An analysis of myogenesis in vitro using fluorescein-labeled antimyosin

Bringing cell biology into classroom: tips to culture and observe skeletal muscle cells in high school and college

Watching living cells through a microscope is much more exciting than seeing pictures of cells in high school and college textbooks. However, bringing cell cultures into the classroom is challenging for biology teachers since culturing cells requires sophisticated and expensive instruments such as a CO2 incubator and an inverted phase-contrast microscope. Here, we describe easy and affordable methods to culture and observe skeletal muscle cells using the L-15 culture medium, tissue culture flask, standard dry incubator, standard upright microscope, and modified Smartphone microscope. Watching natural living cells in a "Do-It-Yourself (DIY)" way may inspire more students' interest in cell biology.

Differentiation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and T system in developing chick skeletal muscle in vitro

The electron microscope was used to investigate the first 10 days of differentiation of the SR and the T system in skeletal muscle cultured from the breast muscle of 11-day chick embryos. The T-system tubules could be clearly distinguished from the SR in developing muscle cells fixed with glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide. Ferritin diffusion confirmed this finding: the ferritin particles were found only in the tubules identified as T system. The proliferation of both membranous systems seemed to start almost simultaneously at the earliest myotube stage. Observations suggested that the new SR membranes developed from the rough-surfaced ER as tubular projections. The SR tubules connected with one another to form a network around the myofibril. The T-system tubules were formed by invagination of the sarcolemma. The early extension of the T system by branching and budding was seen only in subsarcolemmal regions. Subsequently the T-system tubules could be seen deep within the muscle cells. Immediately after invaginating, the T-system tubule formed, along its course, specialized connections with the SR or ER: triadic structures showing various degrees of differentiation. The simultaneous occurrence of myofibril formation and membrane proliferation is considered to be important in understanding the coordinated events resulting in the differentiated myotube.

Neurogenesis in adult CNS: from denial to opportunities and challenges for therapy

The discovery of neurogenesis and neural stem cells (NSC) in the adult CNS has overturned a long-standing and deep-routed "dogma" in neuroscience, established at the beginning of the 20(th) century. This dogma lasted for almost 90 years and died hard when NSC were finally isolated from the adult mouse brain. The scepticism in accepting adult neurogenesis has now turned into a rush to find applications to alleviate or cure the devastating diseases that affect the CNS. Here we highlight a number of methodological, technical and conceptual drawbacks responsible for the historical denial of adult neurogenesis. Furthermore, we discuss old and new issues that need to be faced before NSC or endogenous neurogenesis can safely enter into the doctor's bag for therapies.

Identification and characterization of a novel neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)-associated protein from quail myoblasts: relationship to myotube formation and induction of neurite-like protrusions

We identified a novel neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)-associated protein, myogenesis-related and NCAM-associated protein (MYONAP), the expression of which increases during the formation of myotubes in quail myoblasts transformed with a temperature-sensitive mutant of Rous sarcoma virus (QM-RSV cells). MYONAP shares homology with PL48 in human cytotrophoblasts and KIAA0386 in human brain. Excess expression of MYONAP in presumptive QM-RSV myoblasts induced long protrusions like neurites in cooperation with microtubules. Suppression of MYONAP by antisense cDNA prevented myotubes from forming in spite of the expression of myogenin, creatine kinase, and myosin, and rendered myoblast membranes resistant to fusion. Yeast two-hybrid screening showed that MYONAP interacted with NCAM specifically. Deletion of the NCAM-associated domain resulted in a loss of the function that induces neurite-like protrusions to form and disturbed the elongation of microtubules. The results suggested that MYONAP influenced the functions of microtubules and was involved in the formation of myotubes via its interaction with NCAM.

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)

Transient association of titin and myosin with microtubules in nascent myofibrils directed by the MURF2 RING-finger protein

Assembly of muscle sarcomeres is a complex dynamic process and involves a large number of proteins. A growing number of these have regulatory functions and are transiently present in the myofibril. We show here that the novel tubulin-associated RING/B-box protein MURF2 associates transiently with microtubules, myosin and titin during sarcomere assembly. During sarcomere assembly, MURF2 first associates with microtubules at the exclusion of tyrosinated tubulin. Then, MURF2-labelled microtubules associate transiently with sarcomeric myosin and later with A-band titin when non-striated myofibrils differentiate into mature sarcomeres. Finally, MURF2 labelled microtubules disappear from the sarcomere after the incorporation of myosin filaments and the elongation of titin. This suggests that the incorporation of myosin into nascent sarcomeres and the elongation of titin require an active, microtubule-dependent transport process and that MURF2-associated microtubules play a role in the alignment and extension of nascent sarcomeres. MURF2 is expressed in at least four isoforms, of which a 27 kDa isoform is cardiac specific. A C-terminal isoform is generated by alternative reading frame use, a novelty in muscle proteins. In mature cardiac sarcomeres, endogenous MURF2 can associate with the M-band, and is translocated to the nucleus. MURF2 can therefore act as a transient adaptor between microtubules, titin and nascent myosin filaments, as well as being involved in signalling from the sarcomere to the nucleus.

