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Bouman K, Dittrich ATM, Groothuis JT, van Engelen BGM, Zweers-van Essen H, de Baaij-Daalmeyer A, Janssen MCH, Erasmus CE, Draaisma JMT, Voermans NC. Bone quality in LAMA2-related muscular dystrophy and SELENON-related congenital myopathy, a one-year prospective natural history study. Neuromuscul Disord 2024; 34:105-113. [PMID: 38160563 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2023.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Fragility fractures are frequently reported in neuromuscular diseases and negatively influence functional prognosis, quality of life and survival. In LAMA2-related muscular dystrophy (LAMA2-MD) and SELENON(SEPN1)-related congenital myopathy (SELENON-RM) cross-sectional and prospective natural history studies on bone quality and fragility long bone fractures (LBFs) are lacking. We therefore aim to systematically assess bone quality and provide recommendations for clinical care. We performed a one-year prospective natural history study in 21 LAMA2-MD and 10 SELENON-RM patients including a standardized fracture history and bone quality assessment through dual energy Xray absorptiometry scan (DEXA-scan) and/or bone health index (BHI). Ninety percent of the LAMA2-MD and SELENON-RM patients showed low bone quality. Eight (38%) LAMA2-MD and five (50%) SELENON-RM patients had a history of fragility LBFs. During the one-year follow-up period, one LAMA2-MD patient (female, 3 years) experienced a fragility LBF of the right humerus. We found no difference in bone mineral density between baseline and one-year follow-up. Based on general international guidelines for osteoporosis, we advise adequate vitamin D and calcium intake, and standardized clinical follow-up through a DEXA-scan or BHI in all LAMA2-MD and SELENON-RM patients. On indication, patients should be referred to the pediatrics or internal medicine for consideration of additional treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karlijn Bouman
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Anne T M Dittrich
- Department of Pediatrics, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jan T Groothuis
- Department of Rehabilitation, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Baziel G M van Engelen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Heidi Zweers-van Essen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anja de Baaij-Daalmeyer
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mirian C H Janssen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Corrie E Erasmus
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jos M T Draaisma
- Department of Pediatrics, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nicol C Voermans
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Lambert MR, Gussoni E. Tropomyosin 3 (TPM3) function in skeletal muscle and in myopathy. Skelet Muscle 2023; 13:18. [PMID: 37936227 PMCID: PMC10629095 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-023-00327-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The tropomyosin genes (TPM1-4) contribute to the functional diversity of skeletal muscle fibers. Since its discovery in 1988, the TPM3 gene has been recognized as an indispensable regulator of muscle contraction in slow muscle fibers. Recent advances suggest that TPM3 isoforms hold more extensive functions during skeletal muscle development and in postnatal muscle. Additionally, mutations in the TPM3 gene have been associated with the features of congenital myopathies. The use of different in vitro and in vivo model systems has leveraged the discovery of several disease mechanisms associated with TPM3-related myopathy. Yet, the precise mechanisms by which TPM3 mutations lead to muscle dysfunction remain unclear. This review consolidates over three decades of research about the role of TPM3 in skeletal muscle. Overall, the progress made has led to a better understanding of the phenotypic spectrum in patients affected by mutations in this gene. The comprehensive body of work generated over these decades has also laid robust groundwork for capturing the multiple functions this protein plays in muscle fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias R Lambert
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Emanuela Gussoni
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- The Stem Cell Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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Vandenabeele F, Stevens S, Snijders T, Stessel B, Dubois J, van Loon LJC, Lambrichts I, Agten A. Observations of nemaline bodies in muscle biopsies of critically ill patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Microscopy (Oxf) 2023; 72:388-394. [PMID: 36574223 DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfac072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) who have been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) often face months of physical disability after discharge. To optimize recovery, it is important to understand the role of musculoskeletal alterations in critically ill patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. The main aim of the present study was to describe the presence and morphology of nemaline bodies found in the skeletal muscle tissue from critically ill patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. In n = 7 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, ultrastructural characteristics of vastus lateralis muscle obtained on days 1-3 and days 5-8 following ICU admission were investigated in more detail with electron microscopy. Those muscle biopsies consistently showed variable degrees of myofiber necrosis and myofibrillar disorganization. In 4/7 (57%) patients on days 5-8, the Z-line material accumulated into nemaline bodies with a typical lattice-like appearance at higher magnification, similar to that found in nemaline myopathy. This study is the first to describe the disintegration of myofibrils and the accumulation of Z-line material into nemaline bodies in the skeletal muscle tissue obtained from critically ill coronavirus disease-19 patients following ICU admission, which should be interpreted primarily as a non-specific pathological response of extreme myofibrillar disintegration associated with myofiber necrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Vandenabeele
- Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan, Building A, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
| | - Sjoerd Stevens
- Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan, Building A, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
- Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Stadsomvaart 11, Hasselt 3500, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Snijders
- Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Stadsomvaart 11, Hasselt 3500, The Netherlands
| | - Björn Stessel
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Jessa Hospital, Universiteitssingel 50, Maastricht 6229 ER, Belgium
- Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan, Building C, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
| | - Jasperina Dubois
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Jessa Hospital, Universiteitssingel 50, Maastricht 6229 ER, Belgium
| | - Luc J C van Loon
- Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Stadsomvaart 11, Hasselt 3500, The Netherlands
| | - Ivo Lambrichts
- Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan, Building C, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
| | - Anouk Agten
- Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan, Building A, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
- U-RISE-UHasselt Research Group on Innovative and Society-Engaged Education, School for Educational Studies, Hasselt University, Wetenschapspark 24, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
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Gineste C, Laporte J. Therapeutic approaches in different congenital myopathies. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2023; 68:102328. [PMID: 36512981 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2022.102328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Congenital myopathies are rare and severe genetic diseases affecting the skeletal muscle function in children and adults. They present a variable spectrum of phenotypes and a genetic heterogeneity. Subgroups are defined according to the clinical and histopathological features and encompass core myopathy, centronuclear myopathy, nemaline myopathy and other rare congenital myopathies. No approved treatment exists to date for any congenital myopathies. To tackle this important unmet need, an increased number of proof-of-concept studies recently assessed the therapeutic potential of various strategies, either pharmacological or genetic-based, aiming at counteracting muscle weakness or/and cure the pathology. Here, we list the implicated genes and cellular pathways, and review the therapeutic approaches preclinically tested and the ongoing/completed clinical trials for the different types of congenital myopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Gineste
- Department of Translational Medicine and Neurogenetics, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Inserm U1258, Cnrs UMR7104, Strasbourg University, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Jocelyn Laporte
- Department of Translational Medicine and Neurogenetics, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Inserm U1258, Cnrs UMR7104, Strasbourg University, Illkirch 67404, France.
