Suppression of MyoD induces spontaneous adipogenesis in skeletal muscle progenitor cell culture

The degree of intramuscular adipose tissue accumulation is one of the factors affecting meat quality. Accumulation of adipocytes is also observed under the pathological condition of skeletal muscle such as muscular dystrophy and sarcopenia. The origin of adipocytes seen in skeletal muscle is mesenchymal progenitor cells that can give rise to both adipocytes and fibroblasts. In the present study, we demonstrated that siRNA-mediated suppression of MyoD expression in rat skeletal muscle progenitor cell culture, which comprises both myogenic satellite cells and mesenchymal progenitor cells, resulted in diminished myotube formation and an unexpected spontaneous appearance of white adipocytes. Suppressing myomaker expression also resulted in complete absence of myotube formation without reducing MyoD expression, but no adipogenesis was seen in this scenario, indicating that decline in MyoD expression rather than decreased myotube formation is necessary to induce adipogenesis. In addition, spontaneous adipogenesis induced by suppressing MyoD expression in culture was inhibited by the conditioned medium from control culture, indicating that anti-adipogenic factor(s) are secreted from MyoD-positive myogenic cells. These results indicate the presence of regulatory mechanism on adipogenesis by myogenic cells.     

表观遗传调控骨骼肌发育的研究进展（英文）

动物骨骼肌约占体重的50%左右,因此被认为是机体最大的器官。骨骼肌的发育是一个严格调控的过程。在胚胎发育早期,一部分具有肌肉发育潜能的干细胞在一系列不同基因的精确调控下激活、增殖,经融合后形成有功能的骨骼肌。骨骼肌细胞的增殖、分化等过程是诸多转录因子协同作用的结果,这些因子包括Pax3/Pax7、MyoD、Myf5、Myogenin和MRF4等。表观遗传是指不改变DNA序列的情况下对目的基因表达的调控。近年来的研究表明动物骨骼肌的发育也受到了表观遗产的调控。综述了当前关于表观遗传,包括DNA、组蛋白以及miRNA等水平对骨骼肌发育调控的最新研究进展。     

鸡、鹌鹑及其杂交禽胚胎肌肉发育过程中MSTN和p21基因的表达规律

旨在研究MSTN和p21基因在鸡、鹌鹑和杂交禽胚胎肌肉发育过程中的表达规律,比较这2个基因在杂交禽与亲本鸡和鹌鹑中的差异表达,探讨MSTN和p21基因与肌肉发育的关系。通过人工受精获得鸡(♂)与鹌鹑(♀)杂交禽蛋,与鸡蛋、鹌鹑蛋按照鸡标准孵化条件同批入孵,采集第7～17天活胚胸肌组织,应用实时荧光定量PCR技术检测MSTN和p21基因在3个物种中每一天mRNA的相对表达量。MSTN和p21基因在胚胎肌肉发育的第7～17天均有表达,这2个基因mRNA的表达在鸡胚中第9天到达第1次峰值,在鹌鹑中第7天到达第1次峰值,后都随胚胎的发育表达水平上升,并维持相对稳定的高水平表达。杂交禽的表达规律与鸡一致,也在第9天达到峰值,而p21mRNA表达极显著高于鸡和鹌鹑(P<0.01)。MSTN mRNA表达规律与成肌细胞退出细胞周期的时间规律一致;在胚胎肌肉发育过程中,MSTN基因特异性上调p21的表达。     

Myostatin down‐regulates the IGF‐2 expression via ALK‐Smad signaling during myogenesis in cattle

Myostatin (MSTN) is a negative regulator during muscle differentiation, whereas insulin‐like growth factors (IGFs) are essential for muscle development. MSTN and IGFs act oppositely during myogenesis, but there is little information on the mutual relationship of MSTN and IGFs. The present study was conducted to examine whether MSTN affects IGF expression during early myogenesis in cattle. IGF‐1 mRNA was similarly expressed in M. longissimus thoracis of double‐muscled (DM) and normal (NM) Japanese shorthorn cattle. IGF‐2 mRNA expression was consistently higher in the normal and regenerating muscle of DM cattle than those of NM cattle. When myoblasts were isolated from regenerating M. longissimus thoracis, IGF‐2 mRNA expression showed a significant increase in differentiating DM derived myoblasts (DM‐myoblasts) as compared with differentiating NM derived myoblasts (NM‐myoblasts). An addition of recombinant mouse myostatin (rMSTN) to myoblast cultures attenuated IGF‐2 mRNA expression and decreased myotube formation, but did not effect IGF‐1 mRNA expression. An activin‐like kinase (ALK) inhibitor, SB431542, mediates MSTN action, suppressed the translocation of Smad2/3 into the nucleus in DM‐myoblasts, and restored the attenuated IGF‐2 mRNA expression and the decreased myotube formation induced by rMSTN in myoblast cultures. The findings indicate that MSTN may negatively regulate myoblast differentiation by suppressing IGF‐2 expression via ALK‐Smad signaling.     