Development of muscle-specific features in cultured frog embryonic skeletal myocytes

To study the development of muscle-specific features during myogenesis, we analysed the ultrastructure and voltage-dependent currents of frog embryonic skeletal myocytes maintained in culture for 10 days. The cells were maintained under culture conditions that prevented cell division, fusion and cell contacts with neuroblasts. The cell surface was estimated morphometrically and from cell capacity and the values obtained were used to calculate ion current densities. It was shown that the expression of all main types of voltage dependent ionic currents occurs during the first 3-5 days. Na+ maximum specific conductance at days 1-2 was low but by day 7 it showed a 20-fold increase. The magnitude of Na+ current densities increased 16-fold from day 1 (3.6 microA/cm) to the day 7 (58.1 microA/cm). The maximum specific K+ conductance increased almost 3-fold during the first 5 days. In contrast to the other types of currents, I(K) undergoes qualitative changes. Sodium action potentials, whose amplitude and time course depend on gNa/gK ratio, appeared from day 4 in culture, when myofibrils and the T-system also developed. The amplitude of DHP-sensitive slow I(Ca) increased in parallel with the development of the T-membrane. I(Ca,S) density per unit of T-membrane area reached an equilibrium of ca., 17 microA/cm2 on the day 4 and then remained stable until the end of the period of observation. These studies demonstrate that muscle-specific characteristics including morphology and excitatory properties begin to develop on the third day and resemble those of adult muscle cells by the sixth day in culture.

Tau protein immunoreactivity in muscle fibers with rimmed vacuoles differs from that in regenerating muscle fibers

To determine whether tau protein found in muscle fibers with rimmed vacuoles and in regenerating fibers was phosphorylated, we examined eight muscle biopsy samples containing rimmed vacuoles (from five patients with distal myopathy with rimmed vacuole formation and three patients with inclusion body myositis) and three muscle biopsy samples from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy containing numerous regenerating fibers. Although both rimmed vacuolated and regenerating fibers had increased immunoreactivity against tubulin and tau protein, tau protein in the former was more highly phosphorylated than that in the latter. While very few microtubules in muscle fibers with rimmed vacuoles were recognizable by electron microscopy, regenerating fibers, especially immature ones, contained numerous microtubules. Since tau protein found in vacuolated fibers is hyperphosphorylated, it can be considered to have reduced ability to bind tubulin molecules. Thus, the tau protein cannot stabilize microtubules, resulting in their depolymerization even in the presence of tubulin molecules.

A novel 550-kDa protein in skeletal muscle of chick embryo: purification and localization

We have found a novel protein with a molecular mass of 550 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gels, which is abundant in skeletal muscle tissues at an early stage of chick embryonic development. The 550-kDa protein decreased with the progress of development, and only a slight amount of the protein was present in adult chicken skeletal muscle. The 550-kDa protein was purified from the cytoplasm of 18 day embryos by a procedure including ultracentrifugation and gel filtration. The purified 550-kDa protein was essentially free of contaminants as judged by SDS-PAGE. By immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy using the antibody raised against the 550-kDa protein, this protein was shown to be localized in the peripheries of adult muscle fibers and at the Z-disks of isolated myofibrils. These findings have led us to conclude that the 550-kDa protein is a novel myofibrillar protein in chicken skeletal muscle.

Sequential appearance of muscle-specific proteins in myoblasts as a function of time after cell division: evidence for a conserved myoblast differentiation program in skeletal muscle

Based on the assumption that a conserved differentiation program governs the assembly of sarcomeres in skeletal muscle in a manner analogous to programs for viral capsid assembly, we have defined the temporal and spatial distribution of 10 muscle-specific proteins in mononucleated myoblasts as a function of the time after terminal cell division. Single cells in mitosis were identified in monolayer cultures of embryonic chicken pectoralis, followed for selected time points (0-24 h postmitosis) by video time-lapse microscopy, and then fixed for immunofluorescence staining. For convenience, the myoblasts were termed x-h-old to define their age relative to their mitotic "birthdate." All 6 h myoblasts that emerged in a mitogen-rich medium were desmin+ but only 50% were positive for a alpha-actin, troponin-I, alpha-actinin, MyHC, zeugmatin, titin, or nebulin. By 15 h postmitosis, approximately 80% were positive for all of the above proteins. The up-regulation of these 7 myofibrillar proteins appears to be stochastic, in that many myoblasts were alpha-actinin+ or zeugmatin+ but MyHC- or titin- whereas others were troponin-I+ or MyHC+ but alpha-actinin- or alpha-actin-. In 15-h-old myoblasts, these contractile proteins were organized into nonstriated myofibrils (NSMFs). In contrast to striated myofibrils (SMFs), the NSMFs exhibited variable stoichiometries of the sarcomeric proteins and these were not organized into any consistent pattern. In this phase of maturation, two other changes occurred: (1) the microtubule network was reorganized into parallel bundles, driving the myoblasts into polarized, needle-shaped cells; and (2) the sarcolemma became fusion-competent. A transition from NSMFs to SMFs took place between 15 and 24 h (or later) postmitosis and was correlated with the late appearance of myomesin, and particularly, MyBP-C (C protein). The emergence of one, or a string of approximately 2 mu long sarcomeres, was invariably characterized by the localization of myomesin and MyBP-C to their mature positions in the developing A-bands. The latter group of A-band proteins may be rate-limiting in the assembly program. The great majority of myoblasts stained positively for desmin and myofibrillar proteins prior to, rather than after, fusing to form myotubes. This sequential appearance of muscle-specific proteins in vitro fully recapitulates myofibrillar assembly steps in myoblasts of the myotome and limb bud in vivo, as well as in nonmuscle cells converted to myoblasts by MyoD. We suggest that this cell-autonomous myoblast differentiation program may be blocked at different control points in immortalized myogenic cell lines.

