Indispensability of Iron for the Growth of Cultured Chick Cells. (iron/transition metal/transferrin/chick embryonic cell/myogenesis)

Transferrin as a muscle trophic factor

Muscle cells grow by proliferation and protein accumulation. During the initial stages of development the participation of nerves is not always required. Myoblasts and satellite cells proliferate, fusing to form myotubes which further differentiate to muscle fibers. Myotubes and muscle fibers grow by protein accumulation and fusion with other myogenic cells. Muscle fibers finally reach a quasi-steady state which is then maintained for a long period. The mechanism of maintenance is not well understood. However, it is clear that protein metabolism plays a paramount role. The role played by satellite cells in the maintenance of muscle fibers is not known. Growth and maintenance of muscle cells are under the influence of various tissues and substances. Among them are Tf and the motor nerve, the former being the main object of this review and essential for both DNA and protein synthesis. Two sources of Tf have been proposed, i.e., the motor nerve and the tissue fluid. The first proposal is that the nervous trophic influence on muscle cells is mediated by Tf which is released from the nerve terminals. In this model, the sole source of Tf which is donated to muscle cells should be the nerve, and Tf should not be provided for muscle fiber at sites other than the synaptic region; otherwise, denervation atrophy would not occur, since Tf provided from TfR located at another site would cancel the effect of denervation. The second proposal is that Tf is provided from tissue fluid. This implies that an adequate amount of Tf is transferred from serum to tissue fluid; in this case TfR may be distributed over the entire surface of the cells. The trophic effects of the motor neuron have been studied in vivo, but its effects of myoblast proliferation have not been determined. There are few experiments on its effects on myotubes. Most work has been made on muscle fibers, where innervation is absolutely required for their maintenance. Without it, muscle fibers atrophy, although they do not degenerate. In contrast, almost all the work on Tf has been performed in vitro. Its effects on myoblast proliferation and myotube growth and maintenance have been established; myotubes degenerate following Tf removal. But its effects on mature muscle fibers in vivo are not well understood. Muscle fibers possess TfR all over on their cell surface and contain a variety of Fe-binding proteins, such as myoglobin. It is entirely plausible that muscle fibers require an amount of Tf, and that this is provided by TfR scattered on the cell surface.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Trace mineral metabolism in the avian embryo

Trace mineral metabolism in the developing avian embryo begins with the formation of the egg and the trace mineral stores contained within it. Vitellogenin, the yolk precursor protein, serves as a trace mineral transporting protein that mediates the transfer of these essential nutrients from stores within the liver of the hen to the ovary and developing oocyte, and hence, to the yolk of the egg. Lipovitellin and phosvitin, derived from intraoocytic proteolytic processing of vitellogenin, are also trace mineral binding proteins that form important storage sites within the granule subfraction of yolk. The mobilization and uptake of egg trace mineral stores is mediated by the extra-embryonic membranes, principally the yolk sac membrane. The yolk sac also serves as a short-term storage site for trace minerals. Because it is an important site of plasma protein synthesis, the yolk sac has the ability to regulate the export of trace minerals to the embryo during development. Within the embryo, specific metaloproteins function in the interorgan transport cellular uptake, and intracellular storage of trace minerals. Thus, embryonic trace mineral homeostasis is established through the coordinated actions of the yolk sac, which mobilizes and exports trace minerals derived from egg stores; the vitelline circulation, which transports them to the embryo; and the liver, which accumulates trace minerals and distributes them to the rest of the tissues of the embryo via the embryonic circulation.

