Primary Myoblast Cultures Research Articles

Cyclic AMP Negatively Modulates both Ca2+/Calmodulin-Dependent Phosphorylation of the 100-kDa Protein and Membrane Fusion of Chick Embryonic Myoblasts

We have previously shown that Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of the 100-kDa protein dramatically increases during the early period of myoblast fusion and treatment of calmodulin antagonists, such as trifluoperazine, blocks the fusion. Here, we show that cAMP treatment of primary cultures of chick embryonic myoblasts blocks 100-kDa protein phosphorylation. This effect is dose-dependent and can be reversed upon removal of the nucleotide from the culture media. However, cAMP shows little or no effect on accumulation of the 100-kDa protein. Furthermore, phosphorylation of the 100-kDa protein by the partially purified Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase III) from cAMP-treated cells occurs to a much lower extent than that from untreated cells. Nevertheless, cAMP-sensitive protein kinase does not seem to be directly involved in phosphorylation and inactivation of CaM kinase III, because preincubation of cAMP with the myoblast extracts lacking the endogenous 100-kDa protein does not show any effect on activity of CaM kinase III. Similar to its effect on 100-kDa protein phosphorylation, cAMP reversibly inhibits the fusion of cultured myoblasts. Moreover, treatment with forskolin or theophylline, which is known to elevate the intracellular cAMP level, also reversibly blocks both protein phosphorylation and myoblast fusion. On the other hand, cAMP shows little or no effect on accumulation of muscle-specific proteins, such as creatine kinase and tropomyosin. These results suggest that cAMP is involved in down-regulation of both 100-kDa protein phosphorylation and membrane fusion of cultured myoblasts. These results also suggest that the cAMP-mediated inhibition of 100-kDa protein phosphorylation may be associated with its inhibitory effect on myoblast fusion.

A candidate molecule for the matrix assembly receptor to the N-terminal 29-kDa fragment of fibronectin in chick myoblasts.

Myoblast surface proteins with binding activity toward the N-terminal 29-kDa fragment of fibronectin were identified by two different experimental techniques: one involves radioiodination of the cell surface proteins, followed by solubilization with Triton X-100 and affinity purification on a Sepharose column conjugated with the 29-kDa fragment, and the other involves cross-linking of the 29-kDa fragment to the cells metabolically labeled with [35S]methionine, followed by immunoprecipitation with anti-29-kDa IgG. Both approaches revealed that primary cultures of chick myoblasts contain the 66- and 48-kDa proteins that bind to the 29-kDa fragment. These binding proteins were then purified to apparent homogeneity by two successive chromatographies of the solubilized extracts of 12-day-old embryonic muscle on wheat germ agglutinin-agarose and 29-kDa fragment-Sepharose columns. However, the 48-kDa protein was found to be derived from contaminating fibroblasts upon immunoblot analysis of the myogenic cell lines, rat L8E63 and mouse C2A3, and cultured fibroblasts using the antibody raised against the 66-kDa protein. Anti-66-kDa IgG inhibited the binding of the 125I-29-kDa protein to the primary culture of myoblasts in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand, the same antibody showed little or no effect on the initial binding of 125I-fibronectin to the cell surface, but dramatically inhibited its incorporation into deoxycholate-insoluble matrices. Furthermore, Fab fragments of anti-66-kDa IgG completely blocked the incorporation of fluoresceinated fibronectin into matrices but not its binding to the cell surface. These results suggest that fibronectin matrix assembly is mediated at least in part by the interaction of the 66-kDa protein with the N-terminal type I domain of fibronectin.

Is intercellular communication via gap junctions required for myoblast fusion?

Fusion of myoblasts to form syncitial muscle cells results from a complex series of sequential events including cell alignment, cell adhesion and cell communication. The aim of the present investigation was to assess whether intercellular communication through gap junctions would be required for subsequent membrane fusion. The presence of the gap junction protein connexin 43 at areas of contact between prefusing rat L6 myoblasts was established by immunofluorescent staining. These myoblasts were dye-coupled, as demonstrated by the use of the scrape-loading/dye transfer technique. L6 myoblast dye coupling was reversibly blocked by heptanol in short term experiments as well as after chronic treatment. After a single addition of 3.5 mM heptanol, gap junctions remained blocked for up to 8 hours, then this inhibitory effect decreased gradually, likely because the alcohol was evaporated. Changing heptanol solutions every 8 hours during the time course of L6 differentiation resulted in a lasting drastic inhibition of myoblast fusion. We further investigated the effect of heptanol and of other uncoupling agents on the differentiation of primary cultures of embryonic chicken myoblasts. These cells are transiently coupled by gap junctions before myoblast fusion and prolonged application of heptanol, octanol and 18-beta-glycyrrhetinic acid also inhibited their fusion. The effect of heptanol and octanol was neither due to a cytotoxic effect nor to a modification of cell proliferation. Moreover, heptanol treatment did not alter myoblast alignment and adhesion. Taken together these observations suggest that intercellular communication might be a necessary step for myoblast fusion.