Structural analysis of muscle development: transverse tubules, sarcoplasmic reticulum, and the triad

Increased interest in the mechanism of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling over the last few years has been accompanied by numerous investigations into the development of the underlying cellular structures. Areas of particular interest include: (1) the compartmentalization and specialization of an external and an internal membrane system, the T-tubules, and the sarcoplasmic reticulum, respectively; (2) interactions between the membrane proteins of both systems upon the formation of a junction, the triad; and (3) membrane-cytoskeletal interactions leading to the orderly arrangement of the triads with respect to the myofibrils. Structural studies using newly available specific molecular probes and a variety of in vivo and in vitro model systems have provided new insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the development of the E-C coupling apparatus in skeletal muscle.

Phorbol esters selectively and reversibly inhibit a subset of myofibrillar genes responsible for the ongoing differentiation program of chick skeletal myotubes

Phorbol esters selectively and reversibly disassemble the contractile apparatus of cultured skeletal muscle as well as inhibit the synthesis of many contractile proteins without inhibiting that of housekeeping proteins. We now demonstrate that phorbol esters reversibly decrease the mRNA levels of at least six myofibrillar genes: myosin heavy chain, myosin light chain 1/3, myosin light chain 2, cardiac and skeletal alpha-actin, and skeletal troponin T. The steady-state message levels decrease 50- to 100-fold after 48 h of exposure to phorbol esters. These decreases can be attributed at least in part to decreases in transcription rates. For at least two genes, cardiac and skeletal alpha-actin, some of the decreases are the result of increased mRNA turnover. In contrast, the cardiac troponin T steady-state message level does not change, and its transcription rate decreases only transiently upon exposure to phorbol esters. Phorbol esters do not decrease the expression of the housekeeping genes, alpha-tubulin, beta-actin, and gamma-actin. Phorbol esters do not decrease the steady-state message levels of MyoD1, a gene known to be important in the activation of many skeletal muscle-specific genes. Cycloheximide blocks the phorbol ester-induced decreases in transcription, message stability, and the resulting steady-state message level but does not block the tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate-induced rapid disassembly of the I-Z-I complexes. These results suggests a common mechanism for the regulation of many myofibrillar genes independent of MyoD1 mRNA levels, independent of housekeeping genes, but dependent on protein synthesis.

Phorbol esters selectively and reversibly inhibit a subset of myofibrillar genes responsible for the ongoing differentiation program of chick skeletal myotubes

Phorbol esters selectively and reversibly disassemble the contractile apparatus of cultured skeletal muscle as well as inhibit the synthesis of many contractile proteins without inhibiting that of housekeeping proteins. We now demonstrate that phorbol esters reversibly decrease the mRNA levels of at least six myofibrillar genes: myosin heavy chain, myosin light chain 1/3, myosin light chain 2, cardiac and skeletal alpha-actin, and skeletal troponin T. The steady-state message levels decrease 50- to 100-fold after 48 h of exposure to phorbol esters. These decreases can be attributed at least in part to decreases in transcription rates. For at least two genes, cardiac and skeletal alpha-actin, some of the decreases are the result of increased mRNA turnover. In contrast, the cardiac troponin T steady-state message level does not change, and its transcription rate decreases only transiently upon exposure to phorbol esters. Phorbol esters do not decrease the expression of the housekeeping genes, alpha-tubulin, beta-actin, and gamma-actin. Phorbol esters do not decrease the steady-state message levels of MyoD1, a gene known to be important in the activation of many skeletal muscle-specific genes. Cycloheximide blocks the phorbol ester-induced decreases in transcription, message stability, and the resulting steady-state message level but does not block the tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate-induced rapid disassembly of the I-Z-I complexes. These results suggests a common mechanism for the regulation of many myofibrillar genes independent of MyoD1 mRNA levels, independent of housekeeping genes, but dependent on protein synthesis.

Temporal differences in desmin expression between myoblasts from embryonic and adult chicken skeletal muscle

Desmin expression by myoblasts cultured from embryonic and adult chicken breast muscle was examined employing indirect immunofluorescence. The study was performed in conjunction with [3H]thymidine autoradiography and analysis of skeletal myosin expression in order to determine whether the desmin-expressing cells were terminally differentiated. Following 2 h of labeling with [3H]thymidine, 0.55%, 2.60%, and 15.10% of the cells in mass cultures from 10-day-old embryos, 18-day-old embryos and adults, respectively, incorporated [3H]thymidine and were desmin-positive but did not express skeletal-muscle-specific myosin. Using the same approach we determined that 0.07%, 1.25%, and 7.59% of the mononucleated cells in myogenic clones from 10-day-old embryos, 18-day-old embryos and adults, respectively, were desmin-positive, myosin-negative, [3H]thymidine-positive. We suggest that these desmin-positive, myosin-negative myoblasts are proliferating cells, and we conclude that the progeny of adult myoblasts exhibit more desmin-expressing cells of this type than embryonic myoblasts do.

