mechanotransduction mechanism for this signalling may directly or indirectly involve the dystrophin complex as dystrophic muscle, unlike normal muscle, is unable to express MGF in response to overload. Also the ability to express MGF has been found to decline markedly during ageing. The deficiency in expressing MGF and activating satellite cells in dystrophic and aged muscles may explain why muscle mass is not maintained in these situations. However, in normal muscle MGF appears to initiate local muscle repair with its over expression resulting in hypertrophy.

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

References

  • Andersen JL and Aagaard P (2002) Myosin heavy chain IIX overshoot in human skeletal muscle. Muscle Nerve 23: 1095–1104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersen JL, Weiss A, Sandri C, Schjerling P, Thonell LE, Pedrosa-Domellof F, Leinwand L and Schiaffino S (2002) The 2B myosin heavy chain gene is expressed in human skeletal muscle. J Physiol 539P: 29P.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barton-Davis ER, LaFramboise WA and Kushmerick MJ (1996) Activity-dependent induction of slow myosin gene expression in isolated fast-twitch mouse muscle. Am J Physiol 271: C1409–C1414.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barton-Davis ER, Shoturma DI, Musaro A, Rosenthal N and Sweeny HL (1998) Viral mediated expression of insulin-like growth factor I blocks the aging-related loss of skeletal muscle function. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95: 15603–15607.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brahm H, Piehl-Aulin K, Saltin B and Ljunghall S (1997) Net fluxes over working thigh of hormones, growth factors and biomarkers of bone metabolism during lasting dynamic exercise. Calcified Tissue 60: 175–180.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brenman JE, Chao DS, Xia H, Aldape K and Bredt DS (1995) Nitric oxide synthase complexed with dystrophin and absent from skeletal muscle sarcolemma in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Cell 82: 743–752.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ennion S, Sant'ana Pereira J, Sargeant AJ, Young A and Goldspink G (1995) Characterization of human skeletal muscle fibres according to the myosin heavy chain they express. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 16: 35–43.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Freund HJ (1983) Motor unit and muscle activity in voluntary motor control. Physiol Rev 63: 387–436.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gauvry L, Ennion S, Hansen E, Butterworth P and Goldspink G (1996) The characterisation of the 5′ regulatory region of a temperature-induced myosin-heavy-chain gene associated with muscle growth in the carp. Eur J Biochem 236: 887–894.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gerlach GF, Turay L, Malik K, Lida J, Scutt A and Goldspink G (1990) The mechanisms of seasonal temperature acclimation in the carp; a combined physiological and molecular biology approach. Am J Physiol 259: R237–R244.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goldspink DF and Goldspink G (1986) In: Nix WA and Vrbova G (eds) Electrical Stimulation and Neuromuscular Disorders. (pp. 91–100) Springer Verlag, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldspink G, Scutt A, Loughna P, Wells DJ, Jaenicke T and Gerlach G-F (1992) Gene expression in skeletal muscle in response to stretch and force generation. Am J Physiol 262: R326–R363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldspink G, Yang SY, Skarli M and Vrbova G (1996) Local growth regulation is associated with an isoform of IGF-I that is expressed in normal muscle but not in dystrophic muscle mdx or dydy mouse muscles when subjected to stretch. J Physiol 495P: 162P–163P.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffin G, Williams PE and Goldspink G (1971) Region of longitudinal growth in striated muscle fibres. Nature New Biol 232: 28–29.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hameed M, Orrell RW, Cobbold M, Goldspink G and Harridge SDR (2003a) Expression of IGF-I splice variants in young and old skeletal muscle after high resistance exercise. J Physiol 541: 247–254.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hameed M, Lange KHW, Andersen JL, Schjerling P, Kjaer M, Harridge SDR and Goldspink G (2003b) The effect of recombinant human growth hormone and resistance being an IGF-I mRNA expression in the muscles of the elderly. J Physiol (in press).

  • Harridge SDR, Andersen JL, Hartkopp A, Zhou S, Biering-Sørensen, Sandri C and Kjær M (2002) Training by low-frequency stimulation of tibialis anterior in spinal cord-injured men. Muscle Nerve 25: 685–694.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Henneman E (1985) The size principle: a deterministic output emerges from a set of probabilistic connections. J Exp Biol 115: 105–112.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hill AV (1950) The dimensions of animals and their muscular dynamics. Sci Prog 38: 209–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill M and Goldspink G (in press) Expression and splicing of the insulin-like growth factor gene in rodent muscle is associated with muscle satellite (stem) cell activation following local tissue damage. J Physiol 549: 409–418.

