Multiple phosphorylation events control mitotic degradation of the muscle transcription factor Myf5

Cereblon influences the timing of muscle differentiation in Ciona tadpoles

Thalidomide has a dark history as a teratogen, but in recent years, its derivates have been shown to function as potent chemotherapeutic agents. These drugs bind cereblon (CRBN), the substrate receptor of an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, and modify its degradation targets. Despite these insights, remarkably little is known about the normal function of cereblon in development. Here, we employ Ciona, a simple invertebrate chordate, to identify endogenous Crbn targets. In Ciona, Crbn is specifically expressed in developing muscles during tail elongation before they acquire contractile activity. Crbn expression is activated by Mrf, the ortholog of MYOD1, a transcription factor important for muscle differentiation. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutations of Crbn lead to precocious onset of muscle contractions. By contrast, overexpression of Crbn delays contractions and is associated with decreased expression of contractile protein genes such as troponin. This reduction is possibly due to reduced Mrf protein levels without altering Mrf mRNA levels. Our findings suggest that Mrf and Crbn form a negative feedback loop to control the precision of muscle differentiation during tail elongation.

The Phosphonate Derivative of C60 Fullerene Induces Differentiation towards the Myogenic Lineage in Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Inductors of myogenic stem cell differentiation attract attention, as they can be used to treat myodystrophies and post-traumatic injuries. Functionalization of fullerenes makes it possible to obtain water-soluble derivatives with targeted biochemical activity. This study examined the effects of the phosphonate C₆₀ fullerene derivatives on the expression of myogenic transcription factors and myogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Uptake of the phosphonate C₆₀ fullerene derivatives in human MSCs, intracellular ROS visualization, superoxide scavenging potential, and the expression of myogenic, adipogenic, and osteogenic differentiation genes were studied. The prolonged MSC incubation (within 7–14 days) with the C₆₀ pentaphoshonate potassium salt promoted their differentiation towards the myogenic lineage. The transcription factors and gene expressions determining myogenic differentiation (MYOD1, MYOG, MYF5, and MRF4) increased, while the expression of osteogenic differentiation factors (BMP2, BMP4, RUNX2, SPP1, and OCN) and adipogenic differentiation factors (CEBPB, LPL, and AP2 (FABP4)) was reduced or did not change. The stimulation of autophagy may be one of the factors contributing to the increased expression of myogenic differentiation genes in MSCs. Autophagy may be caused by intracellular alkalosis and/or short-term intracellular oxidative stress.

USP7-dependent control of myogenin stability is required for terminal differentiation in skeletal muscle progenitors

Satellite cells (SCs) are myogenic progenitors responsible for skeletal muscle regeneration and maintenance. Upon activation, SCs enter a phase of robust proliferation followed by terminal differentiation. Underlying this myogenic progression, the sequential expression of muscle regulatory transcription factors (MRFs) and the downregulation of transcription factor paired box gene 7 (Pax7) are key steps regulating SC fate. In addition to transcriptional regulation, post-translational control of Pax7 and the MRFs provides another layer of spatiotemporal control to the myogenic process. In this context, previous work showed that Pax7 is ubiquitinated by the E3 ligase neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated protein 4 and interacts with several proteins related to the ubiquitin-proteasome system, including the deubiquitinase ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7). Although USP7 functions in diverse cellular contexts, its role(s) during myogenesis remains poorly explored. Here, we show that USP7 is transiently expressed in adult muscle progenitors, correlating with the onset of myogenin expression, while it is downregulated in newly formed myotubes/myofibers. Acute inhibition of USP7 activity upon muscle injury results in persistent expression of early regeneration markers and a significant reduction in the diameter of regenerating myofibers. At the molecular level, USP7 downregulation or pharmacological inhibition impairs muscle differentiation by affecting myogenin stability. Co-immunoprecipitation and in vitro activity assays indicate that myogenin is a novel USP7 target for deubiquitination. These results suggest that USP7 regulates SC myogenic progression by enhancing myogenin stability.

