Transcription Factors Myogenin Research Articles

Myogenic Regulator Genes Responsible For Muscle Development in Farm Animals

Farm animals especially poultry species play important roles in meeting the worldwide demand for meat and are genetically improved to increase the efficiency of meat production. Improving muscle growth and development is crucial to meet customers' demands for high-quality meat. Myogenesis, fibrogenesis, and adipogenesis are components of fetal skeletal muscle formation. Myogenesis is controlled by a complex network of intrinsic and extrinsic components, usually divided into two or three stages and regulated by kinase-encoding genes and myogenic regulatory factor genes. The basic family of helix-loop-helix transcription factors, which includes MYF5, MYOD, myogenin, and MRF4, regulates the specification and differentiation of skeletal muscle cells throughout embryogenesis and postnatal myogenesis. With the discovery of the myogenic regulatory factor family, which includes the transcription factors MYF5, MYOD, Myogenin, and MRF4, it has become possible to determine the skeletal muscle lineage and understand the regulation of myogenic differentiation during development. These elements also play a role in determining the muscle satellite cell lineage that develops into the resident stem cell compartment in adult skeletal muscle. Although MYF5, MYOD, Myogenin and MRF4 play minor roles in mature muscle, they once again play an important role in directing satellite cell activity to regenerate skeletal muscle, linking the genetic regulation of development and regeneration myogenesis. An important step towards the goal of increasing meat yield and improving meat quality is the understanding and identification of these genes. This in-depth analysis discusses the function of myogenic regulatory factors in the specification of satellite cells, maturation and regeneration of skeletal muscle.

A standardized herbal combination of Astragalus membranaceus and Paeonia japonica promotes skeletal muscle hypertrophy in a treadmill exercise mouse model.

Maintaining a normal range of muscle mass and function is crucial not only for sustaining a healthy life but also for preventing various disorders. Numerous nutritional or natural resources are being explored for their potential muscle hypertrophic properties. We aimed to evaluate the muscle hypertrophic effects of APX, a 1:1 mixture of Astragalus membranaceus and Paeonia japonica. In addition to the myotube differentiation cell assay, we utilized a weighted exercise-based animal model and evaluated changes in muscle hypertrophy using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and histological analysis. The 8-week treadmill exercise led to notable decreases in body weight and fat mass but an increase in muscle mass compared to the control group. Administration of APX significantly accelerated muscle mass gain (p < 0.05) without altering body weight or fat mass compared to the exercise-only group. This muscle hypertrophic effect of APX was consistent with the histologic size of muscle fibers in the gastrocnemius (p > 0.05) and rectus femoris (p < 0.05), as well as the regulation of myogenic transcription factors (MyoD and myogenin), respectively. Furthermore, APX demonstrated a similar action to insulin-like growth factor 1, influencing the proliferation of C2C12 myoblast cells (p < 0.01) and their differentiation into myotubes (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. The present study provides experimental evidence that APX has muscle hypertrophic effects, and its underlying mechanisms would involve the modulation of MyoD and myogenin.

Metallothionein Gene Deficiency Facilitates the Differentiation of C2C12 Myoblasts into Slow-Twitch Myotubes.

Metallothionein (MT) 1 and 2 are ubiquitously expressed cysteine-rich, low molecular weight proteins. MT expression is upregulated in skeletal muscle during aging. MTs also play role in multiple types of skeletal muscle atrophy. Meanwhile, it has been reported that MT1 and MT2 gene deficiency increases myogenesis in MT knockout (MTKO) mice. However, little is known about the effect of MTs on muscle formation and atrophy. In this study, we investigated the effect of MT1 and MT2 gene knock-out using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) system in an in vitro skeletal muscle differentiation model (C2C12 cell line). MT deficiency promoted myogenic differentiation and myotube formation in C2C12 cells. Muscle-specific transcription factors MyoD and myogenin were found to be upregulated at the late stage of myotube differentiation in MTKO cells. Furthermore, the fast-twitch myosin heavy chain (MyHC) protein expression was similar in MTKO and mock-transfected myotubes, but slow-MyHC expression was higher in MTKO cells than in mock cells. The MT gene deletion did not affect the number of fast MyHC-positive myotubes but increased the number of slow MyHC-positive myotubes. Treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) inhibited the increase in the number of slow MyHC-positive myotubes as well as slow-MyHC expression in MTKO cells. In contrast, NAC treatment did not alter the number of fast MyHC-positive myotubes or the expression of fast-MyHC in MTKO cells. These results suggest that the antioxidant effects of MTs may be involved in slow-twitch myofiber formation in skeletal muscle.

