Electrophoretic protein patterns in fast and slow muscles of the lobster, Homarus americanus

The protein arrays of the claw and abdominal muscles of the lobster Homarus americanus were examined by sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The gel protein patterns revealed consistent differences in several major bands that could be correlated with the physiological properties of the muscle. Fast‐type muscle, independent of innervation, showed a common protein pattern distinct from the slow muscles, which had a common pattern of their own. These results suggest that functional properties of crustacean muscle fibers are expressed in their protein composition.