Regulation of myoblast motility and fusion by the CXCR4-associated sialomucin, CD164

Distinct transcriptomic profile of satellite cells contributes to preservation of neuromuscular junctions in extraocular muscles of ALS mice

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neuromuscular disorder characterized by progressive weakness of almost all skeletal muscles, whereas extraocular muscles (EOMs) are comparatively spared. While hindlimb and diaphragm muscles of end-stage SOD1G93A (G93A) mice (a familial ALS mouse model) exhibit severe denervation and depletion of Pax7+satellite cells (SCs), we found that the pool of SCs and the integrity of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) are maintained in EOMs. In cell sorting profiles, SCs derived from hindlimb and diaphragm muscles of G93A mice exhibit denervation-related activation, whereas SCs from EOMs of G93A mice display spontaneous (non-denervation-related) activation, similar to SCs from wild-type mice. Specifically, cultured EOM SCs contain more abundant transcripts of axon guidance molecules, including Cxcl12, along with more sustainable renewability than the diaphragm and hindlimb counterparts under differentiation pressure. In neuromuscular co-culture assays, AAV-delivery of Cxcl12 to G93A-hindlimb SC-derived myotubes enhances motor neuron axon extension and innervation, recapitulating the innervation capacity of EOM SC-derived myotubes. G93A mice fed with sodium butyrate (NaBu) supplementation exhibited less NMJ loss in hindlimb and diaphragm muscles. Additionally, SCs derived from G93A hindlimb and diaphragm muscles displayed elevated expression of Cxcl12 and improved renewability following NaBu treatment in vitro. Thus, the NaBu-induced transcriptomic changes resembling the patterns of EOM SCs may contribute to the beneficial effects observed in G93A mice. More broadly, the distinct transcriptomic profile of EOM SCs may offer novel therapeutic targets to slow progressive neuromuscular functional decay in ALS and provide possible 'response biomarkers' in pre-clinical and clinical studies.

Deciphering the Molecular Characteristics of Human Idiopathic Nonobstructive Azoospermia from the Perspective of Germ Cells

Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) is one of the most important causes of male infertility, accounting for 10-15% of infertile men worldwide. Among these, more than 70% of cases are idiopathic NOA (iNOA), whose pathogenesis and molecular basis remain unknown. This work profiles 3696 human testicular single-cell transcriptomes from 17 iNOA patients, which are classified into four classes with different arrest periods and variable cell proportions based on the gene expression patterns and pathological features. Genes related to the cell cycle, energy production, and gamete generation show obvious abnormalities in iNOA germ cells. This work identifies several candidate causal genes for iNOA, including CD164, LELP1, and TEX38, which are significantly downregulated in iNOA germ cells. Notably, CD164 knockdown promotes apoptosis in spermatogonia. Cellular communications between spermatogonial stem cells and Sertoli cells are disturbed in iNOA patients. Moreover, BOD1L2, C1orf194, and KRTCAP2 are found to indicate testicular spermatogenic capacity in a variety of testicular diseases, such as Y-chromosome microdeletions and Klinefelter syndrome. In general, this study analyzes the pathogenesis of iNOA from the perspective of germ cell development, transcription factor (TF) regulatory networks, as well as germ cell and somatic cell interactions, which provides new ideas for clinical diagnosis.

Identification of Key Genes and Biological Pathways Associated with Skeletal Muscle Maturation and Hypertrophy in Bos taurus, Ovis aries, and Sus scrofa

The aim of the current study was to identify the major genes and pathways involved in the process of hypertrophy and skeletal muscle maturation that is common for Bos taurus, Ovis aries, and Sus scrofa species. Gene expression profiles related to Bos taurus, Ovis aries, and Sus scrofa muscle, with accession numbers GSE44030, GSE23563, and GSE38518, respectively, were downloaded from the GEO database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out using the Limma package of R software. Genes with Fold Change > 2 and an adjusted p-value < 0.05 were identified as significantly different between two treatments in each species. Subsequently, gene ontology and pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Moreover, hub genes were detected by creating a protein−protein interaction network (PPI). The results of the analysis in Bos taurus showed that in the period of 280 dpc−3-months old, a total of 1839 genes showed a significant difference. In Ovis aries, however, during the period of 135dpc−2-months old, a total of 486 genes were significantly different. Additionally, in the 91 dpc−adult period, a total of 2949 genes were significantly different in Sus scrofa. The results of the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and GO function annotation in each species separately revealed that in Bos taurus, DEGs were mainly enriched through skeletal muscle fiber development and skeletal muscle contraction, and the positive regulation of fibroblast proliferation, positive regulation of skeletal muscle fiber development, PPAR signaling pathway, and HIF-1 signaling pathway. In Ovis aries, DEGs were mainly enriched through regulating cell growth, skeletal muscle fiber development, the positive regulation of fibroblast proliferation, skeletal muscle cell differentiation, and the PI3K-Akt signaling, HIF-1 signaling, and Rap1 signaling pathways. In Sus scrofa, DEGs were mainly enriched through regulating striated muscle tissue development, the negative regulation of fibroblast proliferation and myoblast differentiation, and the HIF-1 signaling, AMPK signaling, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Using a Venn diagram, 36 common DEGs were identified between Bos taurus, Ovis aries, and Sus scrofa. A biological pathways analysis of 36 common DEGs in Bos taurus, Ovis aries, and Sus scrofa allowed for the identification of common pathways/biological processes, such as myoblast differentiation, the regulation of muscle cell differentiation, and positive regulation of skeletal muscle fiber development, that orchestrated the development and maturation of skeletal muscle. As a result, hub genes were identified, including PPARGC1A, MYOD1, EPAS1, IGF2, CXCR4, and APOA1, in all examined species. This study provided a better understanding of the relationships between genes and their biological pathways in the skeletal muscle maturation process.

Zinc oxide nanoparticle regulates the ferroptosis, proliferation, invasion and steaminess of cervical cancer by miR-506-3p/CD164 signaling

Background

Cancer stem cell (CSC) and ferroptosis play critical roles in cancer development, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Cervical cancer induces a great mortality and an increased incidence globally. Zinc oxide nanoparticle is the nanomaterial that has been applied in industrial products and targets multiple cancer cell types and cancer stem cells. Here, we aimed to explore the effect of ZON on CSC and ferroptosis of cervical cancer.

Methods

In the present study, we identified that the treatment of ZON in vitro inhibited the proliferation of cervical cancer cells.

Results

The ZON stimulated the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. The tumor growth of cervical cancer cells was attenuated by ZON in the xenograft mouse model in vivo. Meanwhile, ZON represses cell invasion and migration of cervical cancer. Crucially, the sphere formation numbers were repressed by ZON. Meanwhile, the SP ratio of cervical cancer cells was inhibited by ZON. The expression of CSC markers, including Sox-2, Oct3/4, and Nanog, was suppressed by circFoxo3 inhibition. Moreover, the ferroptosis was enhanced by ZON in cervical cancer cells. About the mechanism, we observed that ZON enhanced miR-506-3p expression and CD164 was a target of miR-506-3p, in which ZON inhibited CD164 expression by promoting miR-506-3p in cervical cancer cells. We validated that CD164 reversed miR-506-3p-mediated stemness and ferroptosis in cervical cancer cells. ZON repressed stemness and reduced ferroptosis of cervical cancer cells by targeting CD164. ZON inhibits cell growth of cervical cancer in vivo by targeting CD164.