DNA甲基化与去甲基化调控肌肉发育研究进展

肌肉发育是一个复杂的生物学过程,其调控机制尚不完善。但近年来表观遗传修饰对肌肉发育的调控作用逐渐成为热点领域,研究发现DNA甲基化与去甲基化修饰对肌肉发生与发育起到重要的调控作用。肌肉干细胞特异位点通过DNA甲基化修饰,影响肌肉发育过程关键基因的表达,进而调控早期发育的生肌过程。本文主要围绕肌肉发育过程中DNA甲基化及去甲基化修饰的变化、重要的甲基转移酶和去甲基化酶以及营养物质通过DNA甲基化修饰影响肌肉发生的作用进行论述。     

生肌调节因子及肌生成调控因素研究进展

生肌调节因子(myogenic regulatory factors,MRFs)是调控肌肉生成的重要基因,家族中包括MyoD、MyoG、Myf5和Myf6。MyoD能把多种类型细胞转化为成肌细胞,在肌肉特异基因转录调控中起着总开关作用;MyoG的表达能够控制成肌细胞融合的起始,促使成肌细胞增殖;Myf5协同MyoD在肌肉形成过程中发挥作用,而Myf6与MyoG共同控制肌肉分化。研究表明,MRFs家族基因的表达与肉用动物的产肉性能和肉质性状密切相关,遗传、营养和环境等因素对该家族基因的表达水平有显著影响。作者综述了MRFs家族的结构与功能、基因表达与活性调节以及营养、光照、温度、运动和活性物质等因素对该家族成员基因活性和肌生成的调控作用,以期为建立动物肌肉发育调控技术奠定理论基础。     

Degree of Suppression of Mouse Myoblast Cell Line C2C12 Differentiation Varies According to Chondroitin Sulfate Subtype

Chondroitin sulfate (CS), a type of glycosaminoglycan (GAG), is a factor involved in the suppression of myogenic differentiation. CS comprises two repeating sugars and has different subtypes depending on the position and number of bonded sulfate groups. However, the effect of each subtype on myogenic differentiation remains unclear. In this study, we spiked cultures of C₂C₁₂ myoblasts, cells which are capable of undergoing skeletal muscle differentiation, with one of five types of CS (CS-A, -B, -C, -D, or -E) and induced differentiation over a fixed time. After immunostaining of the formed myotubes with an anti-MHC antibody, we counted the number of nuclei in the myotubes and then calculated the fusion index (FI) as a measure of myotube differentiation. The FI values of all the CS-treated groups were lower than the FI value of the control group, especially the group treated with CS-E, which displayed notable suppression of myotube formation. To confirm that the sugar chain in CS-E is important in the suppression of differentiation, chondroitinase ABC (ChABC), which catabolizes CS, was added to the media. The addition of ChABC led to the degradation of CS-E, and neutralized the suppression of myotube formation by CS-E. Collectively, it can be concluded that the degree of suppression of differentiation depends on the subtype of CS and that CS-E strongly suppresses myogenic differentiation. We conclude that the CS sugar chain has inhibitory action against myoblast cell fusion.     

MyoD介导肌肉特异性基因染色质重塑激活与成肌分化控制

骨骼肌纤维的数目由出生前肌源细胞的成肌分化进程所决定,直接影响家畜的生长潜能和肉质.MyoD依赖的肌肉特异性基因的染色质重塑激活是控制成肌分化的重要方式,其作用模式已有一些报道.PI3K/Akt和p38信号也参与了这一过程的调控.对这一研究进展进行了综述.     

成肌细胞成脂过程中PPARγ、C/EBPα和Myogenin 基因启动子的甲基化变化

【目的】利用C2C12成肌细胞探讨肌源性干细胞成脂过程与调控成脂和成肌分化的关键转录因子PPARγ（peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma）、C/EBPα（CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha）和Myogenin启动子区甲基化的关系。【方法】分别用2%马血清和三联诱导剂诱导C2C12细胞成肌和成脂分化,在马血清促进的成肌分化第0、1、3和5天收集细胞进行姬姆萨染色观察肌管形成情况;在三联诱导的成脂分化第0、2、4、6和10天收集细胞进行油红O染色观察脂滴形成情况;提取成肌诱导第0、1、3、5天和成脂诱导第0、2、4、6天的RNA和DNA,分别采用qRT-PCR检测成肌和成脂分化相关基因的表达,采用重亚硫酸盐测序的方法检测PPARγ、C/EBPα和Myogenin启动子区甲基化的变化,并分析基因表达与甲基化状态的相关关系。【结果】①C2C12细胞经马血清诱导形成了多核肌管,表达成肌相关基因,但不表达脂肪特异性基因;三联诱导使C2C12细胞自主分化的肌管中沉积了脂滴,同时表达成脂和成肌相关基因;②重亚硫酸盐测序结果表明,在未分化的成肌细胞中,PPARγ基因启动子的甲基化水平是61%,在三联诱导第2、4和6天,其甲基化程度依次为49%、39%和42%,呈逐渐去甲基化趋势,与PPARγ基因转录负相关;在马血清诱导第3和5天,甲基化水平为56%和48%,与未分化的成肌细胞相比差异不显著,同时PPARγ基因的表达水平也没有显著变化;③Myogenin基因在马血清促进的成肌过程中甲基化水平不断降低（49%、42%、35%和34%）,转录水平急剧增加;在三联诱导过程中,Myogenin启动子的甲基化水平由0天的49%下降为第1天的37%、第3天的41%和第5天的38%,但下降幅度弱于马血清诱导的成肌过程,这一结果与降低的Myogenin转录上调相吻合;④C/EBPα基因在未分化的C2C12细胞中呈低甲基化状态,甲基化程度仅为1.6%,在成肌分化和脂肪沉积过程中均未发生显著变化,与基因表达无显著关联。【结论】成脂和成肌关键转录因子PPARγ和Myogenin启动子区的DNA甲基化变化参与了成肌细胞的分化和脂肪沉积的调控。