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Bouman K, Dittrich AT, Groothuis JT, van Engelen BG, Janssen MC, Voermans NC, Draaisma JM, Erasmus CE. Bone Quality in Patients with a Congenital Myopathy: A Scoping Review. J Neuromuscul Dis 2023; 10:1-13. [PMID: 36314217 PMCID: PMC9881028 DOI: 10.3233/jnd-221543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Congenital myopathies are rare neuromuscular disorders presenting with a wide spectrum of clinical features, including long bone fractures (LBFs) that negatively influence functional prognosis, quality of life and survival. Systematic research on bone quality in these patients is lacking. OBJECTIVE This scoping review aims to summarize all evidence on bone quality and to deduce recommendations for bone quality management in congenital myopathies. METHODS Five electronic databases (Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, CINAHL) were searched. All studies on bone quality in congenital myopathies were included. Decreased bone quality was defined as low bone mineral density and/or (fragility) LBFs. Study selection and data extraction were performed by three independent reviewers. RESULTS We included 244 single cases (mean: 4.1±7.6 years; median: 0 years) diagnosed with a congenital myopathy from 35 articles. Bone quality was decreased in 93 patients (37%) (mean: 2.6±6.8 years; median: 0 years). Low bone mineral density was reported in 11 patients (4.5%) (mean: 10.9±9.7; median: 11 years). Congenital LBFs were reported in 64 patients (26%). (Fragility) LBFs later at life were described in 24 patients (9.8%) (mean: 14.9±11.0; median: 14 years). Four cases (1.6%) were reported to receive vitamin D and/or calcium supplementation or diphosphonate administration. CONCLUSION LBFs are thus frequently reported in congenital myopathies. We therefore recommend optimal bone quality management through bone mineral density assessment, vitamin D and calcium suppletion, and referral to internal medicine or pediatrics for consideration of additional therapies in order to prevent complications of low bone mineral density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karlijn Bouman
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands,
Department of Pediatric Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Amalia Children’s Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands,Correspondence to: Karlijn Bouman, Department of Neurology and Pediatric Neurology, Radboud university medical center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Tel.: +31 650193738; Fax: +31 243635135; E-mail:
| | - Anne T.M. Dittrich
- Department of Pediatrics, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Amalia Children’s Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jan T. Groothuis
- Department of Rehabilitation, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Baziel G.M. van Engelen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mirian C.H. Janssen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nicol C. Voermans
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jos M.T. Draaisma
- Department of Pediatrics, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Amalia Children’s Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Corrie E. Erasmus
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Amalia Children’s Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Babcock LW, Hanna AD, Agha NH, Hamilton SL. MyoSight-semi-automated image analysis of skeletal muscle cross sections. Skelet Muscle 2020; 10:33. [PMID: 33198807 PMCID: PMC7667765 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-020-00250-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Manual analysis of cross-sectional area, fiber-type distribution, and total and centralized nuclei in skeletal muscle cross sections is tedious and time consuming, necessitating an accurate, automated method of analysis. While several excellent programs are available, our analyses of skeletal muscle disease models suggest the need for additional features and flexibility to adequately describe disease pathology. We introduce a new semi-automated analysis program, MyoSight, which is designed to facilitate image analysis of skeletal muscle cross sections and provide additional flexibility in the analyses. RESULTS We describe staining and imaging methods that generate high-quality images of immunofluorescent-labelled cross sections from mouse skeletal muscle. Using these methods, we can analyze up to 5 different fluorophores in a single image, allowing simultaneous analyses of perinuclei, central nuclei, fiber size, and fiber-type distribution. MyoSight displays high reproducibility among users, and the data generated are in close agreement with data obtained from manual analyses of cross-sectional area (CSA), fiber number, fiber-type distribution, and number and localization of myonuclei. Furthermore, MyoSight clearly delineates changes in these parameters in muscle sections from a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (mdx). CONCLUSIONS MyoSight is a new program based on an algorithm that can be optimized by the user to obtain highly accurate fiber size, fiber-type identification, and perinuclei and central nuclei per fiber measurements. MyoSight combines features available separately in other programs, is user friendly, and provides visual outputs that allow the user to confirm the accuracy of the analyses and correct any inaccuracies. We present MyoSight as a new program to facilitate the analyses of fiber type and CSA changes arising from injury, disease, exercise, and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyle W Babcock
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Amy D Hanna
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Nadia H Agha
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Susan L Hamilton
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Adaikina A, Hofman PL, O'Grady GL, Gusso S. Exercise Training as Part of Musculoskeletal Management for Congenital Myopathy: Where Are We Now? Pediatr Neurol 2020; 104:13-18. [PMID: 31926608 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2019.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Congenital myopathy is a heterogeneous group of muscle disorders characterized by muscle weakness and hypotonia. This condition is associated with a range of skeletal, respiratory, and ophthalmologic complications and requires a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach aimed at maximizing the function and independence of patients. One promising direction for therapeutic intervention is physical exercise rehabilitation, given its demonstrated ability to promote muscle and bone health of patients with a variety of neuromuscular conditions. However, there are few data to assist health care professionals identify the optimal physical activity levels and exercise type, including the intensity, frequency, and duration. This lack of empirical evidence is particularly problematic given the fact that inappropriate exercise modes can potentially cause muscle damage in patients with congenital myopathy. In this article, we discuss the rationale behind the incorporation of two types of physical exercises, strength and aerobic training, into the clinical care of patients with congenital myopathy. Given the paucity of literature on the management of congenital myopathy, we review the results of published research on the treatment of both congenital myopathy and other neuromuscular diseases that could provide helpful insights into the physical rehabilitation of patients with congenital myopathy. We also discuss the potential benefits of vibration therapy, which has been studied in patients with other neuromuscular disorders over the last two decades. We conclude by proposing directions for future research on physical rehabilitation of patients with congenital myopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Adaikina