Neurotrophic effects of transferrin on embryonic chick brain and neural retinal cell cultures

The viability and differentiation promoting effects of various transferrins [iron-saturated (holo) and iron-depleted (apo) human and chick ovo (conalbumin)-transferrins, and bovine apo-transferrin] were studied, using serum-free, flat-sedimented cell cultures of embryonic chick brain and neural retina. The effects of transferrin (Tf) on the cell cultures depended on the type of Tf used and the parameter measured. Significant differences between brain and neural retina cultures in the effects of apo-ovoTf and iron [supplemented as ammonium-iron (III) citrate] were detected. Maximal levels of mitochondrial activity were observed in the presence of 2 mg/l apo-ovoTf in neural retina cell cultures. In brain cell cultures, 40 mg ovoTf/l were needed to achieve maximal levels. In brain, but not in neural, retina cell cultures ovoTf and optimal concentrations of Fe3+ exhibited similar effects on biochemical parameters of cell function and differentiation. Although, in the absence of ovoTf, neuronal outgrowth on areas not covered by glial cells was inhibited in both cell cultures, the differences were more prominent in neural retina cell cultures. Our data strongly suggest that Tf plays a key role in processes not connected directly with its iron transport capability.

Identification of transferrin as one of multiple EDTA-extractable extracellular proteins involved in early chick heart morphogenesis

It was demonstrated previously that a polyclonal antibody (ES1) raised against EDTA extractable proteins from embryonic chicken heart blocks cardiac endothelial-mesenchymal transformation in a culture bioassay and stains extracellular matrix at sites of embryonic inductive interactions, e.g., developing heart, limb buds, and neural crest forming region [Krug et al., 1987, Dev Biol 120:348-355; Mjaatvedt et al., 1991, Dev Biol 145:219-230). In the present study, by using an antiserum (ES3) to a similar immunogen, we affinity purified four major EDTA-soluble proteins. These proteins migrated as 27, 44, 63, and 70 kD molecules under reduced conditions and 27, 41, 52, and 59 kD under nonreduced conditions, respectively, on SDS-PAGE. Based on several criteria, the protein migrating at 70/59 kD (reduced/nonreduced) was indistinguishable from chicken transferrin (conalbumin): 1) amino acid sequencing showed that eight N-terminal residues were identical to those of chicken transferrin, 2) acid hydrolysates of both proteins had nearly identical compositions, 3) the protein co-migrated exactly with chicken transferrin under both reduced and nonreduced conditions, and 4) ES3 IgG recognized both the 70/59 kD protein and chicken transferrin by western blot analysis of nonreduced samples, but not with reduced samples. Immunohistochemistry of chicken embryonic heart with antibodies against transferrin demonstrated that anti-transferrin immunoreactivity is present in myocardium but absent in cardiac endothelium before the initiation of cardiac endothelial-mesenchymal formation. However, both cardiac endothelium and migrating mesenchymal cells became immunoreactive with anti-transferrin at the time transformation occurred. These findings suggest a possible involvement of transferrin in the inductive process of cardiac endothelial-mesenchymal transformation.

Transdifferentiation of chicken retinal pigmented epithelial cells in serum-free culture

A serum-free culture of chicken retinal pigmented epithelial cells has been established in order to analyse how cell-substrate interactions or environmental factors affect the process of transdifferentiation into lens cells from pigmented epithelial cells. The serum-free culture medium for chicken pigmented epithelial cells was Eagle's minimum essential medium, supplemented with chicken transferrin, soybean trypsin inhibitor and bovine insulin. Pigmented epithelial cells were able to survive and grow in the medium for longer than 2 weeks. Collagen did not promote initial cell attachment, but this material effectively supports pigmented epithelial cells to organize monolayer structure characteristics to pigmented epithelium in situ in comparison with the plastic substrate of culture dishes. The process of lens transdifferentiation of chicken pigmented epithelial cells in serum-free conditions was also enhanced with the aid of phenylthiourea and testicular hyaluronidase, which had already been known to promote the transdifferentiation of pigmented epithelial cells in the serum-supplemented condition. Typical lentoid bodies were developed after about 2 weeks of serum-free culture. Thus, we can clearly demonstrate that the chicken embryonic pigmented epithelial cells do not always require a full set of serum factors for their transdifferentiation to lens cells in vitro.