Scanning electrochemical microscopy for the stimulation and investigation of human skeletal muscle-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells

IntroductionThe human skeletal muscle-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (SM-MSCs) possess myogenic differentiation potential and participate in the muscle regeneration process. However, the question of how to improve human skeletal muscle regeneration remains actual. In this study, the total SM-MSCs population was separated into subpopulations according to the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM, CD56), stimulated with an alternating electric field (AC) using scanning electrochemical microscopy (AC-SECM) and the intracellular redox changes, and myogenic differentiation markers were evaluated. MethodsThe total SM-MSC population was isolated from the postoperative human skeletal muscle biopsies by an enzymatic digestion method. The myogenic differentiation of the total SM-MSCs population before and after AC stimulation was evaluated immunohistochemically by the levels of desmin and myogenin. The effect of AC stimulation on the redox capacity of CD56(+) and CD56(-) cell subpopulations as well as on the level of myogenin on indium tin oxide (ITO) surface were also investigated. ResultsThe total SM-MSCs population grown on a glass coverslip weakly responded to AC stimulus, i.e. the level of desmin was slightly increased by the 3rd day of differentiation, while in the not stimulated cells, it increased only by the 7th day. The level of myogenin did not change after AC stimulation. However, the CD56(+) and CD56(-) subpopulations had different redox activities and myogenic differentiation potential: the CD56(+) cells had stronger natural diffusion and were more redox active compared to the CD56(-) cells; the redox activity of CD56(+) cells was more actively stimulated by an alternating electric field than in CD56(-) cells; at control level, the CD56(+) cells had more myogenic differentiation-regulating transcription factor myogenin, which was more intensively stimulated by AC than in CD56(-) cells. Data show that the total population of human SM-MSCs is heterogeneous with different regenerating potential cells that do not equally respond to extracellular stimuli. The SECM can be used in both ways: (i) for extracellular stimulation and (ii) for the investigation of intracellular redox changes of the human SM-MSCs or their subpopulations allowing a deeper understanding of the mechanisms mediating skeletal tissue regeneration both in vitro and in vivo.

Myostatin is a negative regulator of adult neurogenesis after spinal cord injury in zebrafish.

Intrinsic and extrinsic inhibition of neuronal regeneration obstruct spinal cord (SC) repair in mammals. In contrast, adult zebrafish achieve functional recovery after complete SC transection. While studies of innate SC regeneration have focused on axon regrowth as a primary repair mechanism, how local adult neurogenesis affects functional recovery is unknown. Here, we uncover dynamic expression of zebrafish myostatin b (mstnb) in a niche of dorsal SC progenitors after injury. mstnb mutants show impaired functional recovery, normal glial and axonal bridging across the lesion, and an increase in the profiles of newborn neurons. Molecularly, neuron differentiation genes are upregulated, while the neural stem cell maintenance gene fgf1b is downregulated in mstnb mutants. Finally, we show that human fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) treatment rescues the molecular and cellular phenotypes of mstnb mutants. These studies uncover unanticipated neurogenic functions for mstnb and establish the importance of local adult neurogenesis for innate SC repair.

O-GlcNAcylation is a gatekeeper of porcine myogenesis.