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Paul L Hofman
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gina L O'Grady
- Paediatric Neurology Department, Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Silmara Gusso
- Department of Exercise Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Sewry CA, Laitila JM, Wallgren-Pettersson C. Nemaline myopathies: a current view. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 2019; 40:111-126. [PMID: 31228046 PMCID: PMC6726674 DOI: 10.1007/s10974-019-09519-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Nemaline myopathies are a heterogenous group of congenital myopathies caused by de novo, dominantly or recessively inherited mutations in at least twelve genes. The genes encoding skeletal α-actin (ACTA1) and nebulin (NEB) are the commonest genetic cause. Most patients have congenital onset characterized by muscle weakness and hypotonia, but the spectrum of clinical phenotypes is broad, ranging from severe neonatal presentations to onset of a milder disorder in childhood. Most patients with adult onset have an autoimmune-related myopathy with a progressive course. The wide application of massively parallel sequencing methods is increasing the number of known causative genes and broadening the range of clinical phenotypes. Nemaline myopathies are identified by the presence of structures that are rod-like or ovoid in shape with electron microscopy, and with light microscopy stain red with the modified Gömöri trichrome technique. These rods or nemaline bodies are derived from Z lines (also known as Z discs or Z disks) and have a similar lattice structure and protein content. Their shape in patients with mutations in KLHL40 and LMOD3 is distinctive and can be useful for diagnosis. The number and distribution of nemaline bodies varies between fibres and different muscles but does not correlate with severity or prognosis. Additional pathological features such as caps, cores and fibre type disproportion are associated with the same genes as those known to cause the presence of rods. Animal models are advancing the understanding of the effects of various mutations in different genes and paving the way for the development of therapies, which at present only manage symptoms and are aimed at maintaining muscle strength, joint mobility, ambulation, respiration and independence in the activities of daily living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline A Sewry
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK. .,Wolfson Centre of Inherited Neuromuscular Disorders, RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, SY10 7AG, UK.
| | - Jenni M Laitila
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Carina Wallgren-Pettersson
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Jungbluth H, Ochala J, Treves S, Gautel M. Current and future therapeutic approaches to the congenital myopathies. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 64:191-200. [PMID: 27515125 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The congenital myopathies - including Central Core Disease (CCD), Multi-minicore Disease (MmD), Centronuclear Myopathy (CNM), Nemaline Myopathy (NM) and Congenital Fibre Type Disproportion (CFTD) - are a genetically heterogeneous group of early-onset neuromuscular conditions characterized by distinct histopathological features, and associated with a substantial individual and societal disease burden. Appropriate supportive management has substantially improved patient morbidity and mortality but there is currently no cure. Recent years have seen an exponential increase in the genetic and molecular understanding of these conditions, leading to the identification of underlying defects in proteins involved in calcium homeostasis and excitation-contraction coupling, thick/thin filament assembly and function, redox regulation, membrane trafficking and/or autophagic pathways. Based on these findings, specific therapies are currently being developed, or are already approaching the clinical trial stage. Despite undeniable progress, therapy development faces considerable challenges, considering the rarity and diversity of specific conditions, and the size and complexity of some of the genes and proteins involved. The present review will summarize the key genetic, histopathological and clinical features of specific congenital myopathies, and outline therapies already available or currently being developed in the context of known pathogenic mechanisms. The relevance of newly discovered molecular mechanisms and novel gene editing strategies for future therapy development will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heinz Jungbluth
- Department of Paediatric Neurology, Neuromuscular Service, Evelina's Children Hospital, Guy's & St. Thomas' Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; Randall Division for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Muscle Signalling Section Biophysics and Cardiovascular Division, King's College BHF Centre of Research Excellence, United Kingdom; Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, IoPPN, King's College, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Julien Ochala
- Centre of Human and Aerospace Physiological Sciences, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Treves
- Departments of Biomedicine and Anaesthesia, Basel University Hospital, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Gautel
- Randall Division for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Muscle Signalling Section Biophysics and Cardiovascular Division, King's College BHF Centre of Research Excellence, United Kingdom
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10
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Treatment with ActRIIB-mFc Produces Myofiber Growth and Improves Lifespan in the Acta1 H40Y Murine Model of Nemaline Myopathy. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2016; 186:1568-81. [PMID: 27102768 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2016.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Nemaline myopathies (NMs) are a group of congenital muscle diseases caused by mutations in at least 10 genes and associated with a range of clinical symptoms. NM is defined on muscle biopsy by the presence of cytoplasmic rod-like structures (nemaline rods) composed of cytoskeletal material. Myofiber smallness is also found in many cases of NM and may represent a cause of weakness that can be counteracted by treatment. We have used i.p. injection of activin type IIB receptor (ActRIIB)-mFc (an inhibitor of myostatin signaling) to promote hypertrophy and increase strength in our prior murine work; we therefore tested whether ActRIIB-mFc could improve weakness in NM mice through myofiber hypertrophy. We report a study of ActRIIB-mFc treatment in the Acta1 H40Y mouse model of NM. Treatment of Acta1 H40Y mice produced significant increases in body mass, muscle mass, quadriceps myofiber size, and survival, but other measurements of strength (forelimb grip strength, ex vivo measurements of contractile function) did not improve. Our studies also identified that the complications of urethral obstruction are associated with mortality in male hemizygote Acta1 H40Y mice. The incidence of urethral obstruction and histologic evidence of chronic obstruction (inflammation) were significantly lower in Acta1 H40Y mice that had been treated with ActRIIB-mFc. ActRIIB-mFc treatment produces a mild benefit to the disease phenotype in Acta1 H40Y mice.
