Recruitment of (β)-catenin to cadherin-mediated intercellular adhesions is involved in myogenic induction

Crosstalk among canonical Wnt and Hippo pathway members in skeletal muscle and at the neuromuscular junction

Skeletal muscles are essential for locomotion, posture, and metabolic regulation. To understand physiological processes, exercise adaptation, and muscle-related disorders, it is critical to understand the molecular pathways that underlie skeletal muscle function. The process of muscle contraction, orchestrated by a complex interplay of molecular events, is at the core of skeletal muscle function. Muscle contraction is initiated by an action potential and neuromuscular transmission requiring a neuromuscular junction. Within muscle fibers, calcium ions play a critical role in mediating the interaction between actin and myosin filaments that generate force. Regulation of calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum plays a key role in excitation-contraction coupling. The development and growth of skeletal muscle are regulated by a network of molecular pathways collectively known as myogenesis. Myogenic regulators coordinate the differentiation of myoblasts into mature muscle fibers. Signaling pathways regulate muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy in response to mechanical stimuli and nutrient availability. Several muscle-related diseases, including congenital myasthenic disorders, sarcopenia, muscular dystrophies, and metabolic myopathies, are underpinned by dysregulated molecular pathways in skeletal muscle. Therapeutic interventions aimed at preserving muscle mass and function, enhancing regeneration, and improving metabolic health hold promise by targeting specific molecular pathways. Other molecular signaling pathways in skeletal muscle include the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, a critical regulator of myogenesis, muscle regeneration, and metabolic function, and the Hippo signaling pathway. In recent years, more details have been uncovered about the role of these two pathways during myogenesis and in developing and adult skeletal muscle fibers, and at the neuromuscular junction. In fact, research in the last few years now suggests that these two signaling pathways are interconnected and that they jointly control physiological and pathophysiological processes in muscle fibers. In this review, we will summarize and discuss the data on these two pathways, focusing on their concerted action next to their contribution to skeletal muscle biology. However, an in-depth discussion of the non-canonical Wnt pathway, the fibro/adipogenic precursors, or the mechanosensory aspects of these pathways is not the focus of this review.

Differential bone remodeling mechanism in hindlimb unloaded and hibernating Daurian ground squirrels: a comparison between artificial and natural disuse within the same species

Loss of bone mass can occur in mammals after prolonged disuse but the situation for hibernators that are in a state of torpor for many months of the year is not yet fully understood. The present study assesses the bone remodeling mechanisms present in Daurian ground squirrels (Spermophilus dauricus) during hibernation as compared with a model of hindlimb disuse. Differences in microstructure, mechanical properties, bone remodeling-related proteins (Runx2, OCN, ALP, RANKL, CTK and MMP-9) and key proteins of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway (GSK-3β and phospho-β-catenin) were evaluated in ground squirrels under 3 conditions: summer active (SA) vs. hibernation (HIB) vs. hindlimb unloaded (HLU). The results indicated that the body weight in HLU ground squirrels was lower than the SA group, and the middle tibia diameter in the HLU group was lower than that in SA and HIB groups. The thickness of cortical and trabecular bone in femurs from HLU ground squirrels was lower than in SA and HIB groups. Most parameters of the tibia in the HLU group were lower than those in SA and HIB groups, which indicated cortical bone loss in ground squirrels. Moreover, our data showed that the changes in microscopic parameters in the femur were more obvious than those in the tibia in HLU and HIB ground squirrels. The levels of Runx2 and ALP were lower in HLU ground squirrels than SA and HIB groups. The protein levels of OCN were unchanged in the three groups, but the protein levels of ALP were lower in the HLU group than in SA and HIB groups. RANKL, CTK and MMP-9 protein levels were significantly decreased in tibia of HLU ground squirrels as compared with SA and HIB groups. In addition, the protein expression levels of RANKL, CTK and MMP-9 showed no statistical difference between SA and HIB ground squirrels. Thus, the mechanisms involved in the balance between bone formation and resorption in hibernating and hindlimb unloading ground squirrels may be different. The present study showed that in femur, the Wnt signaling pathway was inhibited, the protein level of GSK-3β was increased, and the protein expression of phospho-β-catenin was decreased in the HIB group as compared with the SA group, which indicates that the Wnt signaling pathway has a great influence on the femur of the HIB group. In conclusion, the natural anti-osteoporosis properties of Daurian ground squirrels are seasonal. The squirrels do not experience bone loss when they are inactive for a long time during hibernation, but the mechanisms of anti-osteoporosis did not work in HLU summer active squirrels.

Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress and Mitophagy Activation Contribute to TNF-Dependent Impairment of Myogenesis

Many muscular pathologies are associated with oxidative stress and elevated levels of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) that cause muscle protein catabolism and impair myogenesis. Myogenesis defects caused by TNF are mediated in part by reactive oxygen species (ROS), including those produced by mitochondria (mitoROS), but the mechanism of their pathological action is not fully understood. We hypothesized that mitoROS act by triggering and enhancing mitophagy, an important tool for remodelling the mitochondrial reticulum during myogenesis. We used three recently developed probes—MitoTracker Orange CM-H2TMRos, mito-QC, and MitoCLox—to study myogenesis in human myoblasts. Induction of myogenesis resulted in a significant increase in mitoROS generation and phospholipid peroxidation in the inner mitochondrial membrane, as well as mitophagy enhancement. Treatment of myoblasts with TNF 24 h before induction of myogenesis resulted in a significant decrease in the myoblast fusion index and myosin heavy chain (MYH2) synthesis. TNF increased the levels of mitoROS, phospholipid peroxidation in the inner mitochondrial membrane and mitophagy at an early stage of differentiation. Trolox and SkQ1 antioxidants partially restored TNF-impaired myogenesis. The general autophagy inducers rapamycin and AICAR, which also stimulate mitophagy, completely blocked myogenesis. The autophagy suppression by the ULK1 inhibitor SBI-0206965 partially restored myogenesis impaired by TNF. Thus, suppression of myogenesis by TNF is associated with a mitoROS-dependent increase in general autophagy and mitophagy.

Chondroitin sulfate E downregulates N-cadherin and suppresses myotube formation

Myogenesis, the formation of muscle fibers, is affected by certain glycoproteins, including chondroitin sulfate (CS), which are involved in various cellular processes. We aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying CS-E-induced suppression of myotube formation using the myoblast cell line C2C12. Differentiated cells treated with 0.1 mg/ml CS-E for nine days showed multinucleated and rounded myotubes with myosin heavy chain positivity. No difference was found between the CS-E-treated group with rounded myotubes and CS (−) controls with elongated myotubes in the levels of phospho-cofilin, a protein involved in the dynamics of actin cytoskeleton. Interestingly, N-cadherin, which is involved in the gene expression of myoblast fusion factors (myomaker and myomixer), was significantly downregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels following CS-E treatment. These results suggest that N-cadherin downregulation is one of the mechanisms underlying the CS-E-induced suppression of myotube formation.

Metabolic Contributions of Wnt Signaling: More Than Controlling Flight

The canonical Wnt signaling pathway is ubiquitous throughout the body and influences a diverse array of physiological processes. Following the initial discovery of the Wnt signaling pathway during wing development in Drosophila melanogaster, it is now widely appreciated that active Wnt signaling in mammals is necessary for the development and growth of various tissues involved in whole-body metabolism, such as brain, liver, pancreas, muscle, and adipose. Moreover, elegant gain- and loss-of-function studies have dissected the tissue-specific roles of various downstream effector molecules in the regulation of energy homeostasis. This review attempts to highlight and summarize the contributions of the Wnt signaling pathway and its downstream effectors on whole-body metabolism and their influence on the development of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity. A better understanding of the Wnt signaling pathway in these tissues may aid in guiding the development of future therapeutics to treat metabolic diseases.

