Opening of potassium channels modulates mitochondrial function in rat skeletal muscle.
(17/1504)
We have investigated the presence of diazoxide- and nicorandil-activated K+ channels in rat skeletal muscle. Activation of potassium transport in the rat skeletal muscle myoblast cell line L6 caused a stimulation of cellular oxygen consumption, implying a mitochondrial effect. Working with isolated rat skeletal muscle mitochondria, both potassium channel openers (KCOs) stimulate respiration, depolarize the mitochondrial inner membrane and lead to oxidation of the mitochondrial NAD-system in a strict potassium-dependent manner. This is a strong indication for KCO-mediated stimulation of potassium transport at the mitochondrial inner membrane. Moreover, the potassium-specific effects of both diazoxide and nicorandil on oxidative phosphorylation in skeletal muscle mitochondria were completely abolished by the antidiabetic sulfonylurea derivative glibenclamide, a well-known inhibitor of ATP-regulated potassium channels (K(ATP) channels). Since both diazoxide and nicorandil facilitated swelling of de-energised mitochondria in KSCN buffer at the same concentrations, our results implicate the presence of a mitochondrial ATP-regulated potassium channel (mitoK(ATP) channel) in rat skeletal muscle which can modulate mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. (+info)
Growth factor stimulation of matrix metalloproteinase expression and myoblast migration and invasion in vitro.
(18/1504)
We investigated the role of growth factors and fibronectin on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and on migration and invasion of mouse skeletal myoblasts in vitro. None of the growth factors tested significantly affected MMP-1 or MMP-2 activity as revealed by gelatin zymography, but both basic FGF (bFGF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha significantly increased MMP-9 activity (10- and 30-fold, respectively). The increase in secreted MMP-9 activity with TNF-alpha stimulation was due at least in part to an increase in MMP-9 gene transcription, because an MMP-9 promoter construct was approximately fivefold more active in TNF-alpha-treated myoblasts than in control myoblasts, as well as an increase in MMP-9 proteolytic activation. However, whereas fibronectin, bFGF, hepatocyte growth factor, and TGF-beta1 significantly augmented migration of mouse myoblasts, TNF-alpha did not, nor did PDGF-BB or IGF-I. Fibronectin and bFGF also significantly augmented invasion of myoblasts across a Matrigel barrier, and plasmin cotreatment potentiated whereas N-acetyl cysteine suppressed the effects of bFGF and fibronectin on myoblast migration and invasion. Finally, transient transfection with an MMP-9 overexpression construct had only minimal effects on myoblast migration/invasion, whereas overexpression of either MMP-2 or MMP-1 significantly augmented myoblast migration and invasion. These observations support the hypothesis that MMP activity is a necessary component of growth factor-mediated myoblast migration but suggest that other consequences of growth factor signaling are also necessary for migration to occur. (+info)
The human MYOD1 transgene is suppressed by 5-bromodeoxyuridine in mouse myoblasts.
(19/1504)
5-Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) immediately and clearly suppresses expression of the mouse Myod1 and human MYOD1 genes in myoblastic cells. Despite various studies, its molecular mechanism remains unknown. We failed to identify a BrdU-responsive element of the genes in experiments in which reporter constructs containing known regulatory sequences were transferred to mouse C2C12 myoblasts. Therefore, we transferred human chromosome 11 containing the MYOD1 gene to the cells by microcell-mediated chromosome transfer. In the resulting microcell hybrids, BrdU suppressed expression of the transgene, as determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis. We then transfected human PAC clones containing the MYOD1 gene to the cells. In the resulting transfectants, BrdU suppressed the transgene similarly. Deletion analysis suggested that a BrdU-responsive element or chromatin structure exists between 24 and 47 kb upstream of the gene. These results are the first demonstrating BrdU-responsiveness of a transgene for the known BrdU-responsive genes and facilitating determination of its precise responsible structure. (+info)
The non-classical MHC molecule HLA-G protects human muscle cells from immune-mediated lysis: implications for myoblast transplantation and gene therapy.
(20/1504)
HLA-G is a non-classical MHC class I molecule with highly limited tissue distribution which has been attributed chiefly immune-regulatory functions. We previously have reported that HLA-G is expressed in inflamed muscle in vivo and by cultured myoblasts in vitro. Here, we used the in vitro models of human myoblasts or TE671 muscle rhabdomyosarcoma cells to characterize the functional role of HLA-G for muscle immune cell interactions. Gene transfer of the two major isoforms of HLA-G (transmembranous HLA-G1 and soluble HLA-G5) into TE671 rendered these cells resistant to alloreactive lysis by direct inhibition of natural killer (NK) cells, and CD4 and CD8 T cells. Further, HLA-G reduced alloproliferation, interfered with effective priming of antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells and reduced antigen-specific alloreactive lysis. HLA-G pre-induced on cultured myoblasts inhibited lysis by alloreactive peripheral blood mononuclear cells. This protection was reversed by a neutralizing HLA-G antibody. Interestingly, a few HLA-G-positive cells within a population of HLA-G-negative muscle target cells conveyed significant inhibitory effects on alloreactive lysis. Our results reveal further insights into the immunobiology of muscle and suggest that ectopic expression of HLA-G may promote the survival of transplanted myoblasts in the future treatment of hereditary muscle diseases. Further, HLA-G could represent a novel self-derived anti-inflammatory principle applicable in strategies against inflammatory aggression. (+info)
Increase in cytosolic Ca2+ induced by elevation of extracellular Ca2+ in skeletal myogenic cells.