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11
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Ravenscroft G, Laing NG, Bönnemann CG. Pathophysiological concepts in the congenital myopathies: blurring the boundaries, sharpening the focus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 138:246-68. [PMID: 25552303 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awu368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The congenital myopathies are a diverse group of genetic skeletal muscle diseases, which typically present at birth or in early infancy. There are multiple modes of inheritance and degrees of severity (ranging from foetal akinesia, through lethality in the newborn period to milder early and later onset cases). Classically, the congenital myopathies are defined by skeletal muscle dysfunction and a non-dystrophic muscle biopsy with the presence of one or more characteristic histological features. However, mutations in multiple different genes can cause the same pathology and mutations in the same gene can cause multiple different pathologies. This is becoming ever more apparent now that, with the increasing use of next generation sequencing, a genetic diagnosis is achieved for a greater number of patients. Thus, considerable genetic and pathological overlap is emerging, blurring the classically established boundaries. At the same time, some of the pathophysiological concepts underlying the congenital myopathies are moving into sharper focus. Here we explore whether our emerging understanding of disease pathogenesis and underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, rather than a strictly gene-centric approach, will provide grounds for a different and perhaps complementary grouping of the congenital myopathies, that at the same time could help instil the development of shared potential therapeutic approaches. Stemming from recent advances in the congenital myopathy field, five key pathophysiology themes have emerged: defects in (i) sarcolemmal and intracellular membrane remodelling and excitation-contraction coupling; (ii) mitochondrial distribution and function; (iii) myofibrillar force generation; (iv) atrophy; and (v) autophagy. Based on numerous emerging lines of evidence from recent studies in cell lines and patient tissues, mouse models and zebrafish highlighting these unifying pathophysiological themes, here we review the congenital myopathies in relation to these emerging pathophysiological concepts, highlighting both areas of overlap between established entities, as well as areas of distinction within single gene disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianina Ravenscroft
- 1 Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nigel G Laing
- 1 Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Carsten G Bönnemann
- 2 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Centre, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Nalbandian A, Nguyen C, Katheria V, Llewellyn KJ, Badadani M, Caiozzo V, Kimonis VE. Exercise training reverses skeletal muscle atrophy in an experimental model of VCP disease. PLoS One 2013; 8:e76187. [PMID: 24130765 PMCID: PMC3794032 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The therapeutic effects of exercise resistance and endurance training in the alleviation of muscle hypertrophy/atrophy should be considered in the management of patients with advanced neuromuscular diseases. Patients with progressive neuromuscular diseases often experience muscle weakness, which negatively impact independence and quality of life levels. Mutations in the valosin containing protein (VCP) gene lead to Inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget's disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD) and more recently affect 2% of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-diagnosed cases. Methods/Principle Findings The present investigation was undertaken to examine the effects of uphill and downhill exercise training on muscle histopathology and the autophagy cascade in an experimental VCP mouse model carrying the R155H mutation. Progressive uphill exercise in VCPR155H/+ mice revealed significant improvement in muscle strength and performance by grip strength and Rotarod analyses when compared to the sedentary mice. In contrast, mice exercised to run downhill did not show any significant improvement. Histologically, the uphill exercised VCPR155H/+ mice displayed an improvement in muscle atrophy, and decreased expression levels of ubiquitin, P62/SQSTM1, LC3I/II, and TDP-43 autophagy markers, suggesting an alleviation of disease-induced myopathy phenotypes. There was also an improvement in the Paget-like phenotype. Conclusions Collectively, our data highlights that uphill exercise training in VCPR155H/+ mice did not have any detrimental value to the function of muscle, and may offer effective therapeutic options for patients with VCP-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angèle Nalbandian
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Christopher Nguyen
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Veeral Katheria
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Katrina J. Llewellyn
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Mallikarjun Badadani
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Vincent Caiozzo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
- Department of Orthopedics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Virginia E. Kimonis
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Shefer G, Rauner G, Stuelsatz P, Benayahu D, Yablonka-Reuveni Z. Moderate-intensity treadmill running promotes expansion of the satellite cell pool in young and old mice. FEBS J 2013; 280:4063-73. [PMID: 23464362 DOI: 10.1111/febs.12228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2013] [Revised: 02/13/2013] [Accepted: 02/28/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Satellite cells, the myogenic progenitors located at the myofibre surface, are essential for the repair of adult skeletal muscle. There is ample evidence for an age-linked decline in the number of satellite cells and performance in limb muscles. Hence, an effective means of activating and expanding the satellite cell pool may enhance muscle maintenance and reduce the impact of age-associated muscle deterioration (sarcopaenia). Accordingly, in the present study, we explored the beneficial effects of endurance exercise on satellite cells in young and old mice. Animals were subjected to an 8-week moderate-intensity treadmill-running approach that does not inflict apparent muscle damage (0° inclination, 11.5 m·min(-1) for 30 min·day(-1) , 6 days·week(-1) ). Myofibres of extensor digitorum longus muscles were then isolated from exercised and sedentary mice and used for monitoring the number of satellite cells, as well as for harvesting individual satellite cells for clonal growth assays. We specifically focused on satellite cell pools of single myofibres, with the view that daily wear of muscles probably affects individual myofibres rather than causing overall muscle damage. We found an expansion of the satellite cell pool in the exercised groups compared to the sedentary groups, with the same increase (~ 1.6-fold) in both ages. The results of the present study are in agreement with our findings obtained using rat gastrocnemius, indicating the consistent effect of exercise on satellite cell expansion in limb muscles. The experimental paradigm established in the present study is useful for investigating satellite cell dynamics at the myofibre niche, as well as for broader investigations of the impact of physiologically and pathologically relevant factors on adult myogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabi Shefer
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
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Ravenscroft G, Jackaman C, Sewry CA, McNamara E, Squire SE, Potter AC, Papadimitriou J, Griffiths LM, Bakker AJ, Davies KE, Laing NG, Nowak KJ. Actin nemaline myopathy mouse reproduces disease, suggests other actin disease phenotypes and provides cautionary note on muscle transgene expression. PLoS One 2011; 6:e28699. [PMID: 22174871 PMCID: PMC3235150 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2011] [Accepted: 11/14/2011] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the skeletal muscle α-actin gene (ACTA1) cause congenital myopathies including nemaline myopathy, actin aggregate myopathy and rod-core disease. The majority of patients with ACTA1 mutations have severe hypotonia and do not survive beyond the age of one. A transgenic mouse model was generated expressing an autosomal dominant mutant (D286G) of ACTA1 (identified in a severe nemaline myopathy patient) fused with EGFP. Nemaline bodies were observed in multiple skeletal muscles, with serial sections showing these correlated to aggregates of the mutant skeletal muscle α-actin-EGFP. Isolated extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles were significantly weaker than wild-type (WT) muscle at 4 weeks of age, coinciding with the peak in structural lesions. These 4 week-old mice were ~30% less active on voluntary running wheels than WT mice. The α-actin-EGFP protein clearly demonstrated that the transgene was expressed equally in all myosin heavy chain (MHC) fibre types during the early postnatal period, but subsequently became largely confined to MHCIIB fibres. Ringbinden fibres, internal nuclei and myofibrillar myopathy pathologies, not typical features in nemaline myopathy or patients with ACTA1 mutations, were frequently observed. Ringbinden were found in fast fibre predominant muscles of adult mice and were exclusively MHCIIB-positive fibres. Thus, this mouse model presents a reliable model for the investigation of the pathobiology of nemaline body formation and muscle weakness and for evaluation of potential therapeutic interventions. The occurrence of core-like regions, internal nuclei and ringbinden will allow analysis of the mechanisms underlying these lesions. The occurrence of ringbinden and features of myofibrillar myopathy in this mouse model of ACTA1 disease suggests that patients with these pathologies and no genetic explanation should be screened for ACTA1 mutations.
