A comparison of seasonal flexibility in pectoralis muscle fiber type and enzyme activity in migratory and resident sparrow species

The pectoralis muscle in birds is important for flight and thermogenesis. In migratory songbirds this muscle exhibits seasonal flexibility in size, but whether this flexibility reflects changes in muscle fiber type has not been well documented. We investigated how seasonal changes in photoperiod affected pectoralis muscle fiber type and metabolic enzymes, comparing among three closely-related sparrow species: two seasonal migrants and one year-round, temperate climate resident. We quantified fast oxidative glycolytic (FOG) and fast glycolytic (FG) fibers histologically, and measured activities of citrate synthase (CS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the pectoralis muscle of the three species that were acclimated to long- or short-daylight length conditions. In all species FOG was the predominant fiber type, but song sparrows had FG fibers regardless of daylight length. By contrast, Lincoln's sparrows incorporated FG fibers only under short-daylight length onditions, and house sparrows did not significantly express FG fibers, regardless of conditions. Both migratory species increased LDH activity in short-daylight conditions, but did not alter CS activity. In contrast, resident house sparrows did not alter CS or LDH activity with changes in daylight length. Our findings suggest that the presence of FG fibers is important for seasonal flexibility in LDH activity. Additionally, migratory species exhibited seasonal flexibility in muscle fiber type and enzyme activity, presumably to support migratory flight, while the resident species did not exhibit such seasonal flexibility, suggesting that this consistent phenotype is important year-round, despite changing thermogenic requirements.