Conclusions

In brief, we concluded that ZON regulated the ferroptosis, proliferation, invasion, and steaminess of cervical cancer by miR-506-3p/CD164 signaling. Our finding provides new insights into the mechanism by which ZON regulates ferroptosis and steaminess of cervical cancer by a miR-506-3p/CD164 axis.

Muscle cell-derived cytokines in skeletal muscle regeneration

Regeneration of the mammalian adult skeletal muscle is a well-orchestrated process regulated by multiple proteins and signalling pathways. Cytokines constitute a major class of regulators of skeletal myogenesis. It is well established that infiltrating immune cells at the site of muscle injury secrete cytokines, which play critical roles in the myofibre repair and regeneration process. In the past 10-15 years, skeletal muscle itself has emerged as a prolific producer of cytokines. Much attention in the field has been focused on the endocrine effects of muscle-secreted cytokines (myokines) on metabolic regulation. However, ample evidence suggests that muscle-derived cytokines also regulate myogenic differentiation and muscle regeneration in an autocrine manner. In this review, we survey cytokines that meet two criteria: (a) evidence of expression by muscle cells; (b) evidence demonstrating a myogenic function. Dozens of cytokines representing several major classes make up this group, and together they regulate all steps of the myogenic process. How such a large array of cytokines coordinate their signalling to form a regulatory network is a fascinating, pressing question. Functional studies that can distinguish the source of the cytokines in vivo are also much needed in order to facilitate exploration of their full therapeutic potential.

Distinctive exercise-induced inflammatory response and exerkine induction in skeletal muscle of people with type 2 diabetes

Mechanistic insights into the molecular events by which exercise enhances the skeletal muscle phenotype are lacking, particularly in the context of type 2 diabetes. Here, we unravel a fundamental role for exercise-responsive cytokines (exerkines) on skeletal muscle development and growth in individuals with normal glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes. Acute exercise triggered an inflammatory response in skeletal muscle, concomitant with an infiltration of immune cells. These exercise effects were potentiated in type 2 diabetes. In response to contraction or hypoxia, cytokines were mainly produced by endothelial cells and macrophages. The chemokine CXCL12 was induced by hypoxia in endothelial cells, as well as by conditioned medium from contracted myotubes in macrophages. We found that CXCL12 was associated with skeletal muscle remodeling after exercise and differentiation of cultured muscle. Collectively, acute aerobic exercise mounts a noncanonical inflammatory response, with an atypical production of exerkines, which is potentiated in type 2 diabetes.

TGFβ signaling curbs cell fusion and muscle regeneration

Muscle cell fusion is a multistep process involving cell migration, adhesion, membrane remodeling and actin-nucleation pathways to generate multinucleated myotubes. However, molecular brakes restraining cell-cell fusion events have remained elusive. Here we show that transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) pathway is active in adult muscle cells throughout fusion. We find TGFβ signaling reduces cell fusion, regardless of the cells' ability to move and establish cell-cell contacts. In contrast, inhibition of TGFβ signaling enhances cell fusion and promotes branching between myotubes in mouse and human. Exogenous addition of TGFβ protein in vivo during muscle regeneration results in a loss of muscle function while inhibition of TGFβR2 induces the formation of giant myofibers. Transcriptome analyses and functional assays reveal that TGFβ controls the expression of actin-related genes to reduce cell spreading. TGFβ signaling is therefore requisite to limit mammalian myoblast fusion, determining myonuclei numbers and myofiber size.

Identification of CXCL11 as part of chemokine network controlling skeletal muscle development

The chemokine, CXCL12, and its receptors, CXCR4 and CXCR7, play pivotal roles during development and maintenance of limb muscles. CXCR7 additionally binds CXCL11, which uses CXCR3 as its prime receptor. Based on this cross-talk, we investigate whether CXCL11 would likewise affect development and/or function of skeletal muscles. Western blotting and immunolabelling demonstrated the developmentally restricted expression of CXCL11 in rat limb muscles, which was contrasted by the continuous expression of its receptors in proliferating and differentiating C2C12 cells as well as in late embryonic to adult rat limb muscle fibres. Consistent with a prime role in muscle formation, functional studies identified CXCL11 as a potent chemoattractant for undifferentiated C2C12 cells and further showed that CXCL11 does neither affect myoblast proliferation and differentiation nor metabolic/catabolic pathways in formed myotubes. The use of selective receptor antagonists unravelled complementary effects of CXCL11 and CXCL12 on C2C12 cell migration, which either require CXCR3/CXCR7 or CXCR4, respectively. Our findings provide new insights into the chemokine network controlling skeletal muscle development and function and, thus, might provide a base for future therapies of muscular diseases.

Treatment with galectin-1 improves myogenic potential and membrane repair in dysferlin-deficient models

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B (LGMD2B) is caused by mutations in the dysferlin gene, resulting in non-functional dysferlin, a key protein found in muscle membrane. Treatment options available for patients are chiefly palliative in nature and focus on maintaining ambulation. Our hypothesis is that galectin-1 (Gal-1), a soluble carbohydrate binding protein, increases membrane repair capacity and myogenic potential of dysferlin-deficient muscle cells and muscle fibers. To test this hypothesis, we used recombinant human galectin-1 (rHsGal-1) to treat dysferlin-deficient models. We show that rHsGal-1 treatments of 48 h-72 h promotes myogenic maturation as indicated through improvements in size, myotube alignment, myoblast migration, and membrane repair capacity in dysferlin-deficient myotubes and myofibers. Furthermore, increased membrane repair capacity of dysferlin-deficient myotubes, independent of increased myogenic maturation is apparent and co-localizes on the membrane of myotubes after a brief 10min treatment with labeled rHsGal-1. We show the carbohydrate recognition domain of Gal-1 is necessary for observed membrane repair. Improvements in membrane repair after only a 10 min rHsGal-1treatment suggest mechanical stabilization of the membrane due to interaction with glycosylated membrane bound, ECM or yet to be identified ligands through the CDR domain of Gal-1. rHsGal-1 shows calcium-independent membrane repair in dysferlin-deficient and wild-type myotubes and myofibers. Together our novel results reveal Gal-1 mediates disease pathologies through both changes in integral myogenic protein expression and mechanical membrane stabilization.