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MESH Headings
- Actins/metabolism
- Animals
- Behavior, Animal
- Disease Models, Animal
- Gene Expression
- Green Fluorescent Proteins/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- Muscle Contraction/physiology
- Muscle Fibers, Skeletal/pathology
- Muscle Fibers, Skeletal/ultrastructure
- Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism
- Muscle, Skeletal/pathology
- Muscle, Skeletal/physiopathology
- Muscle, Skeletal/ultrastructure
- Myopathies, Nemaline/pathology
- Myopathies, Nemaline/physiopathology
- Myosin Heavy Chains/metabolism
- Phenotype
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism
- Transgenes/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianina Ravenscroft
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, Nedlands, Australia
- Physiology, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Connie Jackaman
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Caroline A. Sewry
- Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Diseases, Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, United Kingdom
| | - Elyshia McNamara
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Sarah E. Squire
- MRC Functional Genetics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Allyson C. Potter
- MRC Functional Genetics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - John Papadimitriou
- School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Lisa M. Griffiths
- Neuropathology, Royal Perth Hospital and PathWest Anatomical Pathology, Perth, Australia
| | - Anthony J. Bakker
- Physiology, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Kay E. Davies
- MRC Functional Genetics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel G. Laing
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Kristen J. Nowak
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, Nedlands, Australia
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Abstract
Nemaline myopathy constitutes a continuous spectrum of primary skeletal muscle disorders named after the Greek word for thread, nema. The diagnosis is based on muscle weakness, combined with visualization of nemaline bodies on muscle biopsy. The patients' muscle weakness is usually generalized, but there may be a selective pattern of more pronounced weakness, and, most importantly, respiratory muscles may be especially weak. Histologically, additional features may coexist with the nemaline bodies. There are 7 known causative genes. The function of the most recently identified gene is unknown, but the other 6 encoded proteins are associated with the muscle thin filament. The 2 most common causes of nemaline myopathy are recessive mutations in nebulin and de novo dominant mutations in skeletal muscle α-actin. At least 1 further gene remains to be identified. Patient care is based on managing the clinical symptoms. Animal models are helping to gain insight into pathogenesis, and a variety of therapeutic approaches are being investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Wallgren-Pettersson
- The Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics and Department of Medical Genetics, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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Nguyen MAT, Joya JE, Kee AJ, Domazetovska A, Yang N, Hook JW, Lemckert FA, Kettle E, Valova VA, Robinson PJ, North KN, Gunning PW, Mitchell CA, Hardeman EC. Hypertrophy and dietary tyrosine ameliorate the phenotypes of a mouse model of severe nemaline myopathy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 134:3516-29. [PMID: 22067542 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awr274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Nemaline myopathy, the most common congenital myopathy, is caused by mutations in genes encoding thin filament and thin filament-associated proteins in skeletal muscles. Severely affected patients fail to survive beyond the first year of life due to severe muscle weakness. There are no specific therapies to combat this muscle weakness. We have generated the first knock-in mouse model for severe nemaline myopathy by replacing a normal allele of the α-skeletal actin gene with a mutated form (H40Y), which causes severe nemaline myopathy in humans. The Acta1(H40Y) mouse has severe muscle weakness manifested as shortened lifespan, significant forearm and isolated muscle weakness and decreased mobility. Muscle pathologies present in the human patients (e.g. nemaline rods, fibre atrophy and increase in slow fibres) were detected in the Acta1(H40Y) mouse, indicating that it is an excellent model for severe nemaline myopathy. Mating of the Acta1(H40Y) mouse with hypertrophic four and a half LIM domains protein 1 and insulin-like growth factor-1 transgenic mice models increased forearm strength and mobility, and decreased nemaline pathologies. Dietary L-tyrosine supplements also alleviated the mobility deficit and decreased the chronic repair and nemaline rod pathologies. These results suggest that L-tyrosine may be an effective treatment for muscle weakness and immobility in nemaline myopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai-Anh T Nguyen
- Neuromuscular and Regenerative Medicine Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
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Liu S, Lee YF, Chou S, Uno H, Li G, Brookes P, Massett MP, Wu Q, Chen LM, Chang C. Mice lacking TR4 nuclear receptor develop mitochondrial myopathy with deficiency in complex I. Mol Endocrinol 2011; 25:1301-10. [PMID: 21622535 DOI: 10.1210/me.2010-0455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The estimated incidence of mitochondrial diseases in humans is approximately 1:5000 to 1:10,000, whereas the molecular mechanisms for more than 50% of human mitochondrial disease cases still remain unclear. Here we report that mice lacking testicular nuclear receptor 4 (TR4(-/-)) suffered mitochondrial myopathy, and histological examination of TR4(-/-) soleus muscle revealed abnormal mitochondrial accumulation. In addition, increased serum lactate levels, decreased mitochondrial ATP production, and decreased electron transport chain complex I activity were found in TR4(-/-) mice. Restoration of TR4 into TR4(-/-) myoblasts rescued mitochondrial ATP generation capacity and complex I activity. Further real-time PCR quantification and promoter studies found TR4 could modulate complex I activity via transcriptionally regulating the complex I assembly factor NDUFAF1, and restoration of NDUFAF1 level in TR4(-/-) myoblasts increased mitochondrial ATP generation capacity and complex I activity. Together, these results suggest that TR4 plays vital roles in mitochondrial function, which may help us to better understand the pathogenesis of mitochondrial myopathy, and targeting TR4 via its ligands/activators may allow us to develop better therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Liu
- Department of Pathology, University of Rochester, Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14646, USA
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18
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To report the use of inspiratory muscle strength training to treat repeated ventilatory insufficiency in a child with nemaline myopathy who underwent cardiac and renal transplantation. DESIGN Case report. SETTING Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care university teaching hospital. PATIENT A 16-yr-old female with nemaline myopathy affecting cardiorespiratory function, recent organ transplantation, and delayed postoperative ventilatory recovery. INTERVENTION Inspiratory muscle strength training was provided 5 days weekly for 2 wks, accompanied by progressive weaning from noninvasive ventilation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Maximal inspiratory pressure increased from -36.7 cm H2O to -77.8 cm H2O, accompanied by improved inspiratory flow, volume, pressure activation and power. During the training period, the patient was weaned from continuous noninvasive ventilatory assist to her preoperative level of ventilatory function. CONCLUSION Inspiratory muscle training may be a beneficial component of care for children with nemaline myopathy who experience acute ventilatory insufficiency.