Partial characterization of skeletal myoblast mitogens in mouse crushed muscle extract.

We have utilized a model system to investigate myotrophic factors released by normal adult mouse muscles following a crush injury. We found that saline extracts from gently crushed mouse muscles (CME) contain potent mitogenic activities which act on primary newborn mouse myoblast cultures, as well as on mouse C2 cells, a mouse myoblast cell line. We compared the activity of CME on mouse myoblasts with that of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), two growth factors known to be mitogenic for primary myoblasts (Allen, Dodson, and Lutein: Exp. Cell. Res., 152:154-160, 1984; DiMario and Strohman: Differentiation, 39:42-49, 1988; Allen and Boxhorn: J. Cell. Physiol., 138:311-315, 1989; Dodson, Allen, and Hossner: Endocrinology, 117:2357-2363, 1985; Florini and Magri: Am. J. Physiol., 256:C701-C711, 1989). We found that CME could act in an additive fashion to saturating doses of bFGF to increase proliferation in myoblast cultures. Additionally, CME acted additively to the combination of saturating amounts of bFGF and IGF-I on both C2 and primary myoblast cultures. We also examined additivity of CME with the combination of saturating doses of bFGF, IGF-I, transferrin (Tf), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH), and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). Our data indicate that CME contains Tf, as well as one or more uncharacterized mitogens for myoblasts which are distinct from Tf, the IGFs, bFGF, EGF, PDGF, M-CSF, and ACTH. These uncharacterized mitogens may act independently of known growth factors to stimulate myoblast proliferation, or may act through modulation of known growth factor activities.

Biological Activity of Autoantibodies From Patients With Thyroid-associated Ophthalmopathy: <italic>In Vitro</italic> Effects on Porcine Extraocular Myoblasts

To determine whether antibodies to orbital tissue have a pathogenic role in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, the in vitro effects of IgG from patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy on porcine extraocular myoblast growth were studied. Growth of primary extraocular myoblast cultures and extraocular myoblast clones was stimulated by patients' IgG, as measured by [3H]thymidine uptake and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. Myoblasts responded in a dose-related fashion to increasing concentrations of patients' IgG, and the response was reversed by anti-human IgG. The growth stimulating effect of patients' IgG was relatively specific to extraocular myoblasts, compared to skeletal myoblasts. Individual IgG samples from 36 patients with ophthalmopathy gave rise to higher growth responses of cloned extraocular myoblasts, than either 31 normal controls (p < 0.005), or IgG from 10 patients with Graves' disease without evidence of ophthalmopathy (p < 0.001). Myoblast growth-stimulating antibody did not correlate with thyroid autoantibody levels (thyrotrophin receptor antibody or thyroid microsomal antibody levels), but correlated significantly with binding to extraocular muscle membranes (r = 0.524, p < 0.001). Eye-muscle stimulating antibodies were demonstrable in sera of patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, and may be responsible for the enlargement of eye muscle in this disease.

Effects of myotoxin a on fusion and contractile activity in myoblast-myotube cell cultures

Cultured myoblasts and moytubes were used to study the effects of purified myotoxins from rattlesnake venoms. Standard cell culture techniques were used to establish and maintain primary cultures derived from neonatal rat tissue and two clonal cell lines, rat RMo cells and mouse C2 cells. Toxin concentrations, ranging from 0.04 to 1.0 μM, were added to the cultures at various times under distinct, well-defined conditions. Addition of myotoxin a to primary myoblast cultures did not appear to affect the fusion process, whereas similar experiments with two clonal cell lines produced larger myotubes when contrasted with untreated control cultures, particularly with RMo cells. The myotubes derived from primary cell cultures twitched spontaneously but the twitching ceased when the medium was replaced with a serum-free chemically defined incubation medium. Addition of myotoxin a to the primary myotubes incubated with serum-free defined medium caused the myotubes to twitch again. Derivatives of myotoxin a were prepared by reactions with tetranitromethane and with iodoacetic acid, the latter under reducing and non-reducing conditions. The resulting products, purified but not chemically characterized, were nearly devoid of activity when primary cultures were used to test activity.