Matrigel enhances myotube development in a serum-free defined medium

Previously reported serum-free defined media for muscle cell culture require supplementation with hormones, purified growth factors or attachment factors. This report describes a culture system that enhances embryonic chick, skeletal muscle cell growth and differentiation in a serum-free defined medium, without added specialized trophic factors. Myoblasts adhered more to and proliferated more rapidly on a reconstituted basement membrane substrate, Matrigel, than on rat-tail collagen. Matrigel contains several basement membrane attachment molecules which apparently obviate the need for added purified attachment factors. Matrigel also appeared to play a trophic role in subsequent development by enabling the serum-free growth of myotubes which suggests that Matrigel mediates the cellular interaction of growth or attachment factors. Collagen, on the other hand, did not support serum-free myotube growth. Supplementation of defined medium with increasing levels of horse serum enhanced total protein in myotubes grown on both substrates; protein was higher in Matrigel cultures for each medium tested. The serum-free defined medium supported complete morphological differentiation of myotubes grown on Matrigel and maintained myotube cultures up to 22 days. Fibroblast proliferation was higher in cultures on collagen in defined medium with high serum levels, but was virtually eliminated in cultures on Matrigel in serum-free defined medium. The culture system described supports the differentiation of embryonic muscle cells in a simple, serum-free defined medium, thus providing an in vitro model of developing myotubes which should be particularly useful for studies of regulation mediated by extracellular factors.

Transferrin receptors in rat central nervous system. An immunocytochemical study

Using an immunocytochemical method we demonstrated the presence of TfR on adult rat neurons, particularly in the cerebral cortex and brain stem. The monoclonal antibody (mab) against rat TfR (clone OX 26) stained neurons of all cortical layers and in the brain stem where the reaction was most evident. Purkinje cells in the cerebellum and scattered neurons in the gray matter of the cervical spinal cord were weakly stained. Choroid plexus cells also reacted with the mab against TfR whereas oligodendrocytes in the cerebral white matter were faintly outlined by the mab. The presence of TfR on endothelial cells of brain capillaries was here confirmed.

Suppression of transferrin internalization in myogenic L6 cells by dibucaine

Dibucaine, a potent local anesthetic, is known to suppress myogenesis. The promotion of myogenesis requires transferrin (Tf) which transports Fe to the cells. Therefore, the effects of dibucaine on Fe uptake and Tf internalization were studied using myogenic cell line L6. Dibucaine at 200 microM suppressed 55Fe accumulation which was transported by 55Fe-transferrin to the cells. The anesthetic changed neither the number of Tf receptors nor the affinity of Tf to Tf receptors on the cell membrane. Dibucaine retarded the endocytosis and exocytosis cycle of Tf, and this retardation acted to suppress Fe accumulation.

Further purification of a fibroblast growth factor-like factor from chick embryo extract by heparin-affinity chromatography

A mitogenic factor which promotes quail myoblast proliferation has been purified some 10(5)-fold from chick embryo extract by a combination of cation-exchange chromatography and heparin-affinity chromatography. The factor is eluted from heparin-Sepharose with 2 M NaCl and is a single-chain polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 15,000 to 17,000. It is active at subnanogram level in triggering the proliferation and thereby delaying temporarily fusion of myoblasts. It also stimulates the proliferation of quail fibroblasts in a similar effective concentration range. For both myoblasts and fibroblasts the dose-response to the factor is quantitatively and qualitatively comparable with that of bovine pituitary fibroblast growth factor. These observations strongly suggest that the factor very probably corresponds to chicken fibroblast growth factor or to a closely related molecule(s) and that it is possibly involved in the regulation of myogenesis.