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Abstract
The muscular dystrophies are a group of neuromuscular disorders associated with muscle weakness and wasting, which in many forms can lead to loss of ambulation and premature death. A number of muscular dystrophies are associated with loss of proteins required for the maintenance of muscle membrane integrity, in particular with proteins that comprise the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein (DAG) complex. Proper glycosylation of O-linked mannose chains on alpha-dystroglycan, a DAG member, is required for the binding of the extracellular matrix to dystroglycan and for proper DAG function. A number of congenital disorders of glycosylation have now been described where alpha-dystroglycan glycosylation is altered and where muscular dystrophy is a predominant phenotype. Glycosylation is also increasingly being appreciated as a genetic modifier of disease phenotypes in many forms of muscular dystrophy and as a target for the development of new therapies. Here we will review the mouse models available for the study of this group of diseases and outline the methodologies required to describe disease phenotypes.
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20
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Vandamme D, Lambert E, Waterschoot D, Cognard C, Vandekerckhove J, Ampe C, Constantin B, Rommelaere H. alpha-Skeletal muscle actin nemaline myopathy mutants cause cell death in cultured muscle cells. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2009; 1793:1259-71. [PMID: 19393268 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2009.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2008] [Revised: 03/24/2009] [Accepted: 04/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Nemaline myopathy is a neuromuscular disorder, characterized by muscle weakness and hypotonia and is, in 20% of the cases, caused by mutations in the gene encoding alpha-skeletal muscle actin, ACTA1. It is a heterogeneous disease with various clinical phenotypes and severities. In patients the ultrastructure of muscle cells is often disturbed by nemaline rods and it is thought this is the cause for muscle weakness. To search for possible defects during muscle cell differentiation we expressed alpha-actin mutants in myoblasts and allowed these cells to differentiate into myotubes. Surprisingly, we observed two striking new phenotypes in differentiating myoblasts: rounding up of cells and bleb formation, two features reminiscent of apoptosis. Indeed expression of these mutants induced cell death with apoptotic features in muscle cell culture, using AIF and endonuclease G, in a caspase-independent but calpain-dependent pathway. This is the first report on a common cellular defect induced by NM causing actin mutants, independent of their biochemical phenotypes or rod and aggregate formation capacity. These data suggest that lack of type II fibers or atrophy observed in nemaline myopathy patients may be also due to an increased number of dying muscle cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drieke Vandamme
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, A. Baertsoenkaai 3, B-9000, Gent, Belgium
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21
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Abstract
Thin filament integrity is important for the ordered structure and function of skeletal muscles. Mutations within genes that encode thin filament and thin filament-associated proteins can cause muscle disruption, fiber atrophy and alter fiber type composition, leading to muscle weakness. Analyses of patient biopsy samples and tissue culture systems provide rapid methods for studying disease-causing mutations. However, there are limitations to these techniques. Although time consuming, many laboratories are generating and utilizing animal models, in particular the mouse, to study the disease process of various myopathies. This chapter reviews the use of mouse models for thin filament diseases of skeletal muscle and in particular, concentrates on what has been achieved through the generation and characterization of transgenic and knock-in mouse models for the congenital thin filament disease nemaline myopathy. We will review potential therapies that have been trialled on the nemaline models, providing indications for future directions for the treatment of nemaline myopathy patients and muscle weakness in general.
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Therapeutic approaches for the sarcomeric protein diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2009. [PMID: 19181103 DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-84847-1_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
No curative treatment currently exists for patients with skeletal myopathies caused by defects in sarcomeric proteins though symptomatic treatments including orthoses, night-time ventilation, or mechanical ventilation can provide major benefits. The molecular genetic discovery era has enabled many families to know which gene and precisely which gene defect their family, or in some cases only their affected child has. This knowledge has enormously increased the accuracy of genetic counselling and in some cases can enable prognosis, which helps families to make better-informed life decisions. However, symptomatic treatments and molecular genetics do not help the patient's skeletal muscle problems. The patients with skeletal muscle sarcomeric protein diseases, (from severely affected patients with shortened lifespan, through to the more mildly affected patients), would all benefit from more effective or curative treatments, as would their parents and families. This chapter outlines the experimental therapeutic strategies that have been investigated for other muscle diseases (predominantly the muscular dystrophies, towards which the majority of research emphasis has been focussed) and those that are beginning to be investigated for sarcomeric diseases. It analyses which of these approaches might be applicable to the different skeletal muscle sarcomeric protein diseases.