Analysis of upstream regulatory regions required for the activities of two promoters of the rat aldolase A gene

Rat aldolase A gene has 2 promoters with different tissue specificities (M- and AH promoters). The M promoter is active only in adult skeletal muscle and induced during myogenesis, whereas the AH promoter is active ubiquitously in many tissues, including various cancer cells. Regulatory sequences for these promoters were investigated through assays for transient expression after introduction into myogenic and nonmyogenic cells. When M promoter—CAT fusion genes were transfected into primary cultures of chicken myoblasts, expression of CAT activity was drastically induced during myotube formation. The region comprising 202 to 85 base pairs (bp) upstream from the transcription initiation site was round to be necessary for the induction and an enhancer activity whose region includes the AT-rich recognition sequence MEF-2 binding site. On the other hand, 2 upstream regions were found to be responsible for AH promoter activity expressed in HepG2 cells. The distal region (−280 to –260) of the promoter includes the AP1 binding sequence, whereas the proximal region (−207 to −180) contains a novel inverted repeat consisting of 22 bp but does not contain known promoter and enhancer sequences.

Ornithine and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activities and polyamine contents in developing muscle tissues and primary cultures of normal and polymyopathic hamsters

Polyamine (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) contents and ornithine (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine (SAMDC) decarboxylase activities have been assessed in an age-dependent manner, in normal and polymyopathic (dystrophic) hamster skeletal muscle, heart, and tongue extract and in primary tongue myoblast and skin fibroblast cultures. At 2 weeks of age, polyamine contents were significantly elevated in all of the dystrophic hamster tissues studied when compared with their age-matched controls. The degree of this elevation decreased with the age of the animals, generally, to a level where no significant difference in polyamine contents could be noted between normal and dystrophic hamster tissues. ODC and SAMDC activities in whole tissue extracts were consistently highest in 2-week-old muscle extracts and also declined with age. However, no significant changes in ODC or SAMDC activities were evident in any of the dystrophic muscle tissues studied when compared with their age-matched controls. Polyamine contents in dystrophic hamster myoblast and fibroblast primary cultures were also during proliferation (1 and 2 days after the initial seeding) compared with cultures prepared from normal hamsters. ODC and SAMDC activities in primary myoblast and fibroblast cultures clearly reflected the rate of cell proliferation, with highest activities found in subconfluent cell cultures. However, in general, no significant dystrophic-related abnormality in ODC or SAMDC activity was evident in proliferating myoblast or fibroblast cultures. These results suggest that the elevated polyamine contents of dystrophic hamster tissues and primary cultures may be due to a deficiency in polyamine catabolism or transport.

SV40 immortalizes myogenic cells: DNA synthesis and mitosis in differentiating myotubes

Abstract Primary skeletal muscle myoblasts have a limited proliferative capacity in cell culture and cease to proliferate after several passages. We examined the effects of several oncogenes on the immortalization and differentiation of primary cultures of rat skeletal muscle myoblasts. Retroviruses containing a SV40 large T antigen (LT) gene very efficiently immortalize myogenic cells. The immortalized cell lines retain a very high differentiation capacity and form, in the appropriate culture conditions, a very dense network of muscle fibers. As in primary culture, cell fusion is associated with the synthesis of large amounts of muscle-specific proteins. However, unlike normal myoblasts (and previously established myogenic cell lines), nuclei in the multinucleated fibers of SV40-immortalized cells synthesize DNA and enter mitosis. Thus, withdrawal from DNA synthesis is not obligatory for cell fusion and biochemical differentiation. Using a retrovirus coding for a temperature-sensitive SV40 LT, myogenic cell lines were produced in which the SV40 LT could be inactivated by a shift from 33° C to 39° C. The inactivation of LT induced massive cell fusion and synthesis of muscle proteins. The nuclei in those fibers did not synthesize DNA, nor did they undergo mitosis. This approach enabled the reproducible establishment of myogenic cell lines from very small populations of myoblasts or single primary myogenic clones. Activated p53 also readily immortilized cells in primary muscle cultures, however the cells of eight out of the nine cell lines isolated had a fibroblastic morphology and could not be induced to form multinucleated fibers.