Protein 4.1R Influences Myogenin Protein Stability and Skeletal Muscle Differentiation

Protein 4.1R (4.1R) isoforms are expressed in both cardiac and skeletal muscle. 4.1R is a component of the contractile apparatus. It is also associated with dystrophin at the sarcolemma in skeletal myofibers. However, the expression and function of 4.1R during myogenesis have not been characterized. We now report that 4.1R expression increases during C2C12 myoblast differentiation into myotubes. Depletion of 4.1R impairs skeletal muscle differentiation and is accompanied by a decrease in the levels of myosin heavy and light chains and caveolin-3. Furthermore, the expression of myogenin at the protein, but not mRNA, level is drastically decreased in 4.1R knockdown myocytes. Similar results were obtained using MyoD-induced differentiation of 4.1R^-/- mouse embryonic fibroblast cells. von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) protein is known to destabilize myogenin via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. We show that 4.1R associates with VHL and, when overexpressed, reverses myogenin ubiquitination and stability. This suggests that 4.1R may influence myogenesis by preventing VHL-mediated myogenin degradation. Together, our results define a novel biological function for 4.1R in muscle differentiation and provide a molecular mechanism by which 4.1R promotes myogenic differentiation.

Phosphorylation-dependent degradation of MEF2C contributes to regulate G2/M transition

The Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2C (MEF2C) transcription factor plays a critical role in skeletal muscle differentiation, promoting muscle-specific gene transcription. Here we report that in proliferating cells MEF2C is degraded in mitosis by the Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) and that this downregulation is necessary for an efficient progression of the cell cycle. We show that this mechanism of degradation requires the presence on MEF2C of a D-box (R-X-X-L) and 2 phospho-motifs, pSer98 and pSer110. Both the D-box and pSer110 motifs are encoded by the ubiquitous alternate α1 exon. These two domains mediate the interaction between MEF2C and CDC20, a co-activator of APC/C. We further report that in myoblasts, MEF2C regulates the expression of G2/M checkpoint genes (14–3–3γ, Gadd45b and p21) and the sub-cellular localization of CYCLIN B1. The importance of controlling MEF2C levels during the cell cycle is reinforced by the observation that modulation of its expression affects the proliferation rate of colon cancer cells. Our findings show that beside the well-established role as pro-myogenic transcription factor, MEF2C can also function as a regulator of cell proliferation.

Functional characterization of Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) E3 ubiquitin ligases in tumorigenesis

The Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) is a multi-subunit E3 ubiquitin ligase that primarily governs cell cycle progression. APC/C is composed of at least 14 core subunits and recruits its substrates for ubiquitination via one of the two adaptor proteins, Cdc20 or Cdh1, in M or M/early G1 phase, respectively. Furthermore, recent studies have shed light on crucial functions for APC/C in maintaining genomic integrity, neuronal differentiation, cellular metabolism and tumorigenesis. To gain better insight into the in vivo physiological functions of APC/C in regulating various cellular processes, particularly development and tumorigenesis, a number of mouse models of APC/C core subunits, coactivators or inhibitors have been established and characterized. However, due to their essential role in cell cycle regulation, most of the germline knockout mice targeting the APC/C pathway are embryonic lethal, indicating the need for generating conditional knockout mouse models to assess the role in tumorigenesis for each APC/C signaling component in specific tissues. In this review, we will first provide a brief introduction of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and the biochemical activities and cellular functions of the APC/C E3 ligase. We will then focus primarily on characterizing genetic mouse models used to understand the physiological roles of each APC/C signaling component in embryogenesis, cell proliferation, development and carcinogenesis. Finally, we discuss future research directions to further elucidate the physiological contributions of APC/C components during tumorigenesis and validate their potentials as a novel class of anti-cancer targets.

Overexpression of annexin A2 is associated with abnormal ubiquitination in breast cancer

Abnormal expression of annexin A2 contributes to metastasis and infiltration of cancer cells. To elucidate the cause of abnormal expression of annexin A2, Western blotting, immunoproteomics and immunohistochemical staining were performed to analyze differentially ubiquitinated proteins between fresh breast cancer tissue and its adjacent normal breast tissue from five female volunteers. We detected an ubiquitinated protein that was up-regulated in the cancer tissue, which was further identified as annexin A2 by mass spectrometry. These results suggest that abnormal ubiquitination and/or degradation of annexin A2 may lead to presence of annexin A2 at high level, which may further promote metastasis and infiltration of the breast cancer cells.