Differential distribution of subsets of myofibrillar proteins in cardiac nonstriated and striated myofibrils

Cultured cardiac myocytes were stained with antibodies to sarcomeric alpha-actinin, troponin-I, alpha-actin, myosin heavy chain (MHC), titin, myomesin, C-protein, and vinculin. Attention was focused on the distribution of these proteins with respect to nonstriated myofibrils (NSMFs) and striated myofibrils (SMFs). In NSMFs, alpha-actinin is found as longitudinally aligned, irregular approximately 0.3-microns aggregates. Such aggregates are associated with alpha-actin, troponin-I, and titin. These I-Z-I-like complexes are also found as ectopic patches outside the domain of myofibrils in close apposition to the ventral surface of the cell. MHC is found outside of SMFs in the form of discrete fibrils. The temporal-spatial distribution and accumulation of the MHC-fibrils with respect to the I-Z-I-like complexes varies greatly along the length of the NSMFs. There are numerous instances of I-Z-I-like complexes without associated MHC-fibrils, and also cases of MHC-fibrils located many microns from I-Z-I-like complexes. The transition between the terminal approximately 1.7-microns sarcomere of any given SMF and its distal NSMF-tip is abrupt and is marked by a characteristic narrow alpha-actinin Z-band and vinculin positive adhesion plaque. A titin antibody T20, which localizes to an epitope at the Z-band in SMFs, precisely costains the 0.3-microns alpha-actinin aggregates in ectopic patches and NSMFs. Another titin antibody T1, which in SMFs localizes to an epitope at the A-I junction, typically does not stain ectopic patches and NSMFs. Where detectable, the T1-positive material is adjacent to rather than part of the 0.3-microns alpha-actinin aggregates. Myomesin and C-protein are found only in their characteristic sarcomeric locations (even in just perceptible SMFs). These A-band-associated proteins appear to be absent in ectopic patches and NSMFs.

Generation of a stable, posttranslationally modified microtubule array is an early event in myogenic differentiation

Microtubules (MTs) have been implicated to function in the change of cell shape and intracellular organization that occurs during myogenesis. However, the mechanism by which MTs are involved in these morphogenetic events is unclear. As a first step in elucidating the role of MTs in myogenesis, we have examined the accumulation and subcellular distribution of posttranslationally modified forms of tubulin in differentiating rat L6 muscle cells, using antibodies specific for tyrosinated (Tyr), detyrosinated (Glu), and acetylated (Ac) tubulin. Both Glu and Ac tubulin are components of stable MTs, whereas Tyr tubulin is the predominant constituent of dynamic MTs. In proliferating L6 myoblasts, as in other types of proliferating cells, the level of Glu tubulin was very low when compared with the level of Tyr tubulin. However, when we shifted proliferating L6 cells to differentiation media, we observed a rapid accumulation of Glu tubulin in cellular MTs. By immunofluorescence, the increase in Glu tubulin was first detected in MTs of prefusion myoblasts and was specifically localized to MTs that were associated with elongating portions of the cell. MTs in the multinucleated myotubes observed at later stages of differentiation maintained the elevated level of Glu tubulin that was observed in the prefusion myoblasts. When cells at early stages of differentiation (less than 1 d after switching the culture medium) were immunostained for Glu tubulin and the muscle-specific marker, muscle myosin, we found that the increase in Glu tubulin preceded the accumulation of muscle myosin. Thus, the elaboration of Glu MTs is one of the very early events in myogenesis. Ac tubulin also increased during L6 myogenesis; however, the increase in acetylation occurred later in myogenesis, after fusion had already occurred. Because detyrosination was temporally correlated with early events of myogenesis, we examined the mechanism responsible for the accumulation of Glu tubulin in the MTs of prefusion myoblasts. We found that an increase in the stability of L6 cell MTs occurred at the onset of differentiation, suggesting that the early increase in detyrosination that we observed is a manifestation of a decrease in MT dynamics in elongating myoblasts. We conclude that the establishment of an oriented array of microtubules heightened in its stability and its level of posttranslationally modified subunits may be involved in the subcellular remodeling that occurs during myogenesis.

Polygons and adhesion plaques and the disassembly and assembly of myofibrils in cardiac myocytes

Successive stages in the disassembly of myofibrils and the subsequent assembly of new myofibrils have been studied in cultures of dissociated chick cardiac myocytes. The myofibrils in trypsinized and dispersed myocytes are sequentially disassembled during the first 3 d of culture. They split longitudinally and then assemble into transitory polygons. Multiples of single sarcomeres, the cardiac polygons, are analogous to the transitory polygonal configurations assumed by stress fibers in spreading fibroblasts. They differ from their counterparts in fibroblasts in that they consist of muscle alpha-actinin vertices and muscle myosin heavy chain struts, rather than of the nonmuscle contractile protein isoforms of stress fiber polygons. EM sections reveal the vertices and struts in cardiac polygons to be typical Z and A bands. Most cardiac polygons are eliminated by day 5 of culture. Concurrent with the disassembly and elimination of the original myofibrils new myofibrils are rapidly assembled elsewhere in the same myocyte. Without exception both distal tips of each nascent myofibril terminate in adhesion plaques. The morphology and composition of the adhesion plaques capping each end of each myofibril are similar to those of the termini of stress fibers in fibroblasts. However, whereas the adhesion complexes involving stress fibers in fibroblasts consist of vinculin/nonmuscle alpha-actinin/beta- and gamma-actins, the analogous structures in myocytes involving myofibrils consist of vinculin/muscle alpha-actinin/alpha-actin. The addition of 1.7-2.0 microns sarcomeres to the distal tips of an elongating myofibril, irrespective of whether the myofibril consists of 1, 10, or several hundred tandem sarcomeres, occurs while the myofibril appears to remain linked to its respective adhesion plaques. The adhesion plaques in vitro are the equivalent of the in vivo intercalated discs, both in terms of their molecular composition and with respect to their functioning as initiating sites for the assembly of new sarcomeres. How 1.7-2.0 microns nascent sarcomeres can be added distally during elongation while the tips of the myofibrils remain inserted into submembranous adhesion plaques is unknown.

