Issues
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Cover image
Cover Image
Cover: Myosin binding protein-C ( part of which is shown schematically in multicolored cartoon form) is one of the most interesting regulatory elements of skeletal and cardiac muscle. It binds to the actin–tropomyosin complex (binding shown is purely schematic), where it is thought to regulate contraction. It also binds to myosin, where it is thought to play a regulatory role. A portion of the myosin catalytic domain termed the myosin mesa has been speculated to be involved in some manner (pp. 161-167). Image assembled in PyMol by James Spudich and Margaret Sunitha.
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SPECIAL ISSUE: Muscle: molecules to motion
INSIDE JEB
EDITORIAL
THE CYTOSKELETON
The sarcomeric cytoskeleton: from molecules to motion
Summary: The sarcomeric cytoskeleton is a system of proteins specific to striated muscle that play a key role in organising the contractile machinery, and integrating and regulating its mechanics and signalling functions.
Nebulin, a multi-functional giant
Summary: The giant protein nebulin is a multifunctional protein that impacts skeletal muscle function in diverse ways.
Non-crossbridge stiffness in active muscle fibres
Summary: This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding static stiffness, from its identification by our group, to the present, and evaluates the role of titin as the structure possibly responsible for this non-crossbridge stiffness.
MECHANISMS OF MUSCLE CONTRACTION AND EXCITATION-CONTRACTION COUPLING
Effects of hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy mutations on power output by human β-cardiac myosin
Summary: The underlying molecular basis of genetic-based cardiomyopathy diseases is largely unknown. This review describes recent molecular studies that have used human cardiac proteins to begin to elucidate the mechanisms whereby mutations cause disease.
Myosin isoforms and the mechanochemical cross-bridge cycle
Summary: Mammals express more than 11 different muscle myosin isoforms. Studies of different isoforms and the effect of mutations in these isoforms illustrate how myosin is adapted for specific functions.
Bridging the myoplasmic gap II: more recent advances in skeletal muscle excitation–contraction coupling
Summary: This article reviews recent work regarding the communication between the L-type Ca2+ channel (CaV1.1) and the type 1 ryanodine receptor (RyR1) that supports excitation–contraction coupling in skeletal muscle.
ECCENTRIC CONTRACTIONS
Skeletal muscle tissue in movement and health: positives and negatives
Summary: The mechanics and energetics of muscles doing work (shortening) are better understood than those of muscles being stretched while active. Recent evidence suggests the elastic titin filament plays a key role.
Eccentric contraction: unraveling mechanisms of force enhancement and energy conservation
Summary: This review suggests novel mechanisms for muscle eccentric contraction based on interactions among myosin, actin and titin.
Neural control of lengthening contractions
Summary: The neural control of lengthening contraction differs from that of shortening or isometric contractions; current knowledge on the specific control of lengthening contractions is summarized.
MUSCLE PLASTICITY
Molecular networks in skeletal muscle plasticity
Summary: A comprehensive review of the current state of research on the molecular networks that regulate skeletal muscle phenotypic plasticity with different types of exercise, disuse, ageing and disease.
Effects of skeletal muscle energy availability on protein turnover responses to exercise
Summary: Skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise training serves to blunt the homeostatic intracellular perturbations caused by accelerated energetic demands, and these responses are influenced by exogenous and endogenous energy availability.
Skeletal muscle mass and composition during mammalian hibernation
Summary: Despite massive reductions in activity and nutrient intake during winter, hibernators largely preserve skeletal muscle. My review summarizes these data and explores potential mechanisms explaining this remarkable outcome.
Muscle memory and a new cellular model for muscle atrophy and hypertrophy
Summary: New evidence indicates that during hypertrophy, pre-existing muscle fibres recruit nuclei from satellite cells, which are not lost during atrophy. The new permanent myonuclei represent cellular memory facilitating subsequent growth.
METABOLISM AND TISSUE CROSS-TALK
Mitochondria to motion: optimizing oxidative phosphorylation to improve exercise performance
Summary: This review focuses on three steps in oxidative phosphorylation that have independent roles in setting the overall mitochondrial ATP flux and thereby have direct impacts on exercise performance.
Metabolic fuel kinetics in fish: swimming, hypoxia and muscle membranes
Summary: Recent measurements of in vivo substrate kinetics, metabolite transporters and membrane properties greatly improve the understanding of metabolic fuel utilization in fish muscle.
The role of gp130 receptor cytokines in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis
Summary: Taken together, there is a great body of evidence suggesting that novel therapeutics to treat obesity and T2D can be developed by targeting gp130 ligands.
MUSCLE IN MOTION
Contribution of elastic tissues to the mechanics and energetics of muscle function during movement
Summary: Muscles are full of springs. Some roles for elastic elements are well established; others can be predicted based on the potential for energy storage within individual elastic elements.
Muscle structural assembly and functional consequences
Summary: This review explains the contribution of early renaissance studies on human anatomy and physiology to our current understanding of the contractile behaviour and adaptations of skeletal muscle to overloading, unloading and ageing.
Locomotion as an emergent property of muscle contractile dynamics
Summary: The in vivo dynamics of muscle contractile function reflect the interplay of muscle–tendon architecture and neural activation timing relative to the forces and work that muscles produce to power locomotor movement.
Using the reactive scope model to redefine social stress in fishes

In their Review, Katie Gilmour and colleagues redefine the ambiguous concept of social stress by using the reactive scope model as a framework to explain the divergent physiological phenotypes of dominant and subordinate fishes.
JEB grants to support junior faculty

Learn about the grants that we launched in 2023 to support junior faculty from two of our awardees: Erin Leonard, Early-Career Researcher (ECR) Visiting Fellowship recipient, and Pauline Fleischmann, Research Partnership Kickstart Travel Grant recipient. The next deadline to apply is 6 June 2025.
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels survive extraordinarily low blood oxygen

Brynne Duffy and colleagues reveal that thirteen-lined ground squirrels are true hypoxia champions surviving extreme low blood oxygen, down to just 34% oxygen, when they emerge briefly from hibernation.
The Company of Biologists Workshops

For the last 15 years, our publisher, The Company of Biologists, has provided an apt environment to inspire biology and support biologists through our Workshops series. Read about the evolution of the Workshop series and revisit JEB's experience with hosting the first Global South Workshop.
Fast & Fair peer review

Our sister journal Biology Open has recently launched the next phase of their Fast & Fair peer review initiative: offering high-quality peer review within 7 working days. To learn more about BiO’s progress and future plans, read the Editorial by Daniel Gorelick, or visit the Fast & Fair peer review page.