Does sex matter in the cheetah? Insights into the skeletal muscle of the fastest land animal

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Authors

Kohn, Tertius Abraham
Knobel, Samantha
Donaldson, Byron
Van Boom, Kathryn Merle
Blackhurst, Dee M.
Peart, James M.
Jensen, Jorgen
Tordiffe, Adrian Stephen Wolferstan

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Company of Biologists

Abstract

The cheetah is considered the fastest land animal, but studies on their skeletal muscle properties are scarce. Vastus lateralis biopsies, obtained from male and female cheetahs as well as humans, were analysed and compared for fibre type and size, and metabolism. Overall, cheetah muscle had predominantly type IIX fibres, which was confirmed by the myosin heavy chain isoform content (mean±s.d. type I: 17±8%, type IIA: 21±6%, type IIX: 62±12%), whereas humanmuscle contained predominantly type I and IIA fibres (type I: 49±14%, type IIA: 43±8%, type IIX: 7±7%). Cheetahs had smaller fibres than humans, with larger fibres in the males compared with their female counterparts. Citrate synthase (16±6 versus 28±7 μmol min−1 g−1 protein, P<0.05) and 3-hydroxyacyl co-enzyme A dehydrogenase (30±11 versus 47 ±15 μmol min−1 g−1 protein, P<0.05) activities were lower in cheetahs than in humans, whereas lactate dehydrogenase activity was 6 times higher in cheetahs (2159±827 versus 382±161 μmolmin−1 g−1 protein, P<0.001). The activities of creatine kinase (4765±1828 versus 6485 ±1298, P<0.05 μmol min−1 g−1 protein) and phosphorylase (111±29 versus 216±92 μmol min−1 g−1 protein) were higher in humans, irrespective of the higher type IIX fibres in cheetahs. Superoxide dismutase and catalase,markers of antioxidant capacity, were higher in humans, but overall antioxidant capacity was higher in cheetahs. To conclude, fibre type, fibre size andmetabolismdiffer between cheetahs and humans, with limited differences between the sexes.

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DATA AVAILABILITY : All relevant data can be found within the article and its supplementary information.

Keywords

Fibre type, Enzymes, Metabolism, Acinonyx jubatus, Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), SDG-03: Good health and well-being

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG-03:Good heatlh and well-being

Citation

Kohn, T.A., Knobel, S., Donaldson, B. et al. 2024, 'Does sex matter in the cheetah? insights into the skeletal muscle of the fastest land animal', Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 227, no. 15, art. jeb247284, pp. 1-10. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247284.