Species specificity of transferrin binding, endocytosis and iron internalization by cultured chick myogenic cells

The ability of unlabelled heterologous transferrin to interact with transferrin receptors on developing chick myogenic cells was investigated by measuring their capacity to inhibit the surface-binding and internalization of 125I- and 59Fe-labelled ovotransferrin. Transferrins from rat, rabbit, human, and a species of kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) were unable to inhibit either surface-binding or internalization of labelled ovotransferrin even at concentrations ten times the molar concentration of the ovotransferrin. Transferrins isolated from the serum of a toad (Bufo marinus) and a lizard (Teliqua rugosa), when added at high concentrations, were found to reduce surface-binding of 125I-Tf by 20-25% but did not inhibit internalization of either 125I-Tf or 59Fe. This suggests that the effects of toad and lizard transferrins are due to non-specific binding to the myogenic cells. In contrast, inhibition of both surface-binding and internalization of labelled ovotransferrin was found when myogenic cells were incubated in the presence of the homologous transferrin (ovotransferrin). The species-specificity of transferrin binding, endocytosis and iron internalization did not vary with the state of proliferation or differentiation of the myogenic cells. However, the intracellular iron utilization was found to differ between differentiating presumptive and terminally differentiated myotubes. Internalized 59Fe was fractioned by gel filtration. In dividing and non-dividing presumptive myoblasts 59Fe was found to elute in three peaks, two with elution volumes corresponding to ferritin and transferrin and one at greater elution volume than that of myoglobin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Transferrin and the growth-promoting effect of nerves

In addition to its role in the activity of specialized proteins such as hemoglobin and myoglobin, iron is required as a cofactor in several important enzymes common to most animal cells. One such enzyme, ribonucleotide reductase, which regulates the production of deoxyribonucleotides during DNA synthesis, requires a continuous supply of iron to maintain its activity throughout the process of DNA replication. The mechanism by which animal cells normally acquire iron involves receptor-mediated uptake of iron-loaded transferrin, followed by release of apotransferrin. The density of transferrin receptors on the cell surface is greatly increased in rapidly dividing normal and neoplastic cells. Various mitogens and certain organogenic tissue interactions have been shown to induce the appearance of transferrin receptors, signalling the onset of DNA replication. Interference with this process of iron delivery causes the rapid arrest of cell cycling, frequently during the S phase itself, which underscores the importance of iron for DNA replication. Although most circulating transferrin is synthesized in the liver and embryonic yolk sac, smaller quantities are produced in several other embryonic organs and certain other adult tissues. It has been suggested that local synthesis and/or release of transferrin supplies the iron required by rapidly growing cells in situations where the cells do not have ready access to adequate amounts of plasma transferrin due to incomplete development of the vasculature or the presence of blood-tissue barriers (Ekblom and Thesleff, 1985; Meek and Adamson, 1985). Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells have been shown to synthesize and/or contain high concentrations of transferrin and these cells therefore may constitute a local source of this factor for neurons, whose growth and survival in vitro require transferrin. Transferrin in central and peripheral nervous tissues may be significant for the trophic or growth-promoting effect neurons exert on cells of certain tissues. Transferrin duplicates the activity of neural tissue or neural extracts on growth and development of cultured skeletal myoblasts from chick embryos and on proliferation of mesenchymal cells in blastemas from regenerating amphibian limbs, two systems that have been widely used in investigations of the growth-promoting influence of nerves. Moreover, removal of active transferrin from neural extracts, either with antibodies to transferrin or chelation of the iron, inhibits reversibly the effect of the extract in these developing systems. While the physiological significance of the extract in these developing systems.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Effect of iron and transferrin on pure oligodendrocytes in culture; characterization of a high-affinity transferrin receptor at different ages

Oligodendrocytes in pure culture can grow on relatively low iron concentrations (0.1-0.3 microM), in the absence of transferrin; with micromolar concentrations of iron, toxic effects can be seen after one week in culture. When transferrin is added, the toxic effect of iron is increased. These properties account for the mode of selection of oligodendrocytes for pure cultures. Each oligodendrocyte presents between 1100 and 3600 receptor molecules, with a dissociation constant of 0.2-0.6 nM corresponding to a high affinity transferrin-binding site; these constants vary little with age in culture. These receptors may function as autoreceptors regulating transferrin synthesis by oligodendrocytes.

