Key result
Asynchronous flight muscle in insects is a highly specialized form of cross-striated muscle that evolved by tuning existing proteins for high-frequency oscillations rather than adding novel proteins.
Provides a comprehensive review of the structure, mechanism, and evolution of insect asynchronous flight muscle.
Extends biophysical models of muscle specialization; leaves open translation to vertebrate cardiac contractility without targeted validation.
Insects, the largest group of animals on the earth, owe their prosperity to their ability of flight and small body sizes. The ability of flight provided means for rapid translocation. The small body size allowed access to unutilized niches. By acquiring both features, however, insects faced a new problem: They were forced to beat their wings at enormous frequencies. Insects have overcome this problem by inventing asynchronous flight muscle, a highly specialized form of striated muscle capable of oscillating at >1,000 Hz. This article reviews the structure, mechanism, and molecular evolution of this unique invention of nature.
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Hiroyuki Iwamoto (2011) reported a review. Asynchronous flight muscle in insects is a highly specialized form of cross-striated muscle that evolved by tuning existing proteins for high-frequency oscillations rather than adding novel proteins.
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