Metabolic properties of human acetylcholine receptors can be characterized on cultured human muscle

Expression of MuSK in in vitro-innervated human muscle

Unlike rodent or avian muscle, which forms clusters of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) on its surface, exhibits cross striations, and contracts spontaneously even if cultured in the absence of the nerve, human muscle must be innervated to reach such differentiation level under in vitro conditions (Kobayashi and Askanas, 1985; Mars et al., 2001). Because it is known that AChR clustering and other aspects of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) formation necessitate the activation of muscle-specific kinase (MuSK), one explanation of this inability of human muscle is that it has no MuSK or that it cannot be activated in the absence of the nerve. To test this hypothesis we analyzed cultured human muscle for the expression of MuSK at two stages of differentiation: postfusion myotube and innervated, contracting myotube. Analyses were carried out at the mRNA level, as no reliable anti-MuSK antibodies are available for the immunocytochemical demonstration of MuSK in cultured human muscle. The presence of MuSK, however, can be tested indirectly, as it can be activated in the absence of the nerve simply by growing muscle culture on laminin coating (Kummer et al., 2004). In the second part of our study, we therefore tested human myotubes for the presence and activation of MuSK by exposing them to laminin coating and by analyzing them afterwards for the areas of postsynaptic differentiation typical for NMJ formation.

Ultroser G and brain extract induce a continuous basement membrane with specific synaptic elements in aneurally cultured human skeletal muscle cells

Basement membrane (BM) components were studied on human muscle and skeletal muscle cells cultured on different media by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Their topographical relation with acetylcholine receptors was investigated. Myotubes cultured on a combination of the serum substitute Ultroser G and brain extract show a continuous layer of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), laminin, and type IV collagen. In contrast, myotubes cultured on serum-containing media are associated with granular depositions of HSPG and laminin and only with wisps of type IV collagen. Omission of brain extract or substitution by chicken embryo extract results in an intermediate staining pattern. For all types of cultures, fibronectin is localized in and around mononuclear cells, but hardly associated with myotubes. A codistribution between clusters of acetylcholine receptors and HSPG and laminin and Vicia villosa B4 lectin-positive material exists only in Ultroser G/brain extract-based myotubes like in muscle in vivo. No clustering is observed in serum-based myotubes. Electron microscopy reveals that the former myotubes are surrounded by a continuous BM consisting of a lamina lucida, lamina densa, and lamina fibroreticularis. Proteoglycans are present on the external site of the lamina densa and associated in a regular fashion with collagen fibrils. In conclusion, BMs associated with myotubes cultured on Ultroser G/brain extract resemble in many ways the in vivo situation, including synaptic specializations. Cultured myotubes may serve as a model system for studies on the structure and function of human muscular (synaptic) BM under normal and pathological conditions.

Steroids induce acetylcholine receptors on cultured human muscle: implications for myasthenia gravis

Antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR), which are diagnostic of the human autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis, block AChR function and increase the rate of AChR degradation leading to impaired neuromuscular transmission. Steroids are frequently used to alleviate symptoms of muscle fatigue and weakness in patients with myasthenia gravis because of their well-documented immunosuppressive effects. We show here that the steroid dexamethasone significantly increases total surface AChRs on cultured human muscle exposed to myasthenia gravis sera. Our results suggest that the clinical improvement observed in myasthenic patients treated with steroids is due not only to an effect on the immune system but also to a direct effect on muscle. We propose that the identification and development of pharmacologic agents that augment receptors and other proteins that are reduced by human genetic or autoimmune disease will have broad therapeutic applications.

Isolation of human myoblasts with the fluorescence-activated cell sorter

We have established procedures for the rapid and efficient purification of human myoblasts using the fluorescence-activated cell sorter. Our approach capitalizes on the specific reaction of monoclonal antibody 5.1H11 with a human muscle cell surface antigen. For each of the five samples analyzed, an enrichment of myoblasts to greater than 99% of the cell population was immediately achieved. Following 3 to 4 weeks of additional growth in vitro, sorted myoblast cultures remained 97% pure. Differentiation of the sorted myoblast cultures, assessed by creatine kinase activity and isozyme content, was comparable to that of pure myoblast cultures obtained by cloning, and was significantly greater than that of mixed fibroblast and myoblast cultures. An average of 10(4) viable myoblasts can be obtained per 0.1 g tissue, each with the potential to undergo approximately 40 cell divisions. Accordingly, if only two-thirds of this proliferative capacity is utilized, the potential yield approximates 10(12) myoblasts, equivalent to 1 kg of cells. Human myogenesis in vitro is no longer limited by cell number and is now amenable to molecular and biochemical analysis on a large scale.+