1,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D3 affects calmodulin distribution among subcellular fractions of skeletal muscle.

1,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D3 has been shown to stimulate calcium fluxes across skeletal muscle membranes. The involvement of calmodulin in the effects of the metabolite was investigated. Primary cultures of chick embryo skeletal muscle myoblasts and soleus muscles from vitamin D-deficient or 1,25 (OH)2D3-treated chicks were used. Culture of myoblasts and vitamin D-deficient soleus with 1,25 (OH)2D3 (0.05 ng/ml) for 24 and 1 hour, respectively, significantly increased 45Ca uptake by the preparations. In the presence of the calmodulin antagonists flufenazine or compound 48/80 in the uptake medium, no differences between control and treated cultures were observed. The calmodulin content of myoblasts and soleus homogenates and subcellular fractions derived therefrom was estimated by measuring their capacity to stimulate calmodulin-depleted cAMP phosphodiesterase. No changes in total calmodulin cellular content could be detected in response to 1,25(OH)2D3. However, the sterol produced an increase in calmodulin levels of microsomes, mitochondria, and crude myofibrillar fraction and a proportional decrease in cytosolic calmodulin concentration. The 1,25(OH)2D3-dependent changes in calmodulin distribution among subcellular fractions of soleus muscle were observed either in vivo or in vitro. The effects in vitro were already detectable after 5 minutes of treatment with the sterol and parallel 1,25(OH)2D3-dependent changes in tissue Ca uptake. The results suggest that changes in calmodulin intracellular distribution may underly part of the mechanism by which 1,25(OH)2D3 affects muscle calcium transport.

Effects of 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D-3 on phospholipid metabolism in chick myoblasts

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D-3 has been shown to increase phosphatidylcholine and decrease phosphatidylethanolamine levels of myoblasts. Recent studies have suggested that the metabolite stimulates the methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine into phosphatidylcholine. In addition, the sterol increases the arachidonate content of phosphatidylcholine. Experiments were carried out to identify the steps of muscle cell lipid metabolism affected by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3. Primary cultures of chick embryo myoblasts pretreated with physiological concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 were labelled with [ 14C]ethanolamine. The sterol increased the incorporation of precursor into dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine, whereas it decreases the labelling of phosphatidylethanolamine. Prior treatment with cycloheximide and actinomycin D blocked these changes. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D-3 also stimulated the incorporation of [ 14C]ethanolamine into CDP-ethanolamine. In addition, the sterol increased the incorporation of [ 3H]arachidonic acid into the phosphatidylcholine fraction but did not affect the incorporation of [ 14C]palmitic acid. The incorporation of labelled fatty acids into diacylglycerol was not changed by the sterol, whereas it stimulated incorporation of both precursors into triacylglycerol. The data indicate that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 enhances the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine through a stimulation of de novo synthesis and methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine via a nuclear mechanism. The sterol may also increase the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of phosphatidylcholine by means of an activation of its deacylation-reacylation cycle.

Approximately 1 kilobase of sequence 5' to the two myosin light-chain 1f/3f gene cap sites is sufficient for differentiation-dependent expression.

Approximately 1 kilobase of genomic DNA from the chicken fast myosin light-chain 1f/3f gene 5' to the transcriptional start sites for each light-chain mRNA was sufficient for differentiation-dependent, tissue-restricted expression. This was determined in primary chick myoblast cultures transfected with the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) expression vector p8CAT containing these 5'-flanking sequences. The expression of CAT activity from both light-chain promoters was 10- to 20-fold higher in differentiated myotubes than in fibroblasts or myoblasts grown in bromodeoxyuridine. In contrast, the beta-actin and Rous sarcoma virus promoters joined to the CAT gene were expressed equally in all cell backgrounds tested. Even though the relative timing of light-chain 1f and 3f expression was altered, tissue-restricted, differentiation-dependent expression of the light-chain mRNAs was maintained with these 5' cis-acting sequence elements.

Approximately 1 kilobase of sequence 5' to the two myosin light-chain 1f/3f gene cap sites is sufficient for differentiation-dependent expression.