Although it has long been known that growth media withdrawal is a prerequisite for myoblast differentiation and fusion, the underpinning molecular mechanism remains somewhat elusive. Using isolated porcine muscle satellite cells (SCs) as the model, we show elevated O-GlcNAcylation by O-GlcNAcase (OGA) inhibition impaired SC differentiation (D5 P < 0.0001) but had unnoticeable impacts on SC proliferation. To explore the mechanism of this phenotype, we examined the expression of the transcription factor myogenin, a master switch of myogenesis, and found its expression was downregulated by elevated O-GlcNAcylation. Because insulin/IGF-1/Akt axis is a strong promoter of myoblast fusion, we measured the phosphorylated Akt and found that hyper O-GlcNAcylation inhibited Akt phosphorylation, implying OGA inhibition may also work through interfering with this critical differentiation-promoting pathway. In contrast, inhibition of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) by its specific inhibitor had little impact on either myoblast proliferation or differentiation (P > 0.05). To confirm these in vitro findings, we used chemical-induced muscle injury in the pig as a model to study muscle regenerative myogenesis and showed how O-GlcNAcylation functions in this process. We show a significant decrease in muscle fiber cross sectional area (CSA) when OGA is inhibited (P < 0.05), compared to nondamaged muscle, and a significant decrease compared to control and OGT inhibited muscle (P < 0.05), indicating a significant impairment in porcine muscle regeneration in vivo. Together, the in vitro and in vivo data suggest that O-GlcNAcylation may serve as a nutrient sensor during SC differentiation by gauging cellular nutrient availability and translating these signals into cellular responses. Given the importance of nutrition availability in lean muscle growth, our findings may have significant implications on how muscle growth is regulated in agriculturally important animals.

Extracellular polysaccharides purified (Polycan) from Aureobasidium pullulans SM‑2001 improves pathophysiology of dystrophin-deficient mdx mice

BackgroundDuchenne muscular dystrophy is a hereditary muscular disease involving degeneration (i.e. atrophy and loss of muscle fibres) of skeletal muscles, including the diaphragm, and progressively severe functional decline. A previous study shows Polycan, a type of β-glucan derived from the black yeast Aureobasidium pullulans (SM-2001), promotes osteogenicity and bone loss, and possesses anti-inflammatory activity to induce inflammatory cytokines in human immune and cancer cells.ObjectiveIn this study, we evaluated changes in exercise load behaviour measurements and changes in muscle-related physiological indicators following oral administration of Polycan in mdx mice, an experimental animal model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.ResultIn mdx mice, Polycan prevented weight loss and thickness of skeletal muscle. In addition, by monitoring increases in running time of mice on treadmills and performing a grip strength test, we confirmed reduced muscle function was recovered to some extent after administering Polycan to mdx mice. In addition, we confirmed that Polycan significantly altered mRNA expression in a concentration-dependent manner, whereby myogenic transcription factors (MyoD, Myf5 and Myogenin) increased and FoxO3α, MuRF1 and Atrogin-1 decreased. We aimed to investigate the mechanism of action in Polycan on energy metabolism of p-AMPK, SIRT1 and PGC1α with apoptosis expression levels as factors related to signalling pathways. Expression ratios of cleaved-caspase-3/caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2 in the Polycan extract-administered group increased compared with the control group.ConclusionThese results demonstrate that Polycan can improve and protect muscle atrophy by preventing apoptosis via pathway regulation related to myogenic transcription factors and energy metabolism in mdx mice.

D230025D16Rik: A Novel Regulator of Muscle Cell Differentiation

RationaleLoss of skeletal muscle mass and function is a common clinical feature and poor prognostic indicator in various diseases. A promising therapeutic approach of regenerative medicine for repair of skeletal muscle is through the delivery of cellular therapies targeting regulators of muscle regeneration (myogenesis). However, not all the proteins involved in this process have been identified. To address the gap in knowledge of proteins involved in myogenesis, we recently identified a novel gene, D230025D16Rik, which has never been characterized within the context of skeletal muscle growth and repair.MethodsThe role of D230025D16Rik in a C2C12 murine model of myoblast differentiation was assessed by using an siRNA loss‐of‐function approach. Differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts into myotubes in cells with intact D230025D16Rik and those with D230025D16Rik knockdown (KD) was determined by various experimental techniques, such as RT‐qPCR, microarray, immunofluorescence staining, and immunoblotting.ResultsD230025D16Rik has a mainly nuclear localization in myoblasts, whereas in myotubes, D230025D16Rik has both a nuclear and cytosolic localization. D230025D16Rik expression level is induced at the onset of differentiation (i.e., Day 1) and steadily increases as myoblasts fuse into myotubes. In response to D230025D16Rik KD, the expression of transcription factors MyoD1 and Myogenin and muscle‐specific transcripts Myosin Heavy Chain (MyHC) and Muscle Creatine Kinase (MCK) were upregulated such that a significant acceleration of myogenesis was observed. This observation was further confirmed by an analysis of transcriptomes of control and D230025D16Rik KD myoblasts that revealed an upregulation of myogenesis‐related transcripts in cells with D230025D16Rik KD. Phenotypically, we observe hypertrophic myotube formation at days 0 and 1 in response to D230025D16Rik KD, as indicated by immunofluorescence staining for MyHC. Finally, the presence of nuclear aggregates on D230025D16Rik KD myotubes indicates that D230025D16Rik is essential for proper myotube formation.ConclusionAltogether, these findings highlight, for the first time, the potential regulatory functions of D230025D16Rik during myogenesis.