Expression and subcellular localization of myogenic regulatory factors during the differentiation of skeletal muscle C2C12 myoblasts

It is known that the MyoD family members (MyoD, Myf5, myogenin, and MRF4) play a pivotal role in the complex mechanism of skeletal muscle cell differentiation. However, fragmentary information on transcription factor-specific regulation is available and data on their post-transcriptional and post-translational behavior are still missing. In this work, we combined mRNA and protein expression analysis with their subcellular localization. Each myogenic regulator factor (MRF) revealed a specific mRNA trend and a protein quantitative analysis not overlapping, suggesting the presence of post-transcriptional mechanisms. In addition, each MRF showed a specific behavior in situ, characterized by a differentiation stage-dependent localization suggestive of a post-translational regulation also. Consistently with their transcriptional activity, immunogold electron microscopy data revealed MRFs distribution in interchromatin domains. Our results showed a MyoD and Myf5 contrasting expression profile in proliferating myoblasts, as well as myogenin and MRF4 opposite distribution in the terminally differentiated myotubes. Interestingly, MRFs expression and subcellular localization analysis during C2C12 cell differentiation stages showed two main MRFs regulation mechanisms: (i) the protein half-life regulation to modulate the differentiation stage-dependent transcriptional activity and (ii) the cytoplasmic retention, as a translocation process, to inhibit the transcriptional activity. Therefore, our results exhibit that MRFs nucleo-cytoplasmic trafficking is involved in muscle differentiation and suggest that, besides the MRFs expression level, also MRFs subcellular localization, related to their functional activity, plays a key role as a regulatory step in transcriptional control mechanisms.

The depletion of skeletal muscle satellite cells with age is concomitant with reduced capacity of single progenitors to produce reserve progeny

Satellite cells are myogenic progenitors that reside on the myofiber surface and support skeletal muscle repair. We used mice in which satellite cells were detected by GFP expression driven by nestin gene regulatory elements to define age-related changes in both numbers of satellite cells that occupy hindlimb myofibers and their individual performance. We demonstrate a reduction in satellite cells per myofiber with age that is more prominent in females compared to males. Satellite cell loss also persists with age in myostatin-null mice regardless of increased muscle mass. Immunofluorescent analysis of isolated myofibers from nestin-GFP/Myf5(nLacZ/+) mice reveals a decline with age in the number of satellite cells that express detectable levels of betagal. Nestin-GFP expression typically diminishes in primary cultures of satellite cells as myogenic progeny proliferate and differentiate, but GFP subsequently reappears in the Pax7(+) reserve population. Clonal analysis of sorted GFP(+) satellite cells from hindlimb muscles shows heterogeneity in the extent of cell density and myotube formation among colonies. Reserve cells emerge primarily within high-density colonies, and the number of clones that produce reserve cells is reduced with age. Thus, satellite cell depletion with age could be attributed to a reduced capacity to generate a reserve population.

DUX4c is up-regulated in FSHD. It induces the MYF5 protein and human myoblast proliferation

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a dominant disease linked to contractions of the D4Z4 repeat array in 4q35. We have previously identified a double homeobox gene (DUX4) within each D4Z4 unit that encodes a transcription factor expressed in FSHD but not control myoblasts. DUX4 and its target genes contribute to the global dysregulation of gene expression observed in FSHD. We have now characterized the homologous DUX4c gene mapped 42 kb centromeric of the D4Z4 repeat array. It encodes a 47-kDa protein with a double homeodomain identical to DUX4 but divergent in the carboxyl-terminal region. DUX4c was detected in primary myoblast extracts by Western blot with a specific antiserum, and was induced upon differentiation. The protein was increased about 2-fold in FSHD versus control myotubes but reached 2-10-fold induction in FSHD muscle biopsies. We have shown by Western blot and by a DNA-binding assay that DUX4c over-expression induced the MYF5 myogenic regulator and its DNA-binding activity. DUX4c might stabilize the MYF5 protein as we detected their interaction by co-immunoprecipitation. In keeping with the known role of Myf5 in myoblast accumulation during mouse muscle regeneration DUX4c over-expression activated proliferation of human primary myoblasts and inhibited their differentiation. Altogether, these results suggested that DUX4c could be involved in muscle regeneration and that changes in its expression could contribute to the FSHD pathology.

A distinct profile of myogenic regulatory factor detection within Pax7+ cells at S phase supports a unique role of Myf5 during posthatch chicken myogenesis

Satellite cells are skeletal muscle stem cells that provide myogenic progeny for myofiber growth and repair. Temporal expression of muscle regulatory factors (MRFs) and the paired box transcription factor Pax7 defines characteristic phases of proliferation (Pax7(+)/MyoD(+)/myogenin(-)) and differentiation (Pax7(-)/MyoD(+)/myogenin(+)) during myogenesis of satellite cells. Here, using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling and triple immunodetection, we analyzed expression patterns of Pax7 and the MRFs MyoD, Myf5, or myogenin within S phase myoblasts prepared from posthatch chicken muscle. Essentially, all BrdU incorporation was restricted to Pax7(+) cells, of which the majority also expressed MyoD. The presence of a minor BrdU(+)/Pax7(+)/myogenin(+) population in proliferation stage cultures suggests that myogenin up-regulation is alone insufficient for terminal differentiation. Myf5 was detected strictly within Pax7(+) cells and decreased during S phase while MyoD presence persisted in cycling cells. This study provides novel data in support of a unique role for Myf5 during posthatch myogenesis.