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23
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Cowling BS, McGrath MJ, Nguyen MA, Cottle DL, Kee AJ, Brown S, Schessl J, Zou Y, Joya J, Bönnemann CG, Hardeman EC, Mitchell CA. Identification of FHL1 as a regulator of skeletal muscle mass: implications for human myopathy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 183:1033-48. [PMID: 19075112 PMCID: PMC2600747 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200804077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Regulators of skeletal muscle mass are of interest, given the morbidity and mortality of muscle atrophy and myopathy. Four-and-a-half LIM protein 1 (FHL1) is mutated in several human myopathies, including reducing-body myopathy (RBM). The normal function of FHL1 in muscle and how it causes myopathy remains unknown. We find that FHL1 transgenic expression in mouse skeletal muscle promotes hypertrophy and an oxidative fiber-type switch, leading to increased whole-body strength and fatigue resistance. Additionally, FHL1 overexpression enhances myoblast fusion, resulting in hypertrophic myotubes in C2C12 cells, (a phenotype rescued by calcineurin inhibition). In FHL1-RBM C2C12 cells, there are no hypertrophic myotubes. FHL1 binds with the calcineurin-regulated transcription factor NFATc1 (nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic, calcineurin-dependent 1), enhancing NFATc1 transcriptional activity. Mutant RBM-FHL1 forms aggregate bodies in C2C12 cells, sequestering NFATc1 and resulting in reduced NFAT nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity. NFATc1 also colocalizes with mutant FHL1 to reducing bodies in RBM-afflicted skeletal muscle. Therefore, via NFATc1 signaling regulation, FHL1 appears to modulate muscle mass and strength enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda S Cowling
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia
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Vlahovich N, Kee AJ, Van der Poel C, Kettle E, Hernandez-Deviez D, Lucas C, Lynch GS, Parton RG, Gunning PW, Hardeman EC. Cytoskeletal tropomyosin Tm5NM1 is required for normal excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle. Mol Biol Cell 2009; 20:400-9. [PMID: 19005216 PMCID: PMC2613127 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e08-06-0616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2008] [Revised: 10/17/2008] [Accepted: 10/31/2008] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional diversity of the actin microfilaments relies in part on the actin binding protein tropomyosin (Tm). The muscle-specific Tms regulate actin-myosin interactions and hence contraction. However, there is less known about the roles of the numerous cytoskeletal isoforms. We have shown previously that a cytoskeletal Tm, Tm5NM1, defines a Z-line adjacent cytoskeleton in skeletal muscle. Recently, we identified a second cytoskeletal Tm in this region, Tm4. Here we show that Tm4 and Tm5NM1 define separate actin filaments; the former associated with the terminal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and other tubulovesicular structures. In skeletal muscles of Tm5NM1 knockout (KO) mice, Tm4 localization was unchanged, demonstrating the specificity of the membrane association. Tm5NM1 KO muscles exhibit potentiation of T-system depolarization and decreased force rundown with repeated T-tubule depolarizations consistent with altered T-tubule function. These results indicate that a Tm5NM1-defined actin cytoskeleton is required for the normal excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Vlahovich
- *Muscle Development Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- University of Western Sydney, Parramatta, NSW, Australia
| | - Anthony J. Kee
- *Muscle Development Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Chris Van der Poel
- Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Emma Kettle
- *Muscle Development Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Delia Hernandez-Deviez
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland and Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Christine Lucas
- *Muscle Development Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Oncology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Gordon S. Lynch
- Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Robert G. Parton
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland and Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Peter W. Gunning
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Oncology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- **Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; and
| | - Edna C. Hardeman
- *Muscle Development Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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25
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Thin filament proteins mutations associated with skeletal myopathies: Defective regulation of muscle contraction. J Mol Med (Berl) 2008; 86:1197-204. [DOI: 10.1007/s00109-008-0380-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2008] [Revised: 05/19/2008] [Accepted: 06/09/2008] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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North K. What's new in congenital myopathies? Neuromuscul Disord 2008; 18:433-42. [PMID: 18482838 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2008.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2008] [Revised: 03/30/2008] [Accepted: 04/02/2008] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The congenital myopathies are defined by distinctive morphologic abnormalities in skeletal muscle. Over the past decade there have been major advances in defining the genetic basis of the majority of congenital myopathy subtypes, with increasing availability of genetic and prenatal diagnosis. Identification of the disease genes, in combination with a reappraisal of muscle pathology and the development of tissue culture and animal models is now providing insights into disease pathogenesis and, for the first time, suggesting avenues for the development of specific therapies. This review highlights some of the major recent advances in each of these areas and demonstrates how a morphological classification of the congenital myopathies into subgroups remains useful for future research into gene discovery and understanding of disease mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn North
- Institute for Neuromuscular Research, University of Sydney, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Locked Bag 4001, Westmead 2145, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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27
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North KN, Laing NG. Skeletal muscle alpha-actin diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2008; 642:15-27. [PMID: 19181090 DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-84847-1_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle alpha-actin is the principal protein component of the adult skeletal muscle thin filament. The interaction between skeletal muscle alpha-actin and the various myosin heavy chain proteins in the different muscle fibre types generates the force of muscle contraction. Skeletal muscle alpha-alpha actin is thus of fundamental importance to normal muscle contraction. To date over 140 different disease-causing mutations have been identified in the skeletal muscle alpha-actin gene ACTA1. These mutations are associated with histologically distinct congenital myopathies, including nemaline myopathy, actin myopathy, intranuclear rod myopathy, congenital fibre type disproportion and myopathy with cores. Mutations in ACTA1 are associated with a wide range of clinical severity although the majority of patients tend to have severe congenital-onset disease. Most of the patients have de novo dominant mutations not present in either parent. However mild ACTA1 disease may be dominantly inherited and there are also recessive mutations. The recessive mutations are either genetic or functional null mutations. Patients with no skeletal actin retain cardiac actin, the fetal isoform of actin in skeletal muscle. Information from the clinic suggests that exercise and L-tyrosine may benefit some patients and that in the future decreasing the proportion of mutant actin may ameliorate the disease in some patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn N North
- Discipline of Paediatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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Tropomyosins in skeletal muscle diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2008; 644:143-57. [PMID: 19209820 DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-85766-4_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A number of congenital muscle diseases and disorders are caused by mutations in genes that encode the proteins present in or associated with the thin filaments of the muscle sarcomere. These genes include alpha-skeletal actin (ACTA1), beta-tropomyosin (TPM2), alpha-tropomyosin slow (TPM3), nebulin (NEB), troponin I fast (TNNI2), troponin T slow (TNNT1), troponin T fast (TNNT3) and cofilin (CFL2). Mutations in two of the four tropomyosin (Tm) genes, TPM2 and TPM3, result in at least three different skeletal muscle diseases and one disorder as distinguished by the presence of specific clinical features and/or structural abnormalities--nemaline myopathy (TPM2 and TPM3), distal arthrogryposis (TPM2), cap disease (TPM2) and congenital fiber type disproportion (TPM3). These diseases have overlapping clinical features and pathologies and there are cases of family members who have the same mutation, but different diseases (Table 1). The relatively recent discovery of nonmuscle or cytoskeletal Tms in skeletal muscle adds to this complexity since it is now possible that a disease-causing mutation could be in a striated isoform and a cytoskeletal isoform both present in muscle.