Approximately 1 kilobase of genomic DNA from the chicken fast myosin light-chain 1f/3f gene 5' to the transcriptional start sites for each light-chain mRNA was sufficient for differentiation-dependent, tissue-restricted expression. This was determined in primary chick myoblast cultures transfected with the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) expression vector p8CAT containing these 5'-flanking sequences. The expression of CAT activity from both light-chain promoters was 10- to 20-fold higher in differentiated myotubes than in fibroblasts or myoblasts grown in bromodeoxyuridine. In contrast, the beta-actin and Rous sarcoma virus promoters joined to the CAT gene were expressed equally in all cell backgrounds tested. Even though the relative timing of light-chain 1f and 3f expression was altered, tissue-restricted, differentiation-dependent expression of the light-chain mRNAs was maintained with these 5' cis-acting sequence elements.

A 29-nucleotide DNA segment containing an evolutionarily conserved motif is required in cis for cell-type-restricted repression of the chicken alpha-smooth muscle actin gene core promoter.

A series of 5' deletion mutations of the upstream flanking sequences of the chicken alpha-smooth muscle (aortic) actin gene was prepared and inserted into the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression vector pSV0CAT. Deletion recombinants were transfected into fibroblasts, which actively express the alpha-smooth muscle actin gene, and primary myoblast cultures, which accumulate much lower quantities of alpha-smooth muscle actin mRNAs. The first 122 nucleotides of 5'-flanking DNA were found to contain a "core" promoter capable of accurately directing high levels of transcription in both fibroblasts and myotubes. The activity of this core promoter is modulated in fibroblasts by a "governor" element(s) located at least in part between nucleotides -257 and -123. This region contains sequences potentially conserved between mammalian and avian alpha-smooth muscle actin genes as well as one of a pair of 16-base-pair inverted CCAAT box-associated repeats which are conserved among all chordate muscle actin genes examined to date. A smaller DNA segment (-151 to -123) containing these upstream CCAAT box-associated repeats was sufficient to suppress expression of the core promoter in muscle cultures, suggesting that the upstream CCAAT box-associated repeats play a negative role in the alpha-smooth muscle actin gene promoter.

A 29-nucleotide DNA segment containing an evolutionarily conserved motif is required in cis for cell-type-restricted repression of the chicken alpha-smooth muscle actin gene core promoter.

A series of 5' deletion mutations of the upstream flanking sequences of the chicken alpha-smooth muscle (aortic) actin gene was prepared and inserted into the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression vector pSV0CAT. Deletion recombinants were transfected into fibroblasts, which actively express the alpha-smooth muscle actin gene, and primary myoblast cultures, which accumulate much lower quantities of alpha-smooth muscle actin mRNAs. The first 122 nucleotides of 5'-flanking DNA were found to contain a "core" promoter capable of accurately directing high levels of transcription in both fibroblasts and myotubes. The activity of this core promoter is modulated in fibroblasts by a "governor" element(s) located at least in part between nucleotides -257 and -123. This region contains sequences potentially conserved between mammalian and avian alpha-smooth muscle actin genes as well as one of a pair of 16-base-pair inverted CCAAT box-associated repeats which are conserved among all chordate muscle actin genes examined to date. A smaller DNA segment (-151 to -123) containing these upstream CCAAT box-associated repeats was sufficient to suppress expression of the core promoter in muscle cultures, suggesting that the upstream CCAAT box-associated repeats play a negative role in the alpha-smooth muscle actin gene promoter.

Laminin alters cell shape and stimulates motility and proliferation of murine skeletal myoblasts

Proliferating skeletal myoblasts show multiple specific responses to laminin, one of the major glycoprotein components of basement membranes. Using MM14Dy myoblasts, a myogenic cell strain derived from a normal adult mouse skeletal muscle, we show in this study that substrate-bound laminin but not other matrix proteins such as collagens or fibronectin specifically and rapidly induces the outgrowth of cell processes, resulting in bipolar, spindle-shaped cells. This effect is independent from the presence of collagens or serum, and was also observed in primary cultures of fetal mouse skeletal myoblasts. The outgrowth of cell processes on laminin is associated with a dramatic stimulation of cell motility: MM14 myoblasts migrate about five times faster on laminin than on fibronectin. In another series of experiments the effect of laminin and fibronectin on thymidine uptake and proliferation of myoblasts was tested. On top of a type I collagen substrate which was provided to ensure complete adhesion even at low doses of laminin or fibronectin, laminin stimulated myoblast proliferation and incorporation of [ 3H]thymidine in a dose-dependent manner. The stimulation is two- to threefold higher than on dishes coated with equivalent amounts of fibronectin and is observed both in the presence and in the absence of serum. These results suggest that laminin, a major component of the muscle basal lamina, may be actively involved in the development and regeneration of skeletal muscle.