(21/1504)
Cytoplasmic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) variation is a key event in myoblast differentiation, but the mechanism by which it occurs is still debated. Here we show that increases of extracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](o)) produced membrane hyperpolarization and a concentration-dependent increase of [Ca(2+)](i) due to Ca(2+) influx across the plasma membrane. Responses were not related to inositol phosphate turnover and Ca(2+)-sensing receptor. [Ca(2+)](o)-induced [Ca(2+)](i) increase was inhibited by Ca(2+) channel inhibitors and appeared to be modulated by several kinase activities. [Ca(2+)](i) increase was potentiated by depletion of intracellular Ca(2+) stores and depressed by inactivation of the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger. The response to arginine vasopressin (AVP), which induces inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent [Ca(2+)](i) increase in L6-C5 cells, was not modified by high [Ca(2+)](o). On the contrary, AVP potentiated the [Ca(2+)](i) increase in the presence of elevated [Ca(2+)](o). Other clones of the L6 line as well as the rhabdomyosarcoma RD cell line and the satellite cell-derived C2-C12 line expressed similar responses to high [Ca(2+)](o), and the amplitude of the responses was correlated with the myogenic potential of the cells. (+info)
Regulation of glycogen synthase by glucose and glycogen: a possible role for AMP-activated protein kinase.
(22/1504)
We report here use of human myoblasts in culture to study the relationships between cellular glycogen concentrations and the activities of glycogen synthase (GS) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Incubation of cells for 2 h in the absence of glucose led to a 25% decrease in glycogen content and a significant decrease in the fractional activity of GS. This was accompanied by stimulation of both the alpha1 and alpha2 isoforms of AMPK, without significant alterations in the ratios of adenine nucleotides. When glucose was added to glycogen-depleted cells, a rapid and substantial increase in GS activity was accompanied by inactivation of AMPK back to basal values. Inclusion of the glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor, CP-91149, prevented the loss of glycogen during glucose deprivation but not the activation of AMPK. However, in the absence of prior glycogen breakdown, glucose treatment failed to activate GS above control values, indicating the crucial role of glycogen content. Activation of AMPK by either 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-beta-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR) or hydrogen peroxide was also associated with a decrease in the activity ratio of GS. AICAR treatment had no effect on total cellular glycogen content but led to a modest increase in glucose uptake. These data support a role for AMPK in both stimulating glucose uptake and inhibiting GS in intact cells, thus promoting glucose flux through glycolysis. (+info)
DNA polymerase clamp shows little turnover at established replication sites but sequential de novo assembly at adjacent origin clusters.
(23/1504)
The spatial and temporal organization of DNA replication was investigated in living cells with a green fluorescent protein fusion to the DNA polymerase clamp PCNA. In situ extractions and photobleaching experiments revealed that PCNA, unlike RPA34, shows little if any turnover at replication sites, suggesting that it remains associated with the replication machinery through multiple rounds of Okazaki fragment synthesis. Photobleaching analyses further showed that the transition from earlier to later replicons occurs by disassembly into a nucleoplasmic pool of rapidly diffusing subcomponents and reassembly at newly activated sites. The fact that these replication sites were de novo assembled in close proximity to earlier ones suggests that activation of neighboring origins may occur by a domino effect possibly involving local changes in chromatin structure and accessibility. (+info)
Genome-wide examination of myoblast cell cycle withdrawal during differentiation.
(24/1504)
Skeletal and cardiac myocytes cease division within weeks of birth. Although skeletal muscle retains limited capacity for regeneration through recruitment of satellite cells, resident populations of adult myocardial stem cells have not been identified. Because cell cycle withdrawal accompanies myocyte differentiation, we hypothesized that C2C12 cells, a mouse myoblast cell line previously used to characterize myocyte differentiation, also would provide a model for studying cell cycle withdrawal during differentiation. C2C12 cells were differentiated in culture medium containing horse serum and harvested at various time points to characterize the expression profiles of known cell cycle and myogenic regulatory factors by immunoblot analysis. BrdU incorporation decreased dramatically in confluent cultures 48 hr after addition of horse serum, as cells started to form myotubes. This finding was preceded by up-regulation of MyoD, followed by myogenin, and activation of Bcl-2. Cyclin D1 was expressed in proliferating cultures and became undetectable in cultures containing 40% fused myotubes, as levels of p21(WAF1/Cip1) increased and alpha-actin became detectable. Because C2C12 myoblasts withdraw from the cell cycle during myocyte differentiation following a course that recapitulates this process in vivo, we performed a genome-wide screen to identify other gene products involved in this process. Using microarrays containing approximately 10,000 minimally redundant mouse sequences that map to the UniGene database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, we compared gene expression profiles between proliferating, differentiating, and differentiated C2C12 cells and verified candidate genes demonstrating differential expression by RT-PCR. Cluster analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed groups of gene products involved in cell cycle withdrawal, muscle differentiation, and apoptosis. In addition, we identified several genes, including DDAH2 and Ly-6A, whose expression specifically was up-regulated during cell cycle withdrawal coincident with early myoblast differentiation. (+info)