Transferrin receptor numbers and transferrin and iron uptake in cultured chick muscle cells at different stages of development

The mechanism of iron uptake and the changes which occur during cellular development of muscle cells were investigated using primary cultures of chick embryo breast muscle. Replicating presumptive myoblasts were examined in exponential growth and after growth had plateaued. These were compared to the terminally differentiated cell type, the myotube. All cells, regardless of the state of growth or differentiation, had specific receptors for transferrin. Presumptive myoblasts in exponential growth had more transferrin receptors (3.78 +/- 0.24 X 10(10) receptors/micrograms DNA) than when division had ceased (1.70 +/- 0.14 X 10(10) receptors/micrograms DNA), while myotubes had 3.80 +/- 0.26 X 10(10) receptors/micrograms DNA. Iron uptake occurred by receptor-mediated endocytosis of transferrin. While iron was accumulated by the cells, apotransferrin was released in an undegraded form. There was a close correlation between the molar rates of endocytosis of transferrin and iron. Maximum rates of iron uptake were significantly higher in myotubes than in presumptive myoblasts in either exponential growth or after growth had plateaued. There were two rates of exocytosis of transferrin, implying the existence of two intracellular pathways for transferrin. These experiments demonstrate that iron uptake by muscle cells in culture occurs by receptor-mediated endocytosis of transferrin and that transferrin receptor numbers and the kinetics of transferrin and iron uptake vary with development of the cells.

Iron supports myogenic cell differentiation to the same degree as does iron-bound transferrin

T. Hasegawa, K. Saito, I. Kimura, and E. Ozawa (1981, Proc. Jopan Acad. B 57, 206-210) have shown that Fe ion can promote myogenic cell growth as Fe-bound transferrin. In the present work, the effects of these substances in supporting myogenic cell differentiation were examined. The hallmarks of differentiation adopted were appearance of structural and regulatory proteins, myofibrils, sarcoplasmic reticulum, and Ca-activated activities of myosin B and phosphorylase kinase; isoform transition of creatine kinase; and acquisition of cell membrane excitability and contractility following electrical stimulation of myotubes. The degree of differentiation of myotubes cultured in the presence of Fe ion was almost the same as that of myotubes cultured in the presence of Fe-bound transferrin. These facts suggest that transferrin protein molecules do not play a primary role in differentiation. Further, it has also been shown that myotubes acquire excitation-contraction and metabolism coupling qualitatively similar to that of adult muscle fiber.

Necessity of transferrin for RNA synthesis in chick myotubes

Chick transferrin (Tf) is essential not only for growth and differentiation but also for the maintenance of chick myotubes in culture. Its removal from the culture medium gives rise to degeneration of the myotubes. The analysis of this process revealed that the removal resulted in decrease in total and messenger RNA content in the myotubes; this was mainly due to a decrease in RNA synthesis. Activity of in vitro RNA synthesis in isolated nuclei from myotubes cultured without Tf was lower than the activity in nuclei from myotubes cultured with Tf and increased with the addition of FeCl3. Although RNA degradation in myotubes was also enhanced following Tf removal, the degree was small. The synthesis of most proteins was reduced. In contrast to this, a few new proteins of unknown nature were synthesised in myotubes cultured in Tf-free medium. The role of Fe ion carried into the cells by Tf in promoting myogenic cell growth and differentiation and in preventing the myotubes from degeneration can be explained, at least in part, on the basis of its effect on RNA synthesis. Since we have found that Fe is required for activation of RNA polymerase purified from embryonic muscles (Shoji and Ozawa, 1985b), these effects may be ascribed to this activating effect.