Myogenesis controlled by a long non-coding RNA 1700113A16RIK and post-transcriptional regulation

Long non-coding (lnc) RNA plays important roles in many cellular processes. The function of the vast majority of lncRNAs remains unknown. Here we identified that lncRNA-1700113A16RIK existed in skeletal muscle stem cells (MuSCs) and was significantly elevated during MuSC differentiation. Knockdown of 1700113A16RIK inhibits the differentiation of muscle stem cells. In contrast, overexpression of 1700113A16RIK promotes the differentiation of muscle stem cells. Further study shows the muscle specific transcription factor Myogenin (MyoG) positively regulates the expression of 1700113A16RIK by binding to the promoter region of 1700113A16RIK. Mechanistically, 1700113A16RIK may regulate the expression of myogenic genes by directly binding to 3’UTR of an important myogenic transcription factor MEF2D, which in turn promotes the translation of MEF2D. Taken together, our results defined 1700113A16RIK as a positive regulator of MuSC differentiation and elucidated a mechanism as to how 1700113A16RIK regulated MuSC differentiation.

Plasmonic fusion between fibroblasts and skeletal muscle cells for skeletal muscle regeneration.

Normal regeneration of skeletal muscle takes place by the differentiation of muscle-specific stem cells into myoblasts that fuse with existing myofibers for muscle repair. This natural repair mechanism could be ineffective in some cases, for example in patients with genetic muscular dystrophies or massive musculoskeletal injuries that lead to volumetric muscle loss. In this study we utilize the effect of plasmonic cell fusion, i.e. the fusion between cells conjugated by gold nanospheres and irradiated by resonant femtosecond laser pulses, for generating human heterokaryon cells of myoblastic and fibroblastic origin, which further develop into viable striated myotubes. The heterokaryon cells were found to express the myogenic transcription factors MyoD and Myogenin, as well as the Desmin protein that is essential in the formation of sarcomeres, and could be utilized in various therapeutic approaches that involve transplantation of cells or engineered tissue into the damaged muscle.

Myogenin controls via AKAP6 non-centrosomal microtubule-organizing center formation at the nuclear envelope

Non-centrosomal microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs) are pivotal for the function of multiple cell types, but the processes initiating their formation are unknown. Here, we find that the transcription factor myogenin is required in murine myoblasts for the localization of MTOC proteins to the nuclear envelope. Moreover, myogenin is sufficient in fibroblasts for nuclear envelope MTOC (NE-MTOC) formation and centrosome attenuation. Bioinformatics combined with loss- and gain-of-function experiments identified induction of AKAP6 expression as one central mechanism for myogenin-mediated NE-MTOC formation. Promoter studies indicate that myogenin preferentially induces the transcription of muscle- and NE-MTOC-specific isoforms of Akap6 and Syne1, which encodes nesprin-1α, the NE-MTOC anchor protein in muscle cells. Overexpression of AKAP6β and nesprin-1α was sufficient to recruit endogenous MTOC proteins to the nuclear envelope of myoblasts in the absence of myogenin. Taken together, our results illuminate how mammals transcriptionally control the switch from a centrosomal MTOC to an NE-MTOC and identify AKAP6 as a novel NE-MTOC component in muscle cells.

Myogenin suppresses apoptosis induced by angiotensin II in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