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Vlahovich N, Schevzov G, Nair-Shaliker V, Ilkovski B, Artap ST, Joya JE, Kee AJ, North KN, Gunning PW, Hardeman EC. Tropomyosin 4 defines novel filaments in skeletal muscle associated with muscle remodelling/regeneration in normal and diseased muscle. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 65:73-85. [PMID: 17968984 DOI: 10.1002/cm.20245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Vlahovich
- Muscle Development Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Locked Bag 23, Wentworthville, New South Wales 2145, Australia
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel G Laing
- Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, West Australian Institute for Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
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Charvet C, Houbron C, Parlakian A, Giordani J, Lahoute C, Bertrand A, Sotiropoulos A, Renou L, Schmitt A, Melki J, Li Z, Daegelen D, Tuil D. New role for serum response factor in postnatal skeletal muscle growth and regeneration via the interleukin 4 and insulin-like growth factor 1 pathways. Mol Cell Biol 2006; 26:6664-74. [PMID: 16914747 PMCID: PMC1592825 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00138-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Serum response factor (SRF) is a crucial transcriptional factor for muscle-specific gene expression. We investigated SRF function in adult skeletal muscles, using mice with a postmitotic myofiber-targeted disruption of the SRF gene. Mutant mice displayed severe skeletal muscle mass reductions due to a postnatal muscle growth defect resulting in highly hypotrophic adult myofibers. SRF-depleted myofibers also failed to regenerate following injury. Muscles lacking SRF had very low levels of muscle creatine kinase and skeletal alpha-actin (SKA) transcripts and displayed other alterations to the gene expression program, indicating an overall immaturity of mutant muscles. This loss of SKA expression, together with a decrease in beta-tropomyosin expression, contributed to myofiber growth defects, as suggested by the extensive sarcomere disorganization found in mutant muscles. However, we observed a downregulation of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) expression in mutant myofibers which could also account for their defective growth and regeneration. Indeed, our demonstration of SRF binding to interleukin 4 and IGF-1 promoters in vivo suggests a new crucial role for SRF in pathways involved in muscle growth and regeneration.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Base Sequence
- Cell Nucleus/metabolism
- Cell Size
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/genetics
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/metabolism
- Integrases/genetics
- Interleukin-4/genetics
- Interleukin-4/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Muscle, Skeletal/cytology
- Muscle, Skeletal/growth & development
- Muscle, Skeletal/physiology
- Muscle, Skeletal/ultrastructure
- Organ Size
- Phenotype
- Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Regeneration
- Sarcomeres/pathology
- Sarcomeres/ultrastructure
- Serum Response Factor/deficiency
- Serum Response Factor/genetics
- Serum Response Factor/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Claude Charvet
- Institut Cochin, Faculté de Médecine Cochin Port Royal, 24 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014 Paris, France
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Sanoudou D, Corbett MA, Han M, Ghoddusi M, Nguyen MAT, Vlahovich N, Hardeman EC, Beggs AH. Skeletal muscle repair in a mouse model of nemaline myopathy. Hum Mol Genet 2006; 15:2603-12. [PMID: 16877500 PMCID: PMC3372923 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddl186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Nemaline myopathy (NM), the most common non-dystrophic congenital myopathy, is a variably severe neuromuscular disorder for which no effective treatment is available. Although a number of genes have been identified in which mutations can cause NM, the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to the phenotypes are poorly understood. To address this question, we examined gene expression patterns in an NM mouse model carrying the human Met9Arg mutation of alpha-tropomyosin slow (Tpm3). We assessed five different skeletal muscles from affected mice, which are representative of muscles with differing fiber-type compositions, different physiological specializations and variable degrees of pathology. Although these same muscles in non-affected mice showed marked variation in patterns of gene expression, with diaphragm being the most dissimilar, the presence of the mutant protein in nemaline muscles resulted in a more similar pattern of gene expression among the muscles. This result suggests a common process or mechanism operating in nemaline muscles independent of the variable degrees of pathology. Transcriptional and protein expression data indicate the presence of a repair process and possibly delayed maturation in nemaline muscles. Markers indicative of satellite cell number, activated satellite cells and immature fibers including M-Cadherin, MyoD, desmin, Pax7 and Myf6 were elevated by western-blot analysis or immunohistochemistry. Evidence suggesting elevated focal repair was observed in nemaline muscle in electron micrographs. This analysis reveals that NM is characterized by a novel repair feature operating in multiple different muscles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despina Sanoudou
- Program in Genomics and Genetics Division, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Molecular Biology Division, Foundation for Biomedical Research, Academy of Athens, Soranou Efesiou 4, Athens 115-27, Greece
| | - Mark A. Corbett
- Muscle Development Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Locked Bag 23, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Mei Han
- Program in Genomics and Genetics Division, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Majid Ghoddusi
- Muscle Development Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Locked Bag 23, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Mai-Anh T. Nguyen
- Muscle Development Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Locked Bag 23, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Nicole Vlahovich
- Muscle Development Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Locked Bag 23, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Edna C. Hardeman
- Muscle Development Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Locked Bag 23, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Alan H. Beggs
- Program in Genomics and Genetics Division, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 6179192170; Fax: +1 6177300253;
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Wallgren-Pettersson C, Laing NG. 138th ENMC Workshop: nemaline myopathy, 20-22 May 2005, Naarden, The Netherlands. Neuromuscul Disord 2005; 16:54-60. [PMID: 16368239 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2005.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carina Wallgren-Pettersson
- The Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics and the Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, FIN-00251 Helsinki, Finland.
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