Skeletal muscle myofibrillogenesis as revealed with a monoclonal antibody to titin in combination with detection of the alpha- and gamma-isoforms of actin

The distribution of titin during myofibrillogenesis was examined using rat skeletal muscle myogenic cultures and fluorescent-antibody staining. Efforts were made to compare the distribution and temporal sequence of incorporation of titin relative to that of the alpha- and gamma-isoforms of actin. The present observations suggested the following sequence of titin assembly: (1) newly synthesized titin molecules are distributed in a diffuse pattern throughout the sarcoplasm, (2) the titin molecules gradually associate with alpha- and gamma-actin-positive stress fiber-like structures (SFLS), (3) groups of titin molecules begin to segregate on the SFLS, and (4) titin molecules align in a mature doublet configuration in the sarcomeres of nascent myofibrils. Titin assembly on the SFLS often appeared prior to the onset of either alpha- or gamma-actin periodicity on nascent myofibrils; the latter result suggested a role for titin in sarcomeric organization. Actin distribution on SFLS and its periodicity on nascent myofibrils was usually identical between the alpha- and gamma-isoforms. This suggested that gamma-actin participated in myofibrillogenesis in a manner indistinguishable from that of alpha-actin. The transition seen from continuous actin staining of SFLS to the I-band staining pattern of mature myofibrils is discussed in relation to the corresponding reorganization of actin filaments and the molecular associations that this would entail.

The control of chick myoblast fusion by ion channels operated by prostaglandins and acetylcholine

Chick myoblast fusion in culture was investigated using prostanoid synthesis inhibitors to delay spontaneous fusion. During this delay myoblast fusion could be induced by prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), by raising extracellular potassium and by addition of carbachol. Carbachol-induced fusion, but not PGE-induced fusion, was prevented by the acetylcholine receptor blocker alpha-bungarotoxin. Fusion induced by any of these agents was prevented by the Ca channel blockers lanthanum and D600. The threshold for potassium-induced fusion was 7-8 mM; maximal fusion occurred at 16-20 mM. Low extracellular potassium inhibited spontaneous fusion. Intracellular potassium in fusion competent myoblasts was 101 m-moles/l cell. Calcium flux measurements demonstrated that high potassium increased calcium permeability in fusion-competent myoblasts. A 30-s exposure to high potassium or PGE1 was sufficient to initiate myoblast fusion. Anion-exchange inhibitors (SITS and DIDS) delayed spontaneous myoblast fusion and blocked fusion induced by PGE1 but not carbachol. Blocking the acetylcholine receptor shifted the dose-response relation for PGE-induced fusion to higher concentrations. PGE1-induced fusion required chloride ions; carbachol-induced fusion required sodium ions. Provided calcium channels were available, potassium always induced fusion. We conclude that myoblasts possess at least three, independent pathways, each of which can initiate myoblast fusion and that the PGE-activated pathway and the acetylcholine receptor-activated pathway act synergistically. We suggest that fusion competent myoblasts have a high resting membrane potential and that fusion is controlled by depolarization initiated directly (potassium), by an increase in permeability to chloride ions (PGE), or by activation of the acetylcholine receptor (carbachol); depolarization triggers a rise in calcium permeability. The consequent increase in intracellular calcium initiates myoblast fusion.

Primary, secondary and tertiary myotubes in developing skeletal muscle: a new approach to the analysis of human myogenesis

Monoclonal antibodies to myosins have been used to describe and define the appearance and maturation of 3 different classes of myotube in developing human quadriceps muscle. Five monoclonal antibodies were used: (i) MAb A against human slow myosin heavy chain; (ii) MAb B against a myosin heavy chain present in most adult Type 2 fibres; (iii) MAb C against myosin heavy chain present in all mature and immature Type 2 fibres; (iv) MAb D, with similar reactivity to MAb C; (v) MAb E against human embryonic myosin. The combined use of two of these antibodies (A and B) enables the confident early identification of each of 3 classes (primary, secondary, tertiary) of myotubes, which appear sequentially during myogenesis. Our results show that induction of slow myosin heavy chain synthesis is a biphasic phenomenon in developing human skeletal muscle. Slow myosin heavy chain was present in all the earliest (9 weeks gestation) primary myotubes, but was not detected in secondary or tertiary myotubes until about 29 weeks gestation. Each stage of fetal muscle development has a characteristic immunocytochemical pattern which reveals cellular heterogeneity not evident on myosin ATPase histochemistry. Myosin immunocytochemistry may usefully be applied to assess the gestational age of fetuses. A new interpretation of human skeletal muscle development is proposed, based on the separate programming of 3 different kinds of myotube. This may be important in the analysis of diseased muscle in which developmental abnormalities or regeneration are present.