Platelet endothelial aggregation receptor-1 regulates bovine muscle satellite cell migration and differentiation via integrin beta-1 and focal adhesion kinase

PEAR1 is highly expressed at bovine MDSC differentiation. However, its biological function remains unclear. Western blotting results showed that PEAR1 increased between day 0 and day 2 of cell differentiation and decreased from day 3. Moreover, scratch test showed that wound healing rate increased after PEAR1 overexpression and decreased upon its suppression. Meanwhile, we found that, upon PEAR1 induction, both the expression of the focal adhesion-associated and MyoG, and the myotube fusion rate increased. However, when PEAR1 was suppressed, opposite results were obtained. Immunoprecipitation revealed an association between PEAR1 and ITGB1. Notably, inhibition of FAK and ITGB1 repressed cell differentiation. In conclusion, our study indicated that PEAR1 is involved in the regulation of bovine MDSC migration and differentiation.

The regulatory role of Myomaker and Myomixer-Myomerger-Minion in muscle development and regeneration

Skeletal muscle plays essential roles in motor function, energy, and glucose metabolism. Skeletal muscle formation occurs through a process called myogenesis, in which a crucial step is the fusion of mononucleated myoblasts to form multinucleated myofibers. The myoblast/myocyte fusion is triggered and coordinated in a muscle-specific way that is essential for muscle development and post-natal muscle regeneration. Many molecules and proteins have been found and demonstrated to have the capacity to regulate the fusion of myoblast/myocytes. Interestingly, two newly discovered muscle-specific membrane proteins, Myomaker and Myomixer (also called Myomerger and Minion), have been identified as fusogenic regulators in vertebrates. Both Myomaker and Myomixer-Myomerger-Minion have the capacity to directly control the myogenic fusion process. Here, we review and discuss the latest studies related to these two proteins, including the discovery, structure, expression pattern, functions, and regulation of Myomaker and Myomixer-Myomerger-Minion. We also emphasize and discuss the interaction between Myomaker and Myomixer-Myomerger-Minion, as well as their cooperative regulatory roles in cell-cell fusion. Moreover, we highlight the areas for exploration of Myomaker and Myomixer-Myomerger-Minion in future studies and consider their potential application to control cell fusion for cell-therapy purposes.

Mechanisms regulating myoblast fusion: A multilevel interplay

Myoblast fusion into myotubes is one of the crucial steps of skeletal muscle development (myogenesis). The fusion is preceded by specification of a myogenic lineage (mesodermal progenitors) differentiating into myoblasts and is followed by myofiber-type specification and neuromuscular junction formation. Similarly to other processes of myogenesis, the fusion requires a very precise spatial and temporal regulation occuring both during embryonic development as well as regeneration and repair of the muscle. A plethora of genes and their products is involved in regulation of myoblast fusion and a precise multilevel interplay between them is crucial for myogenic cells to fuse. In this review, we describe both cellular events taking place during myoblast fusion (migration, adhesion, elongation, cell-cell recognition, alignment, and fusion of myoblast membranes enabling formation of myotubes) as well as recent findings on mechanisms regulating this process. Also, we present muscle disorders in humans that have been associated with defects in genes involved in regulation of myoblast fusion.

Human and mouse skeletal muscle stem and progenitor cells in health and disease

The proper functioning of tissues and organs depends on their ability to self-renew and repair. Some of the tissues, like epithelia, renew almost constantly while in the others this process is induced by injury or diseases. The stem or progenitor cells responsible for tissue homeostasis have been identified in many organs. Some of them, such as hematopoietic or intestinal epithelium stem cells, are multipotent and can differentiate into various cell types. Others are unipotent. The skeletal muscle tissue does not self-renew spontaneously, however, it presents unique ability to regenerate in response to the injury or disease. Its repair almost exclusively relies on unipotent satellite cells. However, multiple lines of evidence document that some progenitor cells present in the muscle can be supportive for skeletal muscle regeneration. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on the complicated landscape of stem and progenitor cells that exist in skeletal muscle and support its regeneration. We compare the cells from two model organisms, i.e., mouse and human, documenting their similarities and differences and indicating methods to test their ability to undergo myogenic differentiation.

Nutrient restriction and migration of turkey satellite cells

Post hatch muscle growth and the repair or regeneration of muscle after myofiber injury is mediated by satellite cells. Satellite cells proliferate, migrate, differentiate, and fuse with growing or regenerating myofibers. The proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells are affected by nutrition, but it is unknown how nutrition impacts satellite cell migration. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of a nutrient restriction on satellite cell migration. Satellite cells from the pectoralis major muscle of 1 and 49-day-old Randombred Control Line 2 turkeys were grown in culture, and migration was measured using a wound healing assay. Nutrient restrictions of 0, 5, 10, and 20% of the standard culture medium were applied starting immediately after scratch or 24 h prior to scratch. Nutrient restrictions of 5 and 20% increased 1 D satellite cell migration at 6 h post scratch compared to 1 D satellite cells with standard culture medium but had no effect after 12 h post scratch. Nutrient restrictions started 24 h prior to scratch increased 1 D satellite cell migration at 6 and 12 h post scratch compared to nutrient restrictions started immediately after scratch. The migration of 49 D satellite cells was not affected by the percentage or timing of the nutrient restriction. These data suggest that nutrition has only a minor effect on the migration of turkey pectoralis major muscle satellite cells. Therefore, the influence of nutrition on satellite cell migration is likely not an important factor for evaluating poultry diet formulations to optimize muscle growth and structure for improved meat protein and fat content as well as meat texture.

Oxytocin is involved in steroid hormone-stimulated bovine satellite cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro

Sex steroid hormones are used in the meat industry due to their ability to regulate muscle hypertrophy. However, the mechanisms underlying their action are not fully elucidated. Recent reports demonstrate that steroid hormones increase oxytocin (OXT) expression in skeletal muscle, indicating that OXT may play a role in satellite cell activity. This hypothesis was tested using steroid hormones (17β-estradiol [E2]; trenbolone acetate [TBA]), tamoxifen (TAM), OXT, and atosiban (A: OXT receptor inhibitor) applied to bovine satellite cells (BSCs) to investigate BSC regulation by OXT. Oxytocin alone increased fusion index (P < 0.05) but not BSC proliferation. Oxytocin reduced (P < 0.05) apoptotic nuclei and stimulated migration rate (P < 0.05). Similarly, E2 and TBA increased (P < 0.05) BSC proliferation rate, fusion index, and migration and decreased (P < 0.05) apoptotic nuclei. 17β-Estradiol or TBA supplemented with A had lower (P < 0.05) BSC proliferation rate, fusion index, and migration and more (P < 0.05) apoptotic nuclei compared with E2 or TBA alone. Furthermore, OXT expression increased (P < 0.05) in E2 or TBA-treated proliferating BSC. Oxytocin, E2, and TBA increased (P < 0.05) MyoD and MyoG expression in proliferating BSC. During BSC differentiation, OXT expression increased (P < 0.05) with E2 or TBA treatments. MyoG expression increased (P < 0.05) in OXT, E2, and TBA compared with control. However, A, OXT + A, TAM, TAM + OXT, E2 + TAM, E2 + A, and TBA + A decreased (P < 0.05) MyoG expression during BSC differentiation. These results indicate that OXT is involved in steroid hormone-stimulated BSC activity.