Regulation of neurogenin stability by ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis

NGN (neurogenin), a proneural bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix) transcription factor, plays a central role in promoting neuronal specification and differentiation in many regions of the central nervous system. NGN activity has been shown extensively to be controlled at the transcriptional level. However, in addition, recent findings have indicated that the levels of NGN protein may also be regulated. In the present study, we have demonstrated that NGN protein stability was regulated in both Xenopus embryos and P19 embryonal carcinoma cells, a mammalian neuronal model system. In both systems, NGN was a highly unstable protein that was polyubiquitinated for destruction by the proteasome. NGN binds to DNA in complex with its heterodimeric E-protein partners E12 or E47. We observed that NGN was stabilized by the presence of E12/E47. Moreover, NGN was phosphorylated, and mutation of a single threonine residue substantially reduced E12-mediated stabilization of NGN. Thus E-protein partner binding and phosphorylation events act together to stabilize NGN, promoting its accumulation when it can be active.

Regulation of death-associated protein kinase. Stabilization by HSP90 heterocomplexes

Death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) has been found associated with HSP90, and inhibition of HSP90 with 17-alkylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin reduced expression of DAPK. These results were extended to determine whether the degradation of DAPK in the absence of HSP90 activity is dependent on the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Our results show that treatment of cells with geldanamycin (GA) leads to degradation of DAPK, and this degradation is attenuated by the proteasome inhibitor, lactacystin. GA-induced DAPK degradation is also dependent on phosphorylation of DAPK at Ser(308), and the cellular levels of phospho(Ser(308))-DAPK dramatically increase in response to GA treatment. Expression of two distinct ubiquitin E3 ligases, carboxyl terminus of HSC70-interacting protein (CHIP) or DIP1/Mib1, enhanced DAPK degradation, and conversely, short interfering RNA depletion of either CHIP or DIP1/Mib1 attenuated DAPK degradation. In vitro ubiquitination assays confirmed that DAPK is targeted for ubiquitination by both CHIP and DIP. Consistent with these results, DAPK is found in two distinct immune complexes, one containing HSP90 and CHIP and a second complex containing only DIP1/Mib. Collectively, these results indicate that strict modulation of DAPK activities is critical for regulation of apoptosis and cellular homeostasis.

Over-expression of genes and proteins of ubiquitin specific peptidases (USPs) and proteasome subunits (PSs) in breast cancer tissue observed by the methods of RFDD-PCR and proteomics

The ubiquitin-proteasome system facilitates the degradation of damaged proteins and regulators of growth and stress response. Alterations in this proteolytic system are associated with a variety of human pathologies. By restriction fragment differential display polymerase chain reaction (RFDD-PCR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-TOF MS) based on two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE), differentially expressed genes and proteins of ubiquitin specific proteases (USPs), proteasome subuinits (PSs) and ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) were analyzed between breast cancer and adjacent normal tissues. Some of them were further verified as over-expression by immunohistochemical stain. Five genes of proteasome subunits (PSs), including PSMB5, PSMD1, PSMD2, PSMD8 and PSMD11, four genes of USPs, including USP9X, USP9Y, USP10 and USP25, and ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) were over-expressed (>3-fold) in breast cancer tissue compared to adjacent normal tissue, and over-expression (>4-fold) of proteins of PSMA1 and SMT3A were observed in breast cancer tissue. PSMD8, PSMD11 and UBE3A were further verified as over-expression by immunohistochemical stain. The action of ubiquitin-proteasome system were obviously enhanced in breast cancer, and selectively intervention in action of ubiquitin-proteasome system may be a useful method of treating human breast cancer.

Musculin isoforms and repression of MyoD in muscle regeneration

We studied possible negative regulators of MyoD using a 27 time point muscle regeneration series in vivo and identified Musculin as a key candidate for transcriptional repression of MyoD. Characterization of Musculin proteins showed two isoforms: the previously characterized 201 aa protein (1a) and a novel 180 aa isoform (1b). We show that the Musculin 1b isoform is equally effective at blocking MyoD-induced transcription as the 1a isoform. Our data narrow the likely repressor domain to between position 158 and 173 in the Musculin protein sequence, and suggest that the induction of Musculin is responsible for the rapid down-regulation of MyoD at 4-5 days during staged regeneration.