BackgroundAngiotensin II (Ang II), an important component of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS), plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disorders. In addition, human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) have been considered as a promising platform for studying personalized medicine for heart diseases. However, whether Ang II can induce the apoptosis of hiPSC-CMs is not known. MethodsIn this study, we treated hiPSC-CMs with different concentrations of Ang II [0 nM (vehicle as a control), 1 nM, 10 nM, 100 nM, 1 μM, 10 μM, 100 μM, and 1 mM] for various time periods (24 h, 48 h, 6 days, and 10 days) and analyzed the viability and apoptosis of hiPSC-CMs. ResultsWe found that treatment with 1 mM Ang II for 10 days reduced the viability of hiPSC-CMs by 41% (p = 2.073E-08) and increased apoptosis by 2.74-fold, compared to the control group (p = 6.248E-12). MYOG, which encodes the muscle-specific transcription factor myogenin, was also identified as an apoptosis-suppressor gene in Ang II-treated hiPSC-CMs. Ectopic MYOG expression decreased the apoptosis and increased the viability of Ang II-treated hiPSC-CMs. Further analysis of the RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data illustrated that myogenin ameliorated Ang II-induced apoptosis of hiPSC-CMs by downregulating the expression of proinflammatory genes. ConclusionOur findings suggest that Ang II induces the apoptosis of hiPSC-CMs and that myogenin attenuates Ang II-induced apoptosis.

Роль гистондеацетилаз I и IIa (HDAC1, HDAC4/5) и сигнального пути MAPK38 в регуляции атрофических процессов при функциональной разгрузке скелетных мышц

Various forms of muscle unloading can be found in patients with prolonged bed rest, with strokes and spinal lesions, during muscle immobilization in traumatology, in zero gravity, etc. During unloading, basically, postural muscles (for example, soleus) are affected. The rearrangement of skeletal muscles during unloading is based on their atrophy due to an increase in proteolysis and a decrease in the intensity of protein synthesis [1, 2]. The review is devoted to the study of the histone deacetylases I and IIa (HDAC1, HDAC 4/5) role, as well as the MAPK38 signaling pathway in the activation of transcription factors FOXO and myogenin, which are involved in the expression of E3 ubiquitin ligases genes atrogin-1 and MuRF-1 under skeletal muscle unloading.

Myogenin is an essential regulator of adult myofibre growth and muscle stem cell homeostasis.

Growth and maintenance of skeletal muscle fibres depend on coordinated activation and return to quiescence of resident muscle stem cells (MuSCs). The transcription factor Myogenin (Myog) regulates myocyte fusion during development, but its role in adult myogenesis remains unclear. In contrast to mice, myog-/-zebrafish are viable, but have hypotrophic muscles. By isolating adult myofibres with associated MuSCs, we found that myog-/- myofibres have severely reduced nuclear number, but increased myonuclear domain size. Expression of fusogenic genes is decreased, Pax7 upregulated, MuSCs are fivefold more numerous and mis-positioned throughout the length of myog-/-myofibres instead of localising at myofibre ends as in wild-type. Loss of Myog dysregulates mTORC1 signalling, resulting in an 'alerted' state of MuSCs, which display precocious activation and faster cell cycle entry ex vivo, concomitant with myod upregulation. Thus, beyond controlling myocyte fusion, Myog influences the MuSC:niche relationship, demonstrating a multi-level contribution to muscle homeostasis throughout life.

Abstract 6155: Pediatric rhabdomyosarcomas recapitulate the transcriptomic and epigenomic development of skeletal myogenesis

Abstract Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), is a pediatric tumor that histologically mimics developing skeletal muscle. Importantly, RMS tumors feature heterogeneous expression of the skeletal muscle transcription factor myogenin (MYOG). However, the degree by which RMS tumors model the development of normal skeletal muscle remains unclear. Here, we have utilized droplet-based single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) of 158,070 cells or nuclei isolated from 20 patient RMS tumors (14 embryonal RMS [ERMS], 6 alveolar RMS [ARMS]). Surprisingly, we found that cells from ERMS tumors recapitulate the entire developmental hierarchy of muscle development, with a subset of cells expressing the presomitic mesoderm homeobox gene, MEOX2. In contrast, cells from ARMS tumors were more narrowly restricted to expression of the myoblast- and myocyte-specific transcription factors MYF5 and MYOG. We extended this observation using a developmental indexing approach that leverages single-nuclear transcriptomic data from the Mouse Organogenesis Cell Atlas. By identifying latent cellular states within developing non-malignant embryonal muscle and projecting those latent states onto malignant cells, our developmental index estimates the equivalent myogenic developmental state of each individual malignant cell. ERMS tumors consistently displayed a broad diversity of development indices, even in relapsed tumors; alveolar RMS tumors, however, were restricted to late myoblast and myocyte developmental states. We applied our developmental index to an additional 310,937 cells isolated from 19 orthotopic patient-derived xenografts (O-PDXs), which preserved the developmental diversity of their originating tumor. Next, we used lentiviral barcoding with a high-complexity library to demonstrate that developmental states are interrelated rather than isolated subclones. Additionally, we transduced O-PDX cell suspensions with RFP-encoding retrovirus to lineage trace proliferative cells to show that ERMS tumors transition from immature to mature myogenic states in a unidirectional manner. Finally, we utilized single-cell assay of transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (scATAC-seq) in combination with scRNA-seq to show that core regulatory circuit superenhancer accessibility is heterogeneously specific to developmental state within both ERMS and ARMS. Taken together, our findings reveal that pediatric RMS consist of transformed cells that recapitulate the transcriptomic and epigenomic diversity of embryonic muscle. Citation Format: Anand G. Patel, Xiang Chen, Michael Clay, Brittney Gordon, Jim Houston, Asa Karlstrom, Jackie Norrie, Elizabeth Stewart, Michael Dyer. Pediatric rhabdomyosarcomas recapitulate the transcriptomic and epigenomic development of skeletal myogenesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6155.