CD164 promotes tumor progression and predicts the poor prognosis of bladder cancer

CD164 was found to play a role in many malignant diseases. But the roles of CD164 in human bladder cancer have not yet been studied. The object of our study was to investigate the functions of CD164 in urothelial bladder carcinoma. The immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to evaluate the associations between the expression level of CD164 and clinical‐pathological features of patients, and IHC was used to analyze the relationship between CD164 and CXCR4 in tumor tissues. Real‐time qPCR and Western blot were used to measure the expression of relevant genes. The roles of CD164 in tumor cells and tissues were investigated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results of immunohistochemistry found that CD164 was associated with clinical and pathological features of patients. High level of CD164 was related to the distant metastasis and vascular invasion of bladder cancer patients. In vitro, by silencing of CD164, the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells were inhibited significantly by regulating related proteins such as Ki67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, matrix metalloproteinases‐2, and matrix metalloproteinases‐9. In vivo, knocking‐down of CD164 could reduce the growth and metastasis of tumors in mice. In addition, a co‐expression was found between CD164 and CXCR4 in tumor tissues. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that CD164 was associated with the poor clinical outcomes of BC patients. Silencing of CD164 could inhibit the progression of tumors in vivo and in vitro, which may become an effective target in the treatment of bladder cancer.

Inferring cell state by quantitative motility analysis reveals a dynamic state system and broken detailed balance

Cell populations display heterogeneous and dynamic phenotypic states at multiple scales. Similar to molecular features commonly used to explore cell heterogeneity, cell behavior is a rich phenotypic space that may allow for identification of relevant cell states. Inference of cell state from cell behavior across a time course may enable the investigation of dynamics of transitions between heterogeneous cell states, a task difficult to perform with destructive molecular observations. Cell motility is one such easily observed cell behavior with known biomedical relevance. To investigate heterogenous cell states and their dynamics through the lens of cell behavior, we developed Heteromotility, a software tool to extract quantitative motility features from timelapse cell images. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), myoblasts, and muscle stem cells (MuSCs), Heteromotility analysis identifies multiple motility phenotypes within the population. In all three systems, the motility state identity of individual cells is dynamic. Quantification of state transitions reveals that MuSCs undergoing activation transition through progressive motility states toward the myoblast phenotype. Transition rates during MuSC activation suggest non-linear kinetics. By probability flux analysis, we find that this MuSC motility state system breaks detailed balance, while the MEF and myoblast systems do not. Balanced behavior state transitions can be captured by equilibrium formalisms, while unbalanced switching between states violates equilibrium conditions and would require an external driving force. Our data indicate that the system regulating cell behavior can be decomposed into a set of attractor states which depend on the identity of the cell, together with a set of transitions between states. These results support a conceptual view of cell populations as dynamical systems, responding to inputs from signaling pathways and generating outputs in the form of state transitions and observable motile behaviors.

The microprotein Minion controls cell fusion and muscle formation

Although recent evidence has pointed to the existence of small open reading frame (smORF)-encoded microproteins in mammals, their function remains to be determined. Skeletal muscle development requires fusion of mononuclear progenitors to form multinucleated myotubes, a critical but poorly understood process. Here we report the identification of Minion (microprotein inducer of fusion), a smORF encoding an essential skeletal muscle specific microprotein. Myogenic progenitors lacking Minion differentiate normally but fail to form syncytial myotubes, and Minion-deficient mice die perinatally and demonstrate a marked reduction in fused muscle fibres. The fusogenic activity of Minion is conserved in the human orthologue, and co-expression of Minion and the transmembrane protein Myomaker is sufficient to induce cellular fusion accompanied by rapid cytoskeletal rearrangement, even in non-muscle cells. These findings establish Minion as a novel microprotein required for muscle development, and define a two-component programme for the induction of mammalian cell fusion. Moreover, these data also significantly expand the known functions of smORF-encoded microproteins.

Preoperative overnight parenteral nutrition (TPN) improves skeletal muscle protein metabolism indicated by microarray algorithm analyses in a randomized trial

Loss of muscle mass is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Uncertainties of treatment efficiency by short‐term artificial nutrition remain, specifically improvement of protein balance in skeletal muscles. In this study, algorithmic microarray analysis was applied to map cellular changes related to muscle protein metabolism in human skeletal muscle tissue during provision of overnight preoperative total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Twenty‐two patients (11/group) scheduled for upper GI surgery due to malignant or benign disease received a continuous peripheral all‐in‐one TPN infusion (30 kcal/kg/day, 0.16 gN/kg/day) or saline infusion for 12 h prior operation. Biopsies from the rectus abdominis muscle were taken at the start of operation for isolation of muscle RNA. RNA expression microarray analyses were performed with Agilent Sureprint G3, 8 × 60K arrays using one‐color labeling. 447 mRNAs were differently expressed between study and control patients (P < 0.1). mRNAs related to ribosomal biogenesis, mRNA processing, and translation were upregulated during overnight nutrition; particularly anabolic signaling S6K1 (P < 0.01–0.1). Transcripts of genes associated with lysosomal degradation showed consistently lower expression during TPN while mRNAs for ubiquitin‐mediated degradation of proteins as well as transcripts related to intracellular signaling pathways, PI3 kinase/MAPkinase, were either increased or decreased. In conclusion, muscle mRNA alterations during overnight standard TPN infusions at constant rate altered mRNAs associated with mTOR signaling; increased initiation of protein translation; and suppressed autophagy/lysosomal degradation of proteins. This indicates that overnight preoperative parenteral nutrition is effective to promote muscle protein metabolism.

BRE facilitates skeletal muscle regeneration by promoting satellite cell motility and differentiation

The function of the Bre gene in satellite cells was investigated during skeletal muscle regeneration. The tibialis anterior leg muscle was experimentally injured in Bre knockout mutant (BRE-KO) mice. It was established that the accompanying muscle regeneration was impaired as compared with their normal wild-type counterparts (BRE-WT). There were significantly fewer pax7⁺ satellite cells and smaller newly formed myofibers present in the injury sites of BRE-KO mice. Bre was required for satellite cell fusion and myofiber formation. The cell fusion index and average length of newly-formed BRE-KO myofibers were found to be significantly reduced as compared with BRE-WT myofibers. It is well established that satellite cells are highly invasive which confers on them the homing ability to reach the muscle injury sites. Hence, we tracked the migratory behavior of these cells using time-lapse microscopy. Image analysis revealed no difference in directionality of movement between BRE-KO and BRE-WT satellite cells but there was a significant decrease in the velocity of BRE-KO cell movement. Moreover, chemotactic migration assays indicated that BRE-KO satellite cells were significantly less responsive to chemoattractant SDF-1α than BRE-WT satellite cells. We also established that BRE normally protects CXCR4 from SDF-1α-induced degradation. In sum, BRE facilitates skeletal muscle regeneration by enhancing satellite cell motility, homing and fusion.