Growth and differentiation during myogenesis in the chick embryo

A general method for describing the complex dynamics of cell populations over an extended period of growth and differentiation in a developing tissue is presented. The measurements required to produce a unique description are defined. Skeletal muscle development in the thigh and breast of the chick embryo is analyzed, using this method, during the period of embryonic development between Day 7 and Day 17. A unique quantitation of growth and differentiation for the period from Day 11 to Day 17 is developed. The pectoralis major is compared with the averaged behavior of the thigh musculature. In each case, a single partitioning rule holds for more than 10 generations during the main myogenic period. In the pectoralis, approximately 51% of the cells entering G1 in each generation continue in the cell cycle; in the thigh, which experiences substantially greater overall growth, approximately 58% of the cells entering G1 in each generation continue in the cell cycle. No significant cell death is detected. Thus, in each case, the absolute number of myoblasts is increasing while the fractional value of myoblasts in the population is decreasing over a fivefold range. These results are discussed in terms of several quantitative models for the possible basis of the observed population dynamics.

Titin and myosin, but not desmin, are linked during myofibrillogenesis in postmitotic mononucleated myoblasts

Monoclonal antibodies specific for the muscle protein titin have been used in conjunction with muscle-specific antibodies against myofibrillar myosin heavy chains (MHCs) and desmin to study myogenesis in cultured cells. Desmin synthesis is initiated in replicating presumptive myoblasts, whereas the synthesis of titin and MHC is initiated simultaneously in their progeny, the postmitotic, mononucleated myoblasts. Both titin and MHC are briefly localized to nonstriated and thereafter to definitively striated myofibrils. At no stage during myofibrillogenesis is either protein observed as part of a sequence of mini-sarcomeres. Titin antibodies bind to the A-I junction, MHC antibodies to the A bands in nascent, maturing, and mature myofibrils. In contrast, desmin remains distributed as longitudinal filaments until well after the definitive myofibrils have aligned laterally. This tight temporal and topographical linkage between titin and myosin is also observed in postmitotic, mononucleated myoblasts and multinucleated myotubes when myofibrillogenesis is perturbed with Colcemid or taxol. Colcemid induces elongating postmitotic mononucleated myoblasts and multinucleated myotubes to round up and form Colcemid myosacs. The myofibrils that emerge in these rounded cells are deployed in convoluted circles. The time required for their nonstriated myofibrils to transform into striated myofibrils is greatly protracted. Furthermore, as Colcemid induces immense desmin intermediate filament cables, the normal spatial relationships between emerging individual myofibrils is distorted. Despite these disturbances at all stages, the characteristic temporal and spatial relationship observed in normal myofibrils between titin and MHC is observed in myofibrils assembling in Colcemid-treated cells. Newly born postmitotic mononucleated myoblasts, or maturing myotubes, reared in taxol acquire a star-shaped configuration and are induced to assemble "pseudo-striated myofibrils." Pseudo-striated myofibrils consist of laterally aggregated 1.6-micron long, thick filaments that interdigitate, not with thin filaments, but with long microtubules. These atypical myofibrils lack Z bands. Despite the absence of thin filaments and Z bands, titin localizes with its characteristics sarcomeric periodicity in pseudo-striated myofibrils. We conclude that the initiation and subsequent regulation of titin and myosin synthesis, and their spatial deployment within developing sarcomeres are tightly coupled events. These findings are discussed in terms of a model that proposes interaction between two relatively autonomous "organizing centers" in the assembly of each sarcomere.

Differential survival of cartilage and muscle cells in chick limb-bud cell cultures maintained in chemically defined and serum-containing media

Chick limb buds at stages 22-23 largely consist of replicating presumptive chondroblasts and presumptive myoblasts. To study the influence that different medium compositions may have on the survival, replication, and terminal differentiation of these dissociated cells in vitro, micromass cultures were reared in either standard Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing fetal calf serum (SC-DMEM) or in serum-free DMEM. By day 4, approximately 80% and 50% of the original cell inoculum had been lost in DMEM and SC-DMEM cultures, respectively, as estimated from the recovery of incorporated 3H-thymidine. Between days 1 and 4, the total-DNA content remained virtually constant in DMEM cultures, while it increased five- to sixfold in SC-DMEM cultures. In both media, definitive myoblasts and chondroblasts first emerged on day 1 and day 2, respectively, as determined by immunofluorescence staining using antibodies against muscle light meromyosin (LMM) or the major cartilage proteoglycan. In both media, the chondroblasts increased in number and, by day 4, had formed sizable chondroblast nodules. The number of chondroblasts in SC-DMEM cultures exceeded that observed in DMEM cultures. In DMEM, the LMM-positive myoblasts had an atypical morphology and failed to fuse into elongated myotubes; these cells began to degenerate on about day 4, being undetectable by day 8. In SC-DMEM, the numerous LMM-positive myoblasts located in the center of the micromasses also had an atypical morphology, failed to form multinucleated myotubes, and were absent by day 8.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Role of stress fiber-like structures in assembling nascent myofibrils in myosheets recovering from exposure to ethyl methanesulfonate

When day 1 cultures of chick myogenic cells were exposed to the mutagenic alkylating agent ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) for 3 d, 80% of the replicating cells were killed, but postmitotic myoblasts survived. The myoblasts fused to form unusual multinucleated "myosheets": extraordinarily wide, flattened structures that were devoid of myofibrils but displayed extensive, submembranous stress fiber-like structures (SFLS). Immunoblots of the myosheets indicated that the carcinogen blocked the synthesis and accumulation of the myofibrillar myosin isoforms but not that of the cytoplasmic myosin isoform. When removed from EMS, widely spaced nascent myofibrils gradually emerged in the myosheets after 3 d. Striking co-localization of fluorescent reagents that stained SFLS and those that specifically stained myofibrils was observed for the next 2 d. By both immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, individual nascent myofibrils appeared to be part of, or juxtaposed to, preexisting individual SFLS. By day 6, all SFLS had disappeared, and the definitive myofibrils were displaced from their submembranous site into the interior of the myosheet. Immunoblots from recovering myosheets demonstrated a temporal correlation between the appearance of the myofibrillar myosin isoforms and the assembly of thick filaments. The assembly of definitive myofibrils did not appear to involve desmin intermediate filaments, but a striking aggregation of sarcoplasmic reticulum elements was seen at the level of each I-Z-band. Our findings suggest that SFLS in the EMS myosheets function as early, transitory assembly sites for nascent myofibrils.