Formation of Aberrant Myotubes by Myoblasts Lacking Myosin VI Is Associated with Alterations in the Cytoskeleton Organization, Myoblast Adhesion and Fusion.

We have previously postulated that unconventional myosin VI (MVI) could be involved in myoblast differentiation. Here, we addressed the mechanism(s) of its involvement using primary myoblast culture derived from the hindlimb muscles of Snell’s waltzer mice, the natural MVI knockouts (MVI-KO). We observed that MVI-KO myotubes were formed faster than control heterozygous myoblasts (MVI-WT), with a three-fold increase in the number of myosac-like myotubes with centrally positioned nuclei. There were also changes in the levels of the myogenic transcription factors Pax7, MyoD and myogenin. This was accompanied by changes in the actin cytoskeleton and adhesive structure organization. We observed significant decreases in the levels of proteins involved in focal contact formation, such as talin and focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Interestingly, the levels of proteins involved in intercellular communication, M-cadherin and drebrin, were also affected. Furthermore, time-dependent alterations in the levels of the key proteins for myoblast membrane fusion, myomaker and myomerger, without effect on their cellular localization, were observed. Our data indicate that in the absence of MVI, the mechanisms controlling cytoskeleton organization, as well as myoblast adhesion and fusion, are dysregulated, leading to the formation of aberrant myotubes.

The LRRC8/VRAC anion channel facilitates myogenic differentiation of murine myoblasts by promoting membrane hyperpolarization

Skeletal muscle myoblast differentiation involves elaborate signaling networks, including the activity of various ion channels and transporters. Several K+ and Ca2+ channels have been shown to affect myogenesis, but little is known about roles of Cl- channels in the associated processes. Here, we report that the leucine-rich repeat containing family 8 (LRRC8)/volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) promotes mouse myoblast differentiation. All LRRC8 subunits of heteromeric VRAC were expressed during myotube formation of murine C2C12 myoblasts. Pharmacological VRAC inhibitors, siRNA-mediated knockdown of the essential VRAC subunit LRRC8A, or VRAC activity-suppressing overexpression of LRRC8A effectively reduced the expression of the myogenic transcription factor myogenin and suppressed myoblast fusion while not affecting myoblast proliferation. We found that inhibiting VRAC impairs plasma membrane hyperpolarization early during differentiation. At later times (more than 6 h after inducing differentiation), VRAC inhibition no longer suppressed myoblast differentiation, suggesting that VRAC acts upstream of K+ channel activation. Consequently, VRAC inhibition prevented the increase of intracellular steady-state Ca2+ levels that normally occurs during myogenesis. Our results may explain the mechanism for the thinning of skeletal muscle bundles observed in LRRC8A-deficient mice and highlight the importance of the LRRC8/VRAC anion channel in cell differentiation.