Summary: BRE facilitates skeletal muscle regeneration by promoting satellite cell motility and differentiation, probably by protecting CXCR4 from degradation.

A Novel Locus Harbouring a Functional CD164 Nonsense Mutation Identified in a Large Danish Family with Nonsyndromic Hearing Impairment

Nonsyndromic hearing impairment (NSHI) is a highly heterogeneous condition with more than eighty known causative genes. However, in the clinical setting, a large number of NSHI families have unexplained etiology, suggesting that there are many more genes to be identified. In this study we used SNP-based linkage analysis and follow up microsatellite markers to identify a novel locus (DFNA66) on chromosome 6q15-21 (LOD 5.1) in a large Danish family with dominantly inherited NSHI. By locus specific capture and next-generation sequencing, we identified a c.574C>T heterozygous nonsense mutation (p.R192*) in CD164. This gene encodes a 197 amino acid transmembrane sialomucin (known as endolyn, MUC-24 or CD164), which is widely expressed and involved in cell adhesion and migration. The mutation segregated with the phenotype and was absent in 1200 Danish control individuals and in databases with whole-genome and exome sequence data. The predicted effect of the mutation was a truncation of the last six C-terminal residues of the cytoplasmic tail of CD164, including a highly conserved canonical sorting motif (YXXФ). In whole blood from an affected individual, we found by RT-PCR both the wild-type and the mutated transcript suggesting that the mutant transcript escapes nonsense mediated decay. Functional studies in HEK cells demonstrated that the truncated protein was almost completely retained on the plasma cell membrane in contrast to the wild-type protein, which targeted primarily to the endo-lysosomal compartments, implicating failed endocytosis as a possible disease mechanism. In the mouse ear, we found CD164 expressed in the inner and outer hair cells of the organ of Corti, as well as in other locations in the cochlear duct. In conclusion, we have identified a new DFNA locus located on chromosome 6q15-21 and implicated CD164 as a novel gene for hearing impairment.

Long-Term Endurance Exercise in Humans Stimulates Cell Fusion of Myoblasts along with Fusogenic Endogenous Retroviral Genes In Vivo

Myogenesis is defined as growth, differentiation and repair of muscles where cell fusion of myoblasts to multinucleated myofibers is one major characteristic. Other cell fusion events in humans are found with bone resorbing osteoclasts and placental syncytiotrophoblasts. No unifying gene regulation for natural cell fusions has been found. We analyzed skeletal muscle biopsies of competitive cyclists for muscle-specific attributes and expression of human endogenous retrovirus (ERV) envelope genes due to their involvement in cell fusion of osteoclasts and syncytiotrophoblasts. Comparing muscle biopsies from post- with the pre-competitive seasons a significant 2.25-fold increase of myonuclei/mm fiber, a 2.38-fold decrease of fiber area/nucleus and a 3.1-fold decrease of satellite cells (SCs) occurred. We propose that during the pre-competitive season SC proliferation occurred following with increased cell fusion during the competitive season. Expression of twenty-two envelope genes of muscle biopsies demonstrated a significant increase of putative muscle-cell fusogenic genes Syncytin-1 and Syncytin-3, but also for the non-fusogenic erv3. Immunohistochemistry analyses showed that Syncytin-1 mainly localized to the sarcolemma of myofibers positive for myosin heavy-chain isotypes. Cellular receptors SLC1A4 and SLC1A5 of Syncytin-1 showed significant decrease of expression in post-competitive muscles compared with the pre-competitive season, but only SLC1A4 protein expression localized throughout the myofiber. Erv3 protein was strongly expressed throughout the myofiber, whereas envK1-7 localized to SC nuclei and myonuclei. Syncytin-1 transcription factors, PPARγ and RXRα, showed no protein expression in the myofiber, whereas the pCREB-Ser133 activator of Syncytin-1 was enriched to SC nuclei and myonuclei. Syncytin-1, Syncytin-3, SLC1A4 and PAX7 gene regulations along with MyoD1 and myogenin were verified during proliferating or actively-fusing human primary myoblast cell cultures, resembling muscle biopsies of cyclists. Myoblast treatment with anti-Synycytin-1 abrogated cell fusion in vitro. Our findings support functional roles for ERV envelope proteins, especially Syncytin-1, contributing to cell fusion of myotubes.

The Shh coreceptor Cdo is required for differentiation of midbrain dopaminergic neurons

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling is required for numerous developmental processes including specification of ventral cell types in the central nervous system such as midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons. The multifunctional coreceptor Cdo increases the signaling activity of Shh which is crucial for development of forebrain and neural tube. In this study, we investigated the role of Cdo in midbrain DA neurogenesis. Cdo and Shh signaling components are induced during neurogenesis of embryonic stem (ES) cells. Cdo(-/-) ES cells show reduced neuronal differentiation accompanied by increased cell death upon neuronal induction. In addition, Cdo(-/-) ES cells form fewer tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2)-positive DA neurons correlating with the decreased expression of key regulators of DA neurogenesis, such as Shh, Neurogenin2, Mash1, Foxa2, Lmx1a, Nurr1 and Pitx3, relative to the Cdo(+/+) ES cells. Consistently, the Cdo(-/-) embryonic midbrain displays a reduction in expression of TH and Nurr1. Furthermore, activation of Shh signaling by treatment with Purmorphamine (Pur) restores the DA neurogenesis of Cdo(-/-) ES cells, suggesting that Cdo is required for the full Shh signaling activation to induce efficient DA neurogenesis.

The Longissimus and Semimembranosus muscles display marked differences in their gene expression profiles in pig

BACKGROUND

Meat quality depends on skeletal muscle structure and metabolic properties. While most studies carried on pigs focus on the Longissimus muscle (LM) for fresh meat consumption, Semimembranosus (SM) is also of interest because of its importance for cooked ham production. Even if both muscles are classified as glycolytic muscles, they exhibit dissimilar myofiber composition and metabolic characteristics. The comparison of LM and SM transcriptome profiles undertaken in this study may thus clarify the biological events underlying their phenotypic differences which might influence several meat quality traits.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Muscular transcriptome analyses were performed using a custom pig muscle microarray: the 15 K Genmascqchip. A total of 3823 genes were differentially expressed between the two muscles (Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted P value ≤0.05), out of which 1690 and 2133 were overrepresented in LM and SM respectively. The microarray data were validated using the expression level of seven differentially expressed genes quantified by real-time RT-PCR. A set of 1047 differentially expressed genes with a muscle fold change ratio above 1.5 was used for functional characterization. Functional annotation emphasized five main clusters associated to transcriptome muscle differences. These five clusters were related to energy metabolism, cell cycle, gene expression, anatomical structure development and signal transduction/immune response.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

This study revealed strong transcriptome differences between LM and SM. These results suggest that skeletal muscle discrepancies might arise essentially from different post-natal myogenic activities.