  • Hill M, Wernig A and Goldspink G (2003b) Muscle satellite (stem) cell activation during local tissue injury and repair. J Anat 203: 89–99.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hnik P, Vejsada J, Goldspink DF, Kasiciki S and Krekule I (1985) Quantitative evaluation of electromyogram activity in rat extensor and flexor muscles immobilized at different lengths. Exp Neurol 88: 515–528.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin CS, Chan JH, Pierrot-Deseilligny E and Burke D (2002) Excitability of human muscle afferents using threshold tracking of the H reflex. J Physiol 545: 661–669.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mathews LS, Hammer RE, Behringer RR, D'Ercole AJ, Bell CL, Brinster RL and Palmiter RD (1988) Growth enhancement of transgenic mice expressing human insulin-like growth factor I. Endocrinology 123: 2827–2833.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McKoy G, Ashley W, Mander J, Yang S, Williams N, Russell B and Goldspink G (1999) Expression of insulin growth factor-1 splice variants and structural genes in rabbit skeletal muscle induced by stretch and stimulation. J Physiol 516: 583–592.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meißner JD, Gros G, Scheibe RJ, Scholz M and Kubbis HP (2001) Calcineurin regulates slow myosin but not fast myosin or metabolic enzymes, during fast-to-slow transformation in rabbit skeletal muscle cell culture. J Physiol 533: 215–226.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meißner JD, Kubis H-P, Scheibe RJ and Gros G (2000) Reversible Ca2+-induced fast-to-slow transition in primary skeletal muscle culture cells at the mRNA level. J Physiol 523: 19–28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Owino V, Yang SY and Goldspink G (2001) Age-related loss of skeletal muscle function and the inability to express the autocrine form of insulin-like growth factor-I (MGF) in response to mechanical overload. FEBS Lett 505: 259–263.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pette D and Staron RS (1990) Cellular and molecular diversities of mammalian skeletal muscle fibers. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 116: 1–76.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pette D and Vrbova G (1986) Neural control of phenotypic expression in mammalian muscle fibres. Muscle Nerve 8: 876–689.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sant'Ana Pereira J, Ennion S, Sargeant AJ, Moorman AFM and Goldspink G (1997) Eur J Physiol 435: 151–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smerdu V, Karsch-Mizrachi I, Campione M, Leinwand L and Schiaffino S (1994) Type IIx myosin heavy chain transcripts are expressed in type IIb fibers of human skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol 36: 1723–1728.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sreter FA, Pinter K, Jolesz F and Mabuch I (1982) Fast to slow transformation of fast muscles in response to long-term phasic stimulation. Exp Neurol 75: 95–102.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tabary JC, Tabary C, Tardieu C, Tardieu G and Goldspink G (1972) Physiological and structural changes in the cat’s soleus muscle due to immobilization at different lengths by plaster casts. J Physiol 224: 231–244.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watabe S, Guo XF and Hwang GC (1994) Carp express specific isoforms of the myosin cross-bridge head, subfragment-1, in association with cold and warm temperature acclimation. J Therm Biol 19: 261–268.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Williams PE and Goldspink G (1973) Longitudinal growth of striated muscle fibres. J Cell Sci 9: 751–767.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams P, Watt P, Bicik V and Goldspink G (1986) Effect of stretch combined with electrical stimulation on the type of sarcomeres produced at the ends of muscle fibers. Exp Neurol 93: 500–509.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wolff JA, Malone RW, Williams P, Chong W, Ascadi G, Jani A and Felgner PL (1990) Direct gene transfer into mouse muscle in vivo. Science 247: 1465–1468.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang S, Alnqeeb M, Simpson H and Goldspink G (1996) Cloning and characterisation of an IGF-I isoform expressed in skeletal muscle subjected to stretch. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 17: 487–495.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang SY and Goldspink G (2002) Different roles of the IGF-IEc peptide (MGF) and mature IGF-I in myoblast proliferation and differentiation. FEBS Lett 522: 156–160.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang SY, Alnaqeeb M, Simpson H and Goldspink G (1997) Changes in muscle fibre type, muscle mass and IGF-I gene expression in rabbit skeletal muscle subjected to stretch. J Anat 190: 613–622.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Tissue Repair Unit, Department of Surgery Royal Free and University College Medical School, Royal Free Campus, University of London, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PF, UK

    Geoffrey Goldspink

Authors
  1. Geoffrey Goldspink
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Goldspink, G. Gene expression in muscle in response to exercise. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 24, 121–126 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026041228041

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026041228041

Keywords

Search

Navigation