Generation of chick skeletal muscle cells in groups of 16 from stem cells

The commonly accepted hypothesis explaining the control of skeletal muscle differentiation is that all myogenic precursor cells are equivalent and that they differentiate into post-mitotic muscle cells in response to exogenous signals, specifically low mitogen concentrations. Large clones derived from vertebrate myogenic cells, however, consist both of cycling precursors and of terminally differentiated, post-mitotic muscle cells. Here, we count the total number of cells and the number of terminally differentiated cells (or nuclei, in fused cells) in large myogenic clones. The number of terminally differentiated cells per clone was usually equal to or just below a multiple of 16. This finding is not expected from a model postulating a homogeneous population of muscle precursor cells. Rather, our results suggest that a self-renewing stem cell exists in the skeletal muscle lineage. This cell can generate committed precursors which then give rise to cohorts of 16 terminally differentiated muscle cells. This model of myogenesis provides a simple explanation for the protracted and asynchronous nature of muscle differentiation in vertebrate embryogenesis.

Effect of monensin on myoblast fusion

Monensin, at a concentration of 0.5-10 microM, completely (100%) and reversibly inhibits fusion of embryonic chick myoblasts in vitro. At the same time, monensin administration leads to a marked accumulation of glycopeptides inside the cells and a decrease of those secreted into the medium. Chromatography of the intracellularly retained glycopeptides on Con A-Sepharose shows that the increase is most pronounced in the high-mannose fraction. Mild proteolysis of cells labeled with [2-3H]mannose releases less radioactivity from the surface of monensin-treated than from control cells, although the amount of total radioactivity is almost four times higher than in the control cells. Since it has now been established that monensin interferes with the intracellular transport of newly synthesized glycoproteins it is assumed that its inhibitory effect is the result of the inability of glycoprotein(s) essential for myoblast fusion to reach the cell surface.

The relationship between stress fiber-like structures and nascent myofibrils in cultured cardiac myocytes

The topographical relationship between stress fiber-like structures (SFLS) and nascent myofibrils was examined in cultured chick cardiac myocytes by immunofluorescence microscopy. Antibodies against muscle-specific light meromyosin (anti-LMM) and desmin were used to distinguish cardiac myocytes from fibroblastic cells. By various combinations of staining with rhodamine-labeled phalloidin, anti-LMM, and antibodies against chick brain myosin and smooth muscle alpha-actinin, we observed the following relationships between transitory SFLS and nascent and mature myofibrils: (a) more SFLS were present in immature than mature myocytes; (b) in immature myocytes a single fluorescent fiber would stain as a SFLS distally and as a striated myofibril proximally, towards the center of the cell; (c) in regions of a myocyte not yet penetrated by the elongating myofibrils, SFLS were abundant; and (d) in regions of a myocyte with numerous mature myofibrils, SFLS had totally disappeared. Spontaneously contracting striated myofibrils with definitive Z-band regions were present long before anti-desmin localized in the I-Z-band region and long before morphologically recognizable structures periodically link Z-bands to the sarcolemma. These results suggest a transient one-on-one relationship between individual SFLS and newly emerging individual nascent myofibrils. Based on these and other relevant data, a complex, multistage molecular model is presented for myofibrillar assembly and maturation. Lastly, it is of considerable theoretical interest to note that mature cardiac myocytes, like mature skeletal myotubes, lack readily detectable stress fibers.

Separation of precursor myogenic and chondrogenic cells in early limb bud mesenchyme by a monoclonal antibody

We have addressed the problem of the segregation of cell lineages during the development of cartilage and muscle in the chick limb bud. The following experiments demonstrate that early limb buds consist of at least two independent subpopulations of committed precursor cells--those in (a) the myogenic and (b) the chondrogenic lineage--which can be physically separated. Cells obtained from stage 20, 21, and 22 limb buds were cultured for 5 h in the presence of a monoclonal antibody that was originally isolated for its ability to detach preferentially myogenic cells from extracellular matrices. The detached limb bud cells were collected and replated in normal medium. Within 2 d nearly all of the replated cells had differentiated into myoblasts and myotubes; no chondroblasts differentiated in these cultures. In contrast, the original adherent population that remained after the antibody-induced detachment of the myogenic cells differentiated largely into cartilage and was devoid of muscle. Rearing the antibody-detached cells (i.e., replicating myogenic precursors and postmitotic myoblasts) in medium known to promote chondrogenesis did not induce these cells to chondrify. Conversely, rearing the attached precursor cells (i.e., chondrogenic precursors) in medium known to promote myogenesis did not induce these cells to undergo myogenesis. The definitive mononucleated myoblasts and multinucleated myotubes were identified by muscle-specific antibodies against light meromyosin or desmin, whereas the definitive chondroblasts were identified by a monoclonal antibody against the keratan sulfate chains of the cartilage-specific sulfated proteoglycan. These findings are interpreted as supporting the lineage hypothesis in which the differentiation program of a cell is determined by means of transit through compartments of a lineage.