The CXCR4/SDF1 axis improves muscle regeneration through MMP-10 activity

The CXCR4/SDF1 axis participates in various cellular processes, including cell migration, which is essential for skeletal muscle repair. Although increasing evidence has confirmed the role of CXCR4/SDF1 in embryonic muscle development, the function of this pathway during adult myogenesis remains to be fully elucidated. In addition, a role for CXCR4 signaling in muscle maintenance and repair has only recently emerged. Here, we have demonstrated that CXCR4 and stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF1) are up-regulated in injured muscle, suggesting their involvement in the repair process. In addition, we found that notexin-damaged muscles showed delayed muscle regeneration on treatment with CXCR4 agonist (AMD3100). Accordingly, small-interfering RNA-mediated silencing of SDF1 or CXCR4 in injured muscles impaired muscle regeneration, whereas the addition of SDF1 ligand accelerated repair. Furthermore, we identified that CXCR4/SDF1-regulated muscle repair was dependent on matrix metalloproteinase-10 (MMP-10) activity. Thus, our findings support a model in which MMP-10 activity modulates CXCR4/SDF1 signaling, which is essential for efficient skeletal muscle regeneration.

CD164 regulates the tumorigenesis of ovarian surface epithelial cells through the SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis

Background

CD164 (endolyn), a sialomucin, has been reported to play a role in the proliferation, adhesion, and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells. The potential association of CD164 with tumorigenicity remains unclear.

Methods

The clinicopathological correlation of ovarian cancer with CD164 was assessed in a 97-patient tumor tissue microarray. Overexpression or silence CD164 was to analyze the effect of CD164 on the proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis via a mouse xenograft and western blotting analysis. The subcellular localization of CD164 was collected in the immunohistochemical and confocal analysis.

Results

Our data demonstrated that higher expression levels of CD164 were identified in malignant ovarian cancer cell lines, such as SKOV3 and HeyA8. The clinicopathological correlation analysis showed that the upregulation of CD164 protein was significantly associated with tumor grade and metastasis. The overexpression of CD164 in human ovarian epithelial surface cells promoted cellular proliferation and colony formation and suppressed apoptosis. These tumorigenicity effects of CD164 were reconfirmed in a mouse xenograft model. We also found that the overexpression of CD164 proteins increased the amounts of CXCR4 and SDF-1α and activated the SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis, inducing colony and sphere formation. Finally, we identified the subcellular localization of CD164 in the nucleus and cytosol and found that nuclear CD164 might be involved in the regulation of the activity of the CXCR4 promoter.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the increased expression of CD164 is involved in ovarian cancer progression via the SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis, which promotes tumorigenicity. Thus, targeting CD164 may serve as a potential ovarian cancer biomarker, and targeting CD164 may serve as a therapeutic modality in the management of high-grade ovarian tumors.

The N-BAR domain protein, Bin3, regulates Rac1- and Cdc42-dependent processes in myogenesis

Actin dynamics are necessary at multiple steps in the formation of multinucleated muscle cells. BAR domain proteins can regulate actin dynamics in several cell types, but have been little studied in skeletal muscle. Here, we identify novel functions for the N-BAR domain protein, Bridging integrator 3 (Bin3), during myogenesis in mice. Bin3 plays an important role in regulating myofiber size in vitro and in vivo. During early myogenesis, Bin3 promotes migration of differentiated muscle cells, where it colocalizes with F-actin in lamellipodia. In addition, Bin3 forms a complex with Rac1 and Cdc42, Rho GTPases involved in actin polymerization, which are known to be essential for myotube formation. Importantly, a Bin3-dependent pathway is a major regulator of Rac1 and Cdc42 activity in differentiated muscle cells. Overall, these data classify N-BAR domain proteins as novel regulators of actin-dependent processes in myogenesis, and further implicate BAR domain proteins in muscle growth and repair.

RNAi screen reveals potentially novel roles of cytokines in myoblast differentiation

Cytokines are cell-secreted signaling molecules that modulate various cellular functions, with the best-characterized roles in immune responses. The expression of numerous cytokines in skeletal muscle tissues and muscle cells has been reported, but their function in skeletal myogenesis, the formation of skeletal muscle, has been largely underexplored. To systematically examine the potential roles of cytokines in skeletal myogenesis, we undertook an RNAi screen of 134 mouse cytokine genes for their involvement in the differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts. Our results have uncovered 29 cytokines as strong candidates for novel myogenic regulators, potentially conferring positive and negative regulation at distinct stages of myogenesis. These candidates represent a diverse collection of cytokine families, including interleukins, TNF-related factors, and chemokines. Our findings suggest the fundamental importance of cytokines in the cell-autonomous regulation of myoblast differentiation, and may facilitate future identification of novel therapeutic targets for improving muscle regeneration and growth in health and diseases.

Flt3L is a novel regulator of skeletal myogenesis

Various cues initiate multiple signaling pathways to regulate the highly coordinated process of skeletal myogenesis. Myoblast differentiation comprises a series of ordered events starting with cell cycle withdrawal and ending with myocyte fusion, with each step probably controlled by multiple extracellular signals and intracellular signaling pathways. Here we report the identification of Fms-like tyrokine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) signaling as a novel regulator of skeletal myogenesis. Flt3L is a multifunctional cytokine in immune cells, but its involvement in skeletal muscle formation has not been reported. We found that Flt3L is expressed in C2C12 myoblasts, with levels increasing throughout differentiation. Knockdown of Flt3L, or its receptor Flt3, suppresses myoblast differentiation, which is rescued by recombinant Flt3L or Flt3, respectively. Differentiation is not rescued, however, by recombinant ligand when the receptor is knocked down, or vice versa, suggesting that Flt3L and Flt3 function together. Flt3L knockdown also inhibits differentiation in mouse primary myoblasts. Both Flt3L and Flt3 are highly expressed in nascent myofibers during muscle regeneration in vivo, and Flt3L siRNA impairs muscle regeneration, validating the physiological significance of Flt3L function in myogenesis. We have identified a cellular mechanism for the myogenic function of Flt3L, as we show that Flt3L promotes cell cycle exit that is necessary for myogenic differentiation. Furthermore, we identify Erk as a relevant target of Flt3L signaling during myogenesis, and demonstrate that Flt3L suppresses Erk signaling through p120RasGAP. In summary, our work reveals an unexpected role for an immunoregulatory cytokine in skeletal myogenesis and a new myogenic pathway.

