ISOLATION OF MYOSIN HEAVY-CHAIN FROM SMALL SKELETAL-MUSCLE SAMPLES BYPREPARATIVE CONTINUOUS ELUTION GEL-ELECTROPHORESIS - APPLICATION TO MEASUREMENT OF SYNTHESIS RATE IN HUMAN AND ANIMAL TISSUE

A convenient procedure for the isolation of milligram quantities of my osin heavy chain (MHC) from small samples of muscle tissue using prepa rative gel electrophoresis is described. Application of the methodolog y to measurements of the fractional synthesis rates (k(s)) of MHC usin g skeletal muscle biopsy samples from humans and cardiac tissue from p igs following continuous intravenous infusions of stable isotope (L-[1 -C-13]leucine) is demonstrated. The sensitivity and reproducibility of the determination of stable isotope enrichment are also defined. In a ddition, measurements of the k(s) of MHC in skeletal muscle of rats in vivo using radioisotope-tracer methodologies are described. (C) 1994 Academic Press,Inc.