BB creatine kinase and myogenic differentiation. Immunocytochemical identification of a distinct precursor compartment in the chicken skeletal myogenic lineage

Antisera specific for the B monomer of creatine kinase (B-CK), the M monomer of creatine kinase (M-CK), and muscle-specific myosin heavy chain (MHC) were used to investigate the biochemical characteristics of individual cells in primary myogenic cultures. Through the use of immunocytochemical techniques, in conjunction with 3H-thymidine autoradiography, it was determined that (1) all of the terminally differentiated myoblasts contained B-CK in addition to M-CK and MHC, (2) none of the cycling cells contained M-CK or MHC, (3) a fraction (7.5%) of the cycling cells contained B-CK, and (4) the cycling, B-CK positive cells divided once, and only once, and produced two terminally differentiated myoblasts. These results indicate that myogenic precursors in vitro are a phenotypically heterogeneous cell population and that the appearance of B-CK in cycling myogenic cells is a biochemical manifestation of a distinct precursor compartment in the chicken skeletal myogenic lineage.

Analysis of the myogenic lineage in chick embryos. III. Quantitative evidence for discrete compartments of precursor cells

Probabilistic and programmed lineage models for the generation of terminally differentiated skeletal muscle cells were tested in a clonal culture assay. Myogenic cells from the breast muscles of 10-day chick embryos were plated at an initial density of 250-1000 cells per 60 mm dish. Well-isolated individual cells were marked with a ring on the underside of the dishes, and clones arising from only these cells were followed. The presence of post-mitotic myoblasts in clones was assayed by peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) and fluorescence immunocytochemical staining for both M-type creatine kinase (MCK) and skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain (MHC). Clones were fixed at intervals up to 76 h and were scored for the number of cells per clone and the number of MCK + and MHC + cells per clone. Quantitative and kinetic data were obtained indicating that post-mitotic myoblasts occurred overwhelmingly in homogeneous clones (all cells MCK + and MHC +) which contained 2" cells (n = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4). This result does not support either probabilistic models of myogenesis or the existence of 'proliferative' mitoses at the end stages of differentiation. Rather, it indicates that myogenic precursor cells are a heterogeneous population, within which individual cells are predetermined to undergo a set number of symmetrical mitoses prior to yielding terminally differentiated progeny. These findings are strong evidence for a programmed, cell cycle-dependent lineage in the end stages of muscle differentiation.

Effects of taxol and Colcemid on myofibrillogenesis

To determine the relationship between thin filaments, Z-bands, microtubules, intermediate filaments (IFs), T-tubules, and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) during myofibrillogenesis, myotubes were selectively depleted of their myofibrils with 12-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) and then were allowed to regenerate in (i) normal medium, (ii) taxol, and (iii) Colcemid. Myofibrils assembled in normal medium formed typical A-, I-, Z-, M-, and H-bands and associated IFs, T-tubules, and SR. Myofibrils assembled in taxol formed "A-bands" of aligned thick filaments interdigitating with long microtubules and "I-bands" consisting only of microtubules. These unprecedented sarcomeres lacked thin filaments, Z-bands, and associated IFs and SR. "Solitary A-bands," consisting exclusively of laterally aligned bipolar thick filaments 1.6 microM in length without either thin filaments or microtubules, were observed. Myofibrils assembled in Colcemid formed all myofibrillar components in the absence of microtubules but these did not achieve rigorous lateral alignment. Colcemid and taxol induced the formation of patchy Z-bands that invariably served as insertion sites for thin filaments, irrespective of the presence or absence of adjacent thick filaments. Z-bands may function as actin-organizing centers for each sarcomere.

A reappraisal of the origin of human extraocular muscles

It has previously been suggested that extraocular muscles develop from mesoderm surrounding the head cavities and grow anteriorly into the orbit. A reappraisal of 54 specimens ranging in size from 8 mms to term indicates that human extraocular muscles develop from the mesoderm within the orbit and that these muscles do not develop from the apex of the orbit and grow anteriorly. Furthermore, the origin, belly, and insertion of the extraocular muscles develop contemporaneously, and each individual muscle develops at the same time. The morphogenesis of extraocular muscles includes the stages of mesenchymal cell, early myoblasts cells, myoblast cell, fusion of myoblast cell, myotube cell, and mature muscle cell.

The effects of 5-bromodeoxyuridine on the growth and morphology of transformed rat liver cells

The effects of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) on the growth, morphology, and tumorigenicity of the spontaneously transformed rat liver cell line R72/3 were studied. These cells grow either in suspension or in a monolayer and are tumorigenic. In monolayer cultures, cells treated with low concentrations (2.5 micrograms/ml) of BrdUrd were larger, more spread out, and more firmly attached to the substratum than were untreated controls. Treated cells failed to grow in suspension or on confluent monolayers of 3T3 cells and did not form colonies in soft agar. Scanning electron microscopy revealed extensive flattening of treated cells and a dramatic reduction in the number of microvilli on the cell surface. Transmission electron microscopy showed an increase in polyribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum, as well as an enlargement of endoplasmic reticulum cisternae and a complete absence of the bundles of intermediate size filaments that were conspicuous in untreated cells. The persistence of these changes required the continuous presence of BrdUrd in the medium. The effects of BrdUrd were readily reversed by withdrawal of BrdUrd and were not expressed in the presence of excess thymidine.