Requirement of plasminogen binding to its cell-surface receptor α-enolase for efficient regeneration of normal and dystrophic skeletal muscle

Adult regenerative myogenesis is central for restoring normal tissue structure and function after muscle damage. In muscle repair after injury, as in severe myopathies, damaged and necrotic fibers are removed by infiltrating inflammatory cells and then replaced by muscle stem cells or satellite cells, which will fuse to form new myofibers. Extracellular proteolysis mediated by uPA-generated plasmin plays a critical role in controlling inflammation and satellite-cell-dependent myogenesis. α-enolase has been described as plasminogen receptor in several cell types, where it acts concentrating plasmin proteolytic activity on the cell surface. In this study, we investigated whether α-enolase plasminogen receptor plays a regulatory role during the muscular repair process. Inhibitors of α-enolase/plasminogen binding: MAb11G1 (a monoclonal antibody against α-enolase) and ε-aminocaproic acid, EACA (a lysine analogue) inhibited the myogenic abilities of satellite cells-derived myoblasts. Furthermore, knockdown of α-enolase decreased myogenic fusion of myoblasts. Injured wild-type mice and dystrophic mdx mice were also treated with MAb11G1 and EACA. These treatments had negative impacts on muscle repair impairing satellite cell functions in vitro in agreement with blunted growth of new myofibers in vivo. Furthermore, both MAb11G1 and EACA treatments impaired adequate inflammatory cell infiltration and promoted extracellular matrix deposition in vivo, which resulted in persistent degeneration. These results demonstrate the novel requirement of α-enolase for restoring homeostasis of injured muscle tissue, by controlling the pericellular localization of plasmin activity.

Migration of turkey muscle satellite cells is enhanced by the syndecan-4 cytoplasmic domain through the activation of RhoA

Syndecan-4 (S4) is a cell membrane-associated heparan sulfate proteoglycan that forms oligomers in muscle satellite cells. The S4 oligomers activate protein kinase Cα (PKCα) through the S4 cytoplasmic domain and may regulate the activation of ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA), a signal transduction molecule down-stream of PKCα which is thought to influence cell migration. However, little is known about the function of the S4 cytoplasmic domain in satellite cell migration and RhoA activation. The objective of the current study was to determine the function of S4 and its cytoplasmic domain in cell migration and RhoA activation. To study the objective, clones of S4 and S4 without the cytoplasmic domain (S4C) were used in overexpression studies, and small interference RNAs targeting S4 or RhoA were used in knockdown studies. Satellite cell migration was increased by S4 overexpression, but decreased by the knockdown or deletion of the S4 cytoplasmic domain. The RhoA protein was activated by the overexpression of S4, but not with the deletion of the S4 cytoplasmic domain. The treatment of Rho activator II or the knockdown of RhoA also modulated satellite cell migration. Finally, co-transfection (S4 overexpression and RhoA knockdown) and rescue (the knockdown of S4 and the treatment with Rho activator II) studies demonstrated that S4-mediated satellite cell migration was regulated through the activation of RhoA. The cytoplasmic domain of S4 is required for cell migration and RhoA activation which will affect muscle fiber formation.

Apical targeting and endocytosis of the sialomucin endolyn are essential for establishment of zebrafish pronephric kidney function

Kidney function requires the appropriate distribution of membrane proteins between the apical and basolateral surfaces along the kidney tubule. Further, the absolute amount of a protein at the cell surface versus intracellular compartments must be attuned to specific physiological needs. Endolyn (CD164) is a transmembrane protein that is expressed at the brush border and in apical endosomes of the proximal convoluted tubule and in lysosomes of more distal segments of the kidney. Endolyn has been shown to regulate CXCR4 signaling in hematopoietic precursor cells and myoblasts; however, little is known about endolyn function in the adult or developing kidney. Here we identify endolyn as a gene important for zebrafish pronephric kidney function. Zebrafish endolyn lacks the N-terminal mucin-like domain of the mammalian protein, but is otherwise highly conserved. Using in situ hybridization we show that endolyn is expressed early during development in zebrafish brain, eye, gut and pronephric kidney. Embryos injected with a translation-inhibiting morpholino oligonucleotide targeted against endolyn developed pericardial edema, hydrocephaly and body curvature. The pronephric kidney appeared normal morphologically, but clearance of fluorescent dextran injected into the common cardinal vein was delayed, consistent with a defect in the regulation of water balance in morphant embryos. Heterologous expression of rat endolyn rescued the morphant phenotypes. Interestingly, rescue experiments using mutant rat endolyn constructs revealed that both apical sorting and endocytic/lysosomal targeting motifs are required for normal pronephric kidney function. This suggests that both polarized targeting and postendocytic trafficking of endolyn are essential for the protein's proper function in mammalian kidney.

Myoblast fusion: lessons from flies and mice

The fusion of myoblasts into multinucleate syncytia plays a fundamental role in muscle function, as it supports the formation of extended sarcomeric arrays, or myofibrils, within a large volume of cytoplasm. Principles learned from the study of myoblast fusion not only enhance our understanding of myogenesis, but also contribute to our perspectives on membrane fusion and cell-cell fusion in a wide array of model organisms and experimental systems. Recent studies have advanced our views of the cell biological processes and crucial proteins that drive myoblast fusion. Here, we provide an overview of myoblast fusion in three model systems that have contributed much to our understanding of these events: the Drosophila embryo; developing and regenerating mouse muscle; and cultured rodent muscle cells.

CD34 promotes satellite cell motility and entry into proliferation to facilitate efficient skeletal muscle regeneration

Expression of the cell surface sialomucin CD34 is common to many adult stem cell types, including muscle satellite cells. However, no clear stem cell or regeneration-related phenotype has ever been reported in mice lacking CD34, and its function on these cells remains poorly understood. Here, we assess the functional role of CD34 on satellite cell-mediated muscle regeneration. We show that Cd34(-/-) mice, which have no obvious developmental phenotype, display a defect in muscle regeneration when challenged with either acute or chronic muscle injury. This regenerative defect is caused by impaired entry into proliferation and delayed myogenic progression. Consistent with the reported antiadhesive function of CD34, knockout satellite cells also show decreased motility along their host myofiber. Altogether, our results identify a role for CD34 in the poorly understood early steps of satellite cell activation and provide the first evidence that beyond being a stem cell marker, CD34 may play an important function in modulating stem cell activity.

Inhibiting CD164 expression in colon cancer cell line HCT116 leads to reduced cancer cell proliferation, mobility, and metastasis in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND

CD164 (Endolyn) is a sialomucin, which has been found to play roles in regulating proliferation, adhesion, and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells. Possible association of CD164 with solid cancer development remains unknown.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We first studied CD164 expression in biopsies from colorectal cancer, breast, and ovary cancer patients by semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry, and found that CD164 was strongly expressed in all the colorectal cancer samples compared to the matching normal colon tissues. The possible roles of CD164 in colon cancer development were further investigated using a well-established human colon cancer cell line HCT116. We found that knockdown of CD164 expression in HCT116 cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation, mobility, and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. The knockdown of CD164 expression was associated with decreased chemokine receptor CXCR4 expression HCT116 cell surface and immunoprecipitation studies showed that CD164 formed complexes with CXCR4.

CONCLUSIONS

CD164 is highly expressed in the colon cancer sites, and it promotes HCT116 colon cancer cell proliferation and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo, and the effects may act through regulating CXCR4 signaling pathway. Therefore, CD164 may be a new target for diagnosis and treatment for colon cancer.

