Temperature adaptation of enzyme function in fish muscle.

Temperature directly affects the performance of fish muscle through a variety of extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms. A common observation is that species adapted to different temperatures over evolutionary time scales, or individuals exposed to temperature change from periods ranging from minutes to months are able to adjust muscle performance so as to partially offset the effects of temperature change. The underlying mechanisms are complex, involve a variety of levels of organization (behavioural, organismic, tissue and molecular) and probably vary with the time scale of adaptation to temperature. The present essay considers the extent to which interspecific differences in the structural and functional characteristics of muscle enzymes contribute to adjustments in contractile performance at different body temperatures.