Regeneration of cat posterior temporalis muscle in culture.

ABSTRACT

Cat posterior temporalis muscle has a rapid speed of contraction associated with a unique superfast myosin isoform. Superfast myosin expression appears to be an intrinsic property of the muscle fibres and satellite cells, though in culture they failed to express superfast myosin. We have, therefore, cultured this muscle in a system which had previously been shown to encourage the expression of an adult phenotype. The presence of nerve cells resulted in effective regeneration of cat posterior temporalis muscle and even the formation of functional neuromuscular junctions. However, superfast myosin was not found even in mature, contracting, innervated cultures. Thyroid hormone, a known regulator of myosin isoform expression, also failed to elicit superfast myosin expression. Different culture conditions may allow a different outcome, but under circumstances in which mouse muscle expresses an adult phenotype, cat posterior temporalis muscle fails to do so.