Human Muscle Glycogen Phosphorylase Research Articles

Molecular Characterization, Expression Patterns, and Polymorphism of a Differentially Expressed Porcine Gene (PYGM) Isolated by Suppression Subtractive Hybridization and Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis Analysis

Suppression subtractive hybridization was performed to detect the differences in gene expression of porcine longissimus dorsi muscles between Large White and Chinese Meishan pigs. An upregulated gene in Large White that shared high homology with human muscle glycogen phosphorylase (PYGM) was identified. The porcine PYGM gene contains an open reading frame encoding 842 amino acid residues with 26 and 283 nucleotides in the 5' and 3' untranslated regions, respectively. Tissue distribution analysis indicated that porcine PYGM mRNAs are highly expressed in all tissues. Expression pattern of PYGM was similar in the two breeds. Both breeds had the highest expression levels when 120 days old (p<0.01), and PYGM was upregulated during skeletal muscle development. A similar expression pattern of PYGM in protein level was also observed by differential proteome analysis of skeletal muscle development using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectroscopy. The mRNA abundance of PYGM in Large White was higher than Meishan at all four stages (p<0.05). Moreover, a G/T mutation in exon 8 was identified and association analysis with meat quality traits showed that it was significantly associated with lean meat percentage (p<0.05). Our data may provide further insight into the molecular mechanisms responsible for breed-specific differences in porcine growth and meat quality.

McArdle disease: Another systemic low-inflammation disorder?

McArdle disease is caused by inherited deficit of human muscle glycogen phosphorylase with subsequent blockade in muscle glycogenolysis. Patients usually experience severe exercise intolerance and ‘chronic’ skeletal muscle damage. We determined circulating levels of 27 cytokines in a group of 31 adult McArdle patients (15 male 16 female; mean (±S.E.M.) age: 39 ± 3 years) and 29 healthy sedentary controls (14 male, 15 female) before and after an acute exercise bout involving no muscle damage (cycling). Patients had an ongoing state of muscle breakdown even when following a sedentary lifestyle (serum creatine kinase activity at baseline of 2590 ± 461 U l −1 vs. 97 ± 5 U l −1 in controls). Under resting conditions, neutrophil count (+20%) and circulating levels of several cytokines were significantly higher ( P ≤ 0.05) in patients than in controls: tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1ra, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-17. The myokine IL-6 significantly increased with exercise ( P < 0.05) in both groups. Our results suggest that McArdle disease is associated with low-level systemic inflammation whereas appropriate exercise induces a similar response in McArdle patients and healthy controls, with a significant increase in the anti-inflammatory myokine IL-6. Our results support the rationale for prescribing carefully supervised exercise training in these patients.

The crystal structure of human muscle glycogen phosphorylase a with bound glucose and AMP: An intermediate conformation with T‐state and R‐state features

The crystal structure of human muscle glycogen phosphorylase <i>a</i> with bound glucose and AMP: An intermediate conformation with T‐state and R‐state features

Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor I represses the transcriptional activity of the human muscle glycogen phosphorylase promoter in C2C12 cells

The responsiveness of the 1.13 kb proximal human muscle glycogen phosphorylase (MGP) gene promoter to the chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor (COUP-TF) repressor, known to be ablated during muscle cell differentiation, was examined. Constitutive expression of COUP-TFI repressed the activity of the promoter in C2C12 muscle cells and sequential deletion analysis mapped the sensitive region between nucleotides −362 and −185, which included a putative consensus COUP-TF binding half-site at −198/−193. Mutation of this site abolished transcriptional response to COUP-TFI of the −362 construct. A −209/−180 probe bound in vitro to COUP-TFI and to protein extracts from proliferating but not fusing myoblasts. Thus, COUP-TF may be involved in repression of the human MGP gene promoter at the myoblast stage.

Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor I represses the transcriptional activity of the human muscle glycogen phosphorylase promoter in C2C12 cells

The responsiveness of the 1.13 kb proximal human muscle glycogen phosphorylase (MGP) gene promoter to the chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor (COUP-TF) repressor, known to be ablated during muscle cell differentiation, was examined. Constitutive expression of COUP-TFI repressed the activity of the promoter in C2C12 muscle cells and sequential deletion analysis mapped the sensitive region between nucleotides −362 and −185, which included a putative consensus COUP-TF binding half-site at −198/−193. Mutation of this site abolished transcriptional response to COUP-TFI of the −362 construct. A −209/−180 probe bound in vitro to COUP-TFI and to protein extracts from proliferating but not fusing myoblasts. Thus, COUP-TF may be involved in repression of the human MGP gene promoter at the myoblast stage.

A recombination event excludes the ROM1 locus from the Best's vitelliform macular dystrophy region.

Best's vitelliform macular degeneration has been genetically linked to chromosome 11. Subsequently, the disease locus has been refined to an interval between D11S903 and PYGM and, more recently, between D11S986 and D11S480. The gene encoding ROM1, a photoreceptor-specific membrane protein, has been independently mapped within the Best's disease region and has thus become a strong candidate for the Best's disease gene. In this study, we have mapped ROM1 relative to Best's disease and the loci D11S986, UGB (uteroglobin), and PYGM (human muscle glycogen phosphorylase) in recombinant Best's disease chromosomes. We demonstrate that UGB is localized proximal to ROM1 and that both UGB and ROM1 recombine with the disease phenotype. Thus, this analysis excluded ROM1 as the Best's disease gene.

A minisatellite and a microsatellite polymorphism within 1.5 kb at the human muscle glycogen phosphorylase (PYGM) locus can be amplified by PCR and have combined informativeness of PIC 0.95

We sequenced a genomic clone (pMCMP1), previously reported to detect a VNTR polymorphism at the PYGM locus, and found a dinucleotide repeat segment (CA) 14(GA) 25 and a complex (AT)-repeat-rich segment containing 63 repeats spanning 160 bp. Resolution of PCR-amplified genomic DNA from the (CA)(GA) repeat region on DNA sequencing gels revealed a highly informative polymorphism with alleles differing by 2-bp intervals and ranging in size from 156 to 190 bp. Among three racial groups, a total of 18 alleles were observed. Fourteen alleles were observed in Caucasians (PIC 0.89), 12 alleles in American Blacks (PIC 0.89), and 9 alleles in Pima Indians (PIC 0.73). PCR amplification of the (AT) repeat region and resolution of the products on DNA sequencing gels revealed a complex variable length polymorphism with alleles distributed in size from 367 to 970 bp. Twenty-eight alleles were found in American Blacks (PIC 0.94), 6 alleles in Pima Indians (PIC 0.70), and 11 alleles in Caucasians (PIC 0.71). Comparison of the previously described VNTR RFLP alleles visualized by Southern hybridization to the PCR products described in this report demonstrated that the polymorphism detected in both assays was identical. However, a larger number of alleles could be detected from the PCR-amplified products. Combined informativeness, PIC 0.95, for the two polymorphisms was determined from haplotype analysis of 100 Caucasian chromosomes. Therefore, for genotyping purposes, informativeness is maximized from using both polymorphisms. The sequence of the PYGM 2.1-kb cloned insert has been deposited with the GenBank Data Libraries (Accession No. M77201).

Identification of a tissue-specific regulatory element within the human muscle glycogen phosphorylase gene.

Northern blot analysis showed that human muscle glycogen phosphorylase is developmentally regulated in human adult and fetal skeletal muscle. Furthermore, muscle phosphorylase mRNA expression is temporally regulated in the C2C12 mouse muscle cell line. To define regulatory elements that control expression of the human muscle glycogen phosphorylase gene, the structure of the 5' end of the gene was determined, and 1,129 base pairs of the 5'-flanking region were subcloned and sequenced. Primer extension, RNase protection, and S1 nuclease protection experiments mapped the transcription start site to 76 base pairs upstream from the starting methionine. Sequential deletions of the 5'-flanking region were tested for the ability to activate chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) expression in fused or proliferating C2C12 cells. Inclusion of the 43 base pairs between -612 and -570 led to a 9-fold increase in CAT activity in fused myotubes. No increase was observed in proliferating myoblasts. This region contains a 10-base pair sequence, CTCCAAAAGG, at -592, which is also repeated at -252. Mutation of the sequence at -592 results in a 50% decrease in CAT activity compared with the amount of CAT activity observed with the normal or a control mutation. These results indicate that a regulatory element is found within -612 to -570 of the 5'-flanking DNA of the human muscle glycogen phosphorylase gene which activates transcription only in differentiated muscle cells.