A novel oleanolic acid derivative HA-19 ameliorates muscle atrophy via promoting protein synthesis and preventing protein degradation

Muscle atrophy refers to a decrease in the size of muscles in the body, occurs in certain muscles with inactivity in many diseases and lacks effective therapies up to date. Natural products still play an important role in drug discovery. In the present study, derivatives of a natural product, oleanolic acid, were screened with myoblast differentiation and myotube atrophy assays, respectively. Results revealed that one of the derivatives, HA-19 showed the most potent anti-muscle atrophy activity, and was used for further studies. We demonstrated that HA-19 led to the increase of the protein synthesis by activating mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)/p70 S6K pathways, and also enhanced myoblast proliferation and terminal differentiation via up-regulating of the myogenic transcription factors Pax7, MyoD and Myogenin. The interesting thing was that HA-19 also suppressed protein degradation to prevent myotube atrophy by down-regulating negative growth factors, FoxO1, MuRF1 and Atrogin-1. The results were also supported by puromycin labelling and protein ubiquitination assays. These data revealed that HA-19 possessed a “dual effect” on inhibition of muscle atrophy. In disuse-induced muscle atrophy mice model, HA-19 treatment significantly increased the weights of bilateral tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius (Gastroc.), quadriceps (Quad.), suggesting the effectiveness of HA-19 to remit disuse-induced muscle atrophy. Our finding demonstrated that HA-19 has a great potential as an inhibitor or lead compound for the anti-muscle atrophy drug discovery.

Role of Transcription Factors FoxO3 and Myogenin in Regulation of E3 Ligases MuRF-1 and MAFbx Expression in Rat Soleus at an Early Stage of Disuse Atrophy

Hypokinesia and gravitational unloading lead to skeletal muscle atrophy resulting from alterations in the balance between anabolic and catabolic processes. Ubiquitin proteasome system plays a significant role in the process of protein breakdown in course of disuse atrophy. E3 ligases are essential components of this system. We analyzed changes in expression of E3 ligases MuRF-1 and MAFbx, as well as transcription factors FoxO3 and myogenin in rat soleus after 1 and 3 days of hindlimb unloading. We found that expression of E3 ligases was increased after 24 h of unloading, while phosphorylation of FoxO3 (S253) was decreased. However, the expression level of myogenin increased only 3 days after unloading. Our result suggests that earlier expression of MuRF-1 and MAFbx could be regulated by FoxO3, and that myogenin can also contribute to this process on the 3rd day of unloading

Abstract 17273: Long Non-Coding RNA Ppp1r1b Regulates Myogenic Differentiation Through Modulating Histone 3 Methylation

Introduction: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), emerged as critical epigenetic regulators of transcriptome, play important roles in cardiac development and might be targeted to treat human cardiomyocyte dysfunction. In our work, we identified a novel lncRNA that regulates myogenesis. Hypothesis: LncRNA Ppp1r1b regulates myogenesis by modulating Histone 3 methylation Methods: After treated with antisense oligonucleotides (GapmeR) or siRNA against Ppp1r1b-LncRNA, real time PCR and Western blot analyses were performed to examine the expression of myogenic and sarcomere genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP) was used to comparatively analyze gene specific histone modification level. RNA pull-down was employed to identify the protein molecules that interact with Ppp1r1b-LncRNA. Results: By silencing Ppp1r1b-LncRNA with GapmeR, C2C12, a skeletal myoblast cell line, did not develop fully differentiated myotubes, but tend to remain in a quiescent mono-nucleated status. In vivo analysis of GapmeR injected neonatal mouse heart and in vitro siRNA silenced human skeletal myoblasts further confirmed the important role of Ppp1r1b-LncRNA on myogenesis. Members of the MyoD family of muscle-specific transcription factors (MyoD and myogenin) failed to be up-regulated during myogenic differentiation when treated with Ppp1r1b-LncRNA specific GapmeR or siRNA. Key proteins essential for establishing and maintaining normal skeletal muscle architecture, including Tcap and Dystropnin, are also suppressed in Ppp1r1b LncRNA- deficient heart. Analysis of histone modification levels at Myogenin, MyoD1 and Tcap in C2C12 cells revealed more histone tri-methylation at these myogenic and sarcomere structural genes compared to untreated cells. Additional lncRNA- protein complex isolation has further revealed insight into the biological roles of Ppp1r1b-LncRNA. Conclusions: Our results support the role of Ppp1r1b-LncRNA in promoting myogenic differentiation. Ppp1r1b-lncRNA function is mediated by inhibiting histone methylation on promoters of multiple myogenic and sarcomere genes. In particular, the identification of EZH2 in pulled Pp1r1b LncRNA: protein complex implies that Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is involved in Ppp1r1b-LncRNA modulated myoblast differentiation.