Intercellular protein movement in syncytial Drosophila follicle cells

Ring canals connecting Drosophila germline, follicle and imaginal disc cells provide direct contact of cytoplasm between cells. To date, little is known about the formation, structure, or function of the somatic ring canals present in follicle and imaginal disc cells. Here, we show by confocal and electron microscopy that Pavarotti kinesin-like protein and Visgun are stable components of somatic ring canals. Using live-cell confocal microscopy, we show that somatic ring canals form from the stabilization of mitotic cleavage furrows. In contrast to germline cells, syncytial follicle cells do not divide synchronously, are not maximally branched and their ring canals do not increase in size during egg chamber development. We show for the first time that somatic ring canals permit exchange of cytoplasmic proteins between follicle cells. These results provide insight into the composition and function of ring canals in somatic cells, implying a broader functional significance for syncytial organization of cells outside the germline.

Eph/ephrin interactions modulate muscle satellite cell motility and patterning

During development and regeneration, directed migration of cells, including neural crest cells, endothelial cells, axonal growth cones and many types of adult stem cells, to specific areas distant from their origin is necessary for their function. We have recently shown that adult skeletal muscle stem cells (satellite cells), once activated by isolation or injury, are a highly motile population with the potential to respond to multiple guidance cues, based on their expression of classical guidance receptors. We show here that, in vivo, differentiated and regenerating myofibers dynamically express a subset of ephrin guidance ligands, as well as Eph receptors. This expression has previously only been examined in the context of muscle-nerve interactions; however, we propose that it might also play a role in satellite cell-mediated muscle repair. Therefore, we investigated whether Eph-ephrin signaling would produce changes in satellite cell directional motility. Using a classical ephrin 'stripe' assay, we found that satellite cells respond to a subset of ephrins with repulsive behavior in vitro; patterning of differentiating myotubes is also parallel to ephrin stripes. This behavior can be replicated in a heterologous in vivo system, the hindbrain of the developing quail, in which neural crest cells are directed in streams to the branchial arches and to the forelimb of the developing quail, where presumptive limb myoblasts emigrate from the somite. We hypothesize that guidance signaling might impact multiple steps in muscle regeneration, including escape from the niche, directed migration to sites of injury, cell-cell interactions among satellite cell progeny, and differentiation and patterning of regenerated muscle.

Molecular and cellular mechanisms of mammalian cell fusion

The fusion of one cell with another occurs in development, injury and disease. Despite the diversity of fusion events, five steps in sequence appear common. These steps include programming fusion-competent status, chemotaxis, membrane adhesion, membrane fusion, and post-fusion resetting. Recent advances in the field start to reveal the molecules involved in each step. This review focuses on some key molecules and cellular events of cell fusion in mammals. Increasing evidence demonstrates that membrane lipid rafts, adhesion proteins and actin rearrangement are critical in the final step of membrane fusion. Here we propose a new model for the formation and expansion of membrane fusion pores based on recent observations on myotube formation. In this model, membrane lipid rafts first recruit adhesion molecules and align with opposing membranes, with the help of a cortical actin "wall" as a rigid supportive platform. Second, the membrane adhesion proteins interact with each other and trigger actin rearrangement, which leads to rapid dispersion of lipid rafts and flow of a highly fluidic phospholipid bilayer into the site. Finally, the opposing phospholipid bilayers are then pushed into direct contact leading to the formation of fusion pores by the force generated through actin polymerization. The actin polymerization generated force also drives the expansion of the fusion pores. However, several key questions about the process of cell fusion still remain to be explored. The understanding of the mechanisms of cell fusion may provide new opportunities in correcting development disorders or regenerating damaged tissues by inhibiting or promoting molecular events associated with fusion.

Distinct roles for classical nuclear import receptors in the growth of multinucleated muscle cells

Proper muscle function is dependent on spatial and temporal control of gene expression in myofibers. Myofibers are multinucleated cells that are formed, repaired and maintained by the process of myogenesis in which progenitor myoblasts proliferate, differentiate and fuse. Gene expression is dependent upon proteins that require facilitated nuclear import, however little is known about the regulation of nucleocytoplasmic transport during the formation of myofibers. We analyzed the role of karyopherin alpha (KPNA), a key classical nuclear import receptor, during myogenesis. We established that five karyopherin alpha paralogs are expressed by primary mouse myoblasts in vitro and that their steady-state levels increase in multinucleated myotubes, suggesting a global increase in demand for classical nuclear import during myogenesis. We used siRNA-mediated knockdown to identify paralog-specific roles for KPNA1 and KPNA2 during myogenesis. KPNA1 knockdown increased myoblast proliferation, whereas KPNA2 knockdown decreased proliferation. In contrast, no proliferation defect was observed with KPNA4 knockdown. Only knockdown of KPNA2 decreased myotube growth. These results identify distinct pathways involved in myoblast proliferation and myotube growth that rely on specific nuclear import receptors suggesting that regulation of classical nuclear import pathways likely plays a critical role in controlling gene expression in skeletal muscle.

Hes6 is required for actin cytoskeletal organization in differentiating C2C12 myoblasts

Hes6 is a member of the hairy-enhancer-of-split family of transcription factors that regulate proliferating cell fate in development and is known to be expressed in developing muscle. Here we investigate its function in myogenesis in vitro. We show that Hes6 is a direct transcriptional target of the myogenic transcription factors MyoD and Myf5, indicating that it is integral to the myogenic transcriptional program. The localization of Hes6 protein changes during differentiation, becoming predominantly nuclear. Knockdown of Hes6 mRNA levels by siRNA has no effect on cell cycle exit or induction of myosin heavy chain expression in differentiating C2C12 myoblasts, but F-actin filament formation is disrupted and both cell motility and myoblast fusion are reduced. The knockdown phenotype is rescued by expression of Hes6 cDNA resistant to siRNA. These results define a novel role for Hes6 in actin cytoskeletal dynamics in post mitotic myoblasts.

Adult skeletal muscle stem cell migration is mediated by a blebbing/amoeboid mechanism

Adult skeletal muscle possesses a resident stem cell population called satellite cells, which are responsible for tissue repair following damage. Satellite cell migration is crucial in promoting rapid tissue regeneration, but it is a poorly understood process. Furthermore, the mechanisms facilitating satellite cell movement have yet to be elucidated. This study investigates the process of satellite cell migration, revealing that they undergo two distinct phases of movement, first under the basal lamina and then rapidly increasing their velocity when on the myofiber surface. Most significantly, we show that satellite cells move using a highly dynamic blebbing or amoeboid-based mechanism and not via lamellipodia-mediated propulsion. We show that nitric oxide and noncanonical Wnt signaling pathways are necessary for regulating the formation of blebs and the migration of satellite cells. In summary, we propose that the formation of blebs and their necessity for satellite cell migration has significant implications in the future development of therapeutic regimes aimed at promoting skeletal muscle regeneration.