Isolation and mapping of a polymorphic DNA sequence for human muscle glycogen phosphorylase (pMCMP1) on chromosome 11 [PYGM

Isolation and mapping of a polymorphic DNA sequence for human muscle glycogen phosphorylase (pMCMP1) on chromosome 11 [PYGM

Glycogen phosphorylase in Dictyostelium discoideum: demonstration of two developmentally regulated forms, purification to homogeneity, immunochemical analysis, cAMP induction, in vitro translation, and molecular cloning.

A key step in the cellular differentiation of Dictyostelium is the degradation of glycogen to provide the precursors for synthesis of the structural end products of development. We have found that the enzyme that initiates this degradative pathway, glycogen phosphorylase (1,4-alpha-D-glucan:orthophosphate alpha-glucosyltransferase; EC 2.4.1.1), is developmentally regulated and exists as two forms. During the time course of development, a previously undescribed activity, the "b" form, decreases, while that of the "a" form increases. The "b" form is inactive unless 5'AMP is included in the reaction mixture. The two forms differ in their elution from DE52 cellulose, affinity constants, thermal stability, affinity for 5'AMP Sepharose, subunit molecular weight, and peptide maps. In crude extracts, anti-a antiserum stains a 104-kD protein that is associated with phosphorylase "a" activity and appears late in development, while anti-b antiserum stains a 92-kD protein that is associated with phosphorylase "b" activity and is present throughout development. We have also demonstrated in vitro phosphorylation of the "b" form by an endogenous protein kinase and a corresponding loss of 5'AMP dependence. If intact cells were exposed to exogenous cAMP, "b" activity decreased and was replaced by "a" activity, as well as the 104-kD protein band on SDS-PAGE. In order to determine if the two forms of the enzyme are different gene products, we screened lambda gt11 expression libraries with antibodies against the purified "a" and "b" forms. Three clones were found to be overlapping by Southern analysis. A yeast glycogen phosphorylase cDNA clone (gpy) and a human muscle glycogen phosphorylase clone (HM-11) cross-hybridized with the Dictyostelium inserts, and gpy shared a few common restriction fragments with the Dictyostelium clones on genomic blots. Northern analysis of Dictyostelium total RNA showed that the Dictyostelium inserts and gpy recognize an mRNA of 3.2 kb, while on poly A-enriched RNA, the yeast clone detects preferentially a 3.6-kb message.

Subunit structure and amino-acid composition of crystallized human-muscle glycogen phosphorylase.

The subunit structure and molecular weight of the a and b forms of human muscle glycogen phosphorylase were investigated. Electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate gave a molecular weight of 94 500 for the monomer. When studied at 1 mg/ml and 20 °C by high‐speed sedimentation equilibrium, sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation and specific activity‐concentration dependence, both a and b forms of the human enzyme were found to exist as dimers. A slight association of human phosphorylase a was observed in the high‐speed sedimentation equilibrium values of the z‐average molecular weight (262000 for Mmacr;zvs 188000 daltons for Mmacr;w). Some association of the a enzyme was also detected by schlieren sedimentation velocity when the enzyme was studied at 5 mg/ml. Human phosphorylase b could be fully associated to tetramer at 20 °C when Pi, Mg2+ and AMP were added but not in the presence of NaF and AMP which were found to be effective in tetramerizing rabbit phosphorylase b. Another important difference from rabbit phosphorylase was the significantly lower proline content of the enzyme from human muscle.