A satellite cell mitogen from crushed adult muscle

Single fiber-satellite cell units from skeletal muscle of adult rats were used to study the regulation of satellite cell proliferation. The satellite cells remained quiescent during culture in serum-containing medium but could be induced to enter the cell cycle by exposure to a saline extract of crushed adult muscle. The activity in the extract has a molecular weight greater than 30K and is heat and trypsin sensitive. The mitogenic activity does not result from transferrin. Little or no activity was obtained from crushed extracts of heterologous tissues. Proliferation of myogenic cells from rat embryos was also stimulated by the muscle mitogen but growth of muscle fibroblasts was not enhanced. The time response of satellite cell proliferation after exposure to the muscle mitogen showed that the cells enter DNA synthesis after a lag period of 18 hr and proliferate with a generation time of 12 hr. This confirms that satellite cells in adult muscle are in G0, or an extended G1. The mitogen is also effective in stimulating muscle growth and myoblast fusion in vivo when injected into 1-week-old rat pups. These experiments suggest that muscle regeneration is initiated by the release of an endogenous mitogen from traumatized muscle.

Class specificity of transferrin as a muscle trophic factor

The specificity of transferrin (Tf) in its exertion of a growth-promoting effect on myogenic cells was examined using serum Tfs from chick, dove, goose, turkey, bovine, horse, rabbit, rat, and swine and primary myogenic cells from chick, duck, quail, rabbit, and rat, and rat L6 cells. Avian Tfs were effective on avian cells but not on mammalian cells, while mammalian Tfs were effective on mammalian cells but not on avian cells. Dove and bovine Tfs were exceptional in that they were effective on some class-heterologous cells at higher concentrations and less so or completely ineffective on some class-homologous cells. Despite these exceptions, however, the relationship between Tfs and cells can be summarized as a class specificity. To exert the growth-promoting effect, it is prerequisite for Tf to bind its specific receptor on the cell surface. Using quail and L6 cells, we found that the binding of 125I-labeled chick and rat Tfs to the respective receptors of quail and L6 myoblasts was competitively inhibited by other kinds of effective Tfs, but not by ineffective ones. We conclude that the class specificity in myotrophic activity of Tf is due to the affinity between Tf and Tf receptor.

There is selective accumulation of a growth factor in chicken skeletal muscle. I. Transferrin accumulation in adult anterior latissimus dorsi

Chick embryo myoblasts in culture will respond to extracts of adult anterior latissimus dorsi muscle with an increase in cell number and an increase in total protein and in myosin heavy chain in fused myotubes. Extracts of adult pectoralis major and of posterior latissimus muscles are only marginally active. The active adult muscle extracts are fractionated by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography and transferrin is identified as the active component based on the following findings: (1) the active fractions are shown to contain an 80K protein that comigrates with chicken transferrin on SDS-PAGE, (2) the active extract from the anterior latissimus dorsi completely replaced embryo extract in the culture medium and supported normal myogenesis, (3) the active extract requires iron for its ability to support myogenesis, (4) the peptide map of the 80K protein is identical to a peptide map of transferrin. Under conditions where the 80K protein is detected in adult anterior latissimus dorsi muscles it is shown that the protein is nevertheless not synthesized in the muscle. These results support the idea that tissues of selective muscles in the adult chicken accumulate transferrin. An accompanying paper shows that transferrin also accumulates in early developmental stages of fast muscle tissue but that accumulation ceases after hatching in these muscles in normal chickens but not in animals of congenic strains with inherited muscular dystrophy.

Trophic effect of iron-bound transferrin on acetylcholine receptors in rat skeletal muscle in vivo

Trophic effect of iron-bound transferrin (FeTf) on the total content of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) and the specific activity of AChRs in innervated and denervated skeletal muscle was investigated in vivo. The right ischiadic nerves of 15 rats weighing 160 g were transected. FeTf (1.2 mg/ml) was injected daily into bilateral crural muscles of rats for the following 11 days. Control groups received injections of saline or no treatment. FeTf significantly increased the total content of AChRs and the specific activity of AChRs in innervated and denervated muscle compared with control groups (P less than 0.001). This result shows that intramuscular injections of FeTf may be useful for the treatment of disorders of neuromuscular transmission.