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Rodríguez C, Timóteo-Ferreira F, Minchiotti G, Brunelli S, Guardiola O. Cellular interactions and microenvironment dynamics in skeletal muscle regeneration and disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1385399. [PMID: 38840849 PMCID: PMC11150574 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1385399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle regeneration relies on the intricate interplay of various cell populations within the muscle niche-an environment crucial for regulating the behavior of muscle stem cells (MuSCs) and ensuring postnatal tissue maintenance and regeneration. This review delves into the dynamic interactions among key players of this process, including MuSCs, macrophages (MPs), fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), endothelial cells (ECs), and pericytes (PCs), each assuming pivotal roles in orchestrating homeostasis and regeneration. Dysfunctions in these interactions can lead not only to pathological conditions but also exacerbate muscular dystrophies. The exploration of cellular and molecular crosstalk among these populations in both physiological and dystrophic conditions provides insights into the multifaceted communication networks governing muscle regeneration. Furthermore, this review discusses emerging strategies to modulate the muscle-regenerating niche, presenting a comprehensive overview of current understanding and innovative approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Rodríguez
- Stem Cell Fate Laboratory, Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “A. Buzzati-Traverso”, CNR, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Gabriella Minchiotti
- Stem Cell Fate Laboratory, Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “A. Buzzati-Traverso”, CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Silvia Brunelli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Ombretta Guardiola
- Stem Cell Fate Laboratory, Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “A. Buzzati-Traverso”, CNR, Naples, Italy
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Qabrati X, Kim I, Ghosh A, Bundschuh N, Noé F, Palmer AS, Bar-Nur O. Transgene-free direct conversion of murine fibroblasts into functional muscle stem cells. NPJ Regen Med 2023; 8:43. [PMID: 37553383 PMCID: PMC10409758 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-023-00317-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription factor-based cellular reprogramming provides an attractive approach to produce desired cell types for regenerative medicine purposes. Such cellular conversions are widely dependent on viral vectors to efficiently deliver and express defined factors in target cells. However, use of viral vectors is associated with unfavorable genomic integrations that can trigger deleterious molecular consequences, rendering this method a potential impediment to clinical applications. Here, we report on a highly efficient transgene-free approach to directly convert mouse fibroblasts into induced myogenic progenitor cells (iMPCs) by overexpression of synthetic MyoD-mRNA in concert with an enhanced small molecule cocktail. First, we performed a candidate compound screen and identified two molecules that enhance fibroblast reprogramming into iMPCs by suppression of the JNK and JAK/STAT pathways. Simultaneously, we developed an optimal transfection protocol to transiently overexpress synthetic MyoD-mRNA in fibroblasts. Combining these two techniques enabled robust and rapid reprogramming of fibroblasts into Pax7 positive iMPCs in as little as 10 days. Nascent transgene-free iMPCs proliferated extensively in vitro, expressed a suite of myogenic stem cell markers, and could differentiate into highly multinucleated and contractile myotubes. Furthermore, using global and single-cell transcriptome assays, we delineated gene expression changes associated with JNK and JAK/STAT pathway inhibition during reprogramming, and identified in iMPCs a Pax7+ stem cell subpopulation resembling satellite cells. Last, transgene-free iMPCs robustly engrafted skeletal muscles of a Duchenne muscular dystrophy mouse model, restoring dystrophin expression in hundreds of myofibers. In summary, this study reports on an improved and clinically safer approach to convert fibroblasts into myogenic stem cells that can efficiently contribute to muscle regeneration in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xhem Qabrati
- Laboratory of Regenerative and Movement Biology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Inseon Kim
- Laboratory of Regenerative and Movement Biology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Adhideb Ghosh
- Laboratory of Regenerative and Movement Biology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicola Bundschuh
- Laboratory of Regenerative and Movement Biology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Falko Noé
- Laboratory of Regenerative and Movement Biology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrew S Palmer
- Laboratory of Regenerative and Movement Biology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Footscray, VIC, Australia
| | - Ori Bar-Nur
- Laboratory of Regenerative and Movement Biology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
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AlSudais H, Rajgara R, Saleh A, Wiper-Bergeron N. C/EBPβ promotes the expression of atrophy-inducing factors by tumours and is a central regulator of cancer cachexia. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2022; 13:743-757. [PMID: 35014202 PMCID: PMC8818591 DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.12909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) is a transcription factor whose high expression in human cancers is associated with tumour aggressiveness and poor outcomes. Most advanced cancer patients will develop cachexia, characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass. In response to secreted factors from cachexia-inducing tumours, C/EBPβ is stimulated in muscle, leading to both myofibre atrophy and the inhibition of muscle regeneration. Involved in the regulation of immune responses, C/EBPβ induces the expression of many secreted factors, including cytokines. Because tumour-secreted factors drive cachexia and aggressive tumours have higher expression of C/EBPβ, we examined a potential role for C/EBPβ in the expression of tumour-derived cachexia-inducing factors. METHODS We used gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches in vitro and in vivo to evaluate the role of tumour C/EBPβ expression on the secretion of cachexia-inducing factors. RESULTS We report that C/EBPβ overexpression up-regulates the expression of 260 secreted protein genes, resulting in a secretome that inhibits myogenic differentiation (-31%, P < 0.05) and myotube maturation [-38% (fusion index) and -25% (myotube diameter), P < 0.05]. We find that knockdown of C/EBPβ in cachexia-inducing Lewis lung carcinoma cells restores myogenic differentiation (+25%, P < 0.0001) and myotube diameter (+90%, P < 0.0001) in conditioned medium experiments and, in vivo, prevents muscle wasting (-51% for small myofibres vs. controls, P < 0.01; +140% for large myofibres, P < 0.01). Conversely, overexpression of C/EBPβ in non-cachectic tumours converts their secretome into a cachexia-inducing one, resulting in reduced myotube diameter (-41%, P < 0.0001, EL4 model) and inhibition of differentiation in culture (-26%, P < 0.01, EL4 model) and muscle wasting in vivo (+98% small fibres, P < 0.001; -76% large fibres, P < 0.001). Comparison of the differently expressed transcripts coding for secreted proteins in C/EBPβ-overexpressing myoblasts with the secretome from 27 different types of human cancers revealed ~18% similarity between C/EBPβ-regulated secreted proteins and those secreted by highly cachectic tumours (brain, pancreatic, and stomach cancers). At the protein level, we identified 16 novel secreted factors that are present in human cancer secretomes and are up-regulated by C/EBPβ. Of these, we tested the effect of three factors (SERPINF1, TNFRSF11B, and CD93) on myotubes and found that all had atrophic potential (-33 to -36% for myotube diameter, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS We find that C/EBPβ is necessary and sufficient to induce the secretion of cachexia-inducing factors by cancer cells and loss of C/EBPβ in tumours attenuates muscle atrophy in an animal model of cancer cachexia. Our findings establish C/EBPβ as a central regulator of cancer cachexia and an important therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamood AlSudais
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rashida Rajgara
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aisha Saleh
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nadine Wiper-Bergeron
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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AlSudais H, Wiper-Bergeron N. From quiescence to repair: C/EBPβ as a regulator of muscle stem cell function in health and disease. FEBS J 2021; 289:6518-6530. [PMID: 34854237 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
CCAAT/Enhancer Binding protein beta (C/EBPβ) is a transcriptional regulator involved in numerous physiological processes. Herein, we describe a role for C/EBPβ as a regulator of skeletal muscle stem cell function. In particular, C/EBPβ is expressed in muscle stem cells in healthy muscle where it inhibits myogenic differentiation. Downregulation of C/EBPβ expression at the protein and transcriptional level allows for differentiation. Persistence of C/EBPβ promotes stem cell self-renewal and C/EBPβ expression is required for mitotic quiescence in this cell population. As a critical regulator of skeletal muscle homeostasis, C/EBPβ expression is stimulated in pathological conditions such as cancer cachexia, which perturbs muscle regeneration and promotes myofiber atrophy in the context of systemic inflammation. C/EBPβ is also an important regulator of cytokine expression and immune response genes, a mechanism by which it can influence muscle stem cell function. In this viewpoint, we describe a role for C/EBPβ in muscle stem cells and propose a functional intersection between C/EBPβ and NF-kB action in the regulation of cancer cachexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamood AlSudais
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Canada.,Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nadine Wiper-Bergeron
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Canada
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Control of satellite cell function in muscle regeneration and its disruption in ageing. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 23:204-226. [PMID: 34663964 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00421-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle contains a designated population of adult stem cells, called satellite cells, which are generally quiescent. In homeostasis, satellite cells proliferate only sporadically and usually by asymmetric cell division to replace myofibres damaged by daily activity and maintain the stem cell pool. However, satellite cells can also be robustly activated upon tissue injury, after which they undergo symmetric divisions to generate new stem cells and numerous proliferating myoblasts that later differentiate to muscle cells (myocytes) to rebuild the muscle fibre, thereby supporting skeletal muscle regeneration. Recent discoveries show that satellite cells have a great degree of population heterogeneity, and that their cell fate choices during the regeneration process are dictated by both intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms. Extrinsic cues come largely from communication with the numerous distinct stromal cell types in their niche, creating a dynamically interactive microenvironment. This Review discusses the role and regulation of satellite cells in skeletal muscle homeostasis and regeneration. In particular, we highlight the cell-intrinsic control of quiescence versus activation, the importance of satellite cell-niche communication, and deregulation of these mechanisms associated with ageing. The increasing understanding of how satellite cells are regulated will help to advance muscle regeneration and rejuvenation therapies.
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He L, Ding Y, Zhao Y, So KK, Peng XL, Li Y, Yuan J, He Z, Chen X, Sun H, Wang H. CRISPR/Cas9/AAV9-mediated in vivo editing identifies MYC regulation of 3D genome in skeletal muscle stem cell. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:2442-2458. [PMID: 34534448 PMCID: PMC8514971 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle satellite cells (SCs) are stem cells responsible for muscle development and regeneration. Although CRISPR/Cas9 has been widely used, its application in endogenous SCs remains elusive. Here, we generate mice expressing Cas9 in SCs and achieve robust editing in juvenile SCs at the postnatal stage through AAV9-mediated short guide RNA (sgRNA) delivery. Additionally, we reveal that quiescent SCs are resistant to CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate efficient editing of master transcription factor (TF) Myod1 locus using the CRISPR/Cas9/AAV9-sgRNA system in juvenile SCs. Application on two key TFs, MYC and BCL6, unveils distinct functions in SC activation and muscle regeneration. Particularly, we reveal that MYC orchestrates SC activation through regulating 3D genome architecture. Its depletion results in strengthening of the topologically associating domain boundaries thus may affect gene expression. Altogether, our study establishes a platform for editing endogenous SCs that can be harnessed to elucidate the functionality of key regulators governing SC activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangqiang He
- Department of Chemical Pathology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yingzhe Ding
- Department of Chemical Pathology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Karl K So
- Department of Chemical Pathology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xianlu L Peng
- Department of Chemical Pathology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yuying Li
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jie Yuan
- Department of Chemical Pathology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhiming He
- Department of Chemical Pathology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaona Chen
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Department of Chemical Pathology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Huating Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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