The promoter of the chicken cardiac myosin light chain 2 gene shows cell-specific expression in transfected primary cultures of chicken muscle.

Transcriptional regulation of the chicken cardiac myosin light chain 2 (MLC2-A) gene was investigated in chicken primary myoblast and fibroblast cultures transfected with vector constructs containing the bacterial marker gene for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) under the control of the MLC2-A promoter. We here demonstrate that sequences close to the TATA box are sufficient to direct muscle specific and regulated expression of the MLC2-A mRNA. Transcription from MLC2-A promoter/CAT hybrids in myocytes starts from the authentic cap site that is also used in vivo. In primary breast muscle cells, bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR), a reversible blocking agent of cell differentiation, suppresses transcription from the MLC2-A promoter whereas nonmuscle promoters like the RSV- or the cytoplasmic beta-actin promoter are unaffected in their transcriptional capacity. Although the endogenous cardiac MLC2-A gene in chicken is exclusively active in heart, the transfected MLC 2-A promoter escapes this cell type control in primary cultures of breast muscle. These results demonstrate that although muscle specificity of the MLC2-A gene and its transcriptional up-regulation during differentiation is maintained in a rather short promoter segment, restrictive elements determining the muscle cell type specificity in vivo are either not present in our constructs or are not acting under the conditions of transient transfection.

The phospholipid and fatty acid composition of skeletal muscle cells during culture in the presence of vitamin D-3 metabolites

The phospholipid and fatty acid composition of primary cultures (24 h) of chick embryo skeletal muscle myoblasts treated for 4–24 h with physiological concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D-3 were analyzed. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D-3 did not alter the relative amounts of individual muscle cell phospholipids whereas 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 significantly increased phosphatidylcholine content, mainly at the expense of a decrease in phosphatidylethanolamine concentration. The increase in phosphatidylcholine occurred at a faster rate during the first 8 h than in the subsequent 8–24 h treatment period. A similar time course in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3-dependent changes in myoblast calcium uptake has been observed. In addition, this metabolite markedly increased (100%) the arachidonate content of myoblast phosphatidylcholine near the fusion stage of the cells (24 h of treatment). The levels of docosahexaenoate, a minor polyunsaturated fatty acid, in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were also substantially elevated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3. No significant changes in fatty acid composition in response to 25-hydroxyvitamin D-3 were observed. Modifications in phospholipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids may play a role in the effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 on muscle cell calcium transport and differentiation.

Expression of the Duchenne's muscular dystrophy gene in cultured muscle cells.

A partial cDNA clone for the Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD) locus was used to investigate the expression of this locus in human muscle in vitro. Hybridization to a 14-kilobase RNA transcript was demonstrated in both fetal and mature human skeletal muscle and four lines of human muscle cells in culture. The DMD transcript was not detected in cultured cells outside the muscle lineage. In cultured muscle cells, gene expression was evident only in myotubes both before and after innervation with mouse spinal cord. Primary cultures of human myoblasts did not show the presence of the DMD transcript prior to fusion to form myotubes. An in vitro model is potentially an excellent system in which to investigate factors controlling expression of the DMD gene in normal muscle and how this expression is altered in cultured DMD muscle.

Type beta transforming growth factor is an inhibitor of myogenic differentiation.

We have investigated the effect of type beta transforming growth factor (TGF-beta) on the differentiation of skeletal muscle myoblasts. TGF-beta potently (ID50 approximately 10 pM) prevents established cell lines and primary cultures of rat and chicken embryo myoblasts from fusing into multinucleated myotubes. Inhibition of morphological differentiation by TGF-beta correlates with inhibition of the expression of muscle-specific mRNAs and proteins, strong induction of extracellular matrix type I collagen and fibronectin, and a marked tendency of the treated myoblasts to aggregate into densely multilayered arrays or clusters. Myogenic differentiation can resume after removal of TGF-beta from the medium. Examination of the time of action of TGF-beta shows that myoblasts stochastically reach a point beyond which they become insensitive to the inhibitory action of TGF-beta. This resistance of committed myoblasts to the inhibitory action of TGF-beta is not associated with any measurable change in the number or affinity of TGF-beta receptors in those cells. The results indicate that TGF-beta is a potent inhibitor of myogenesis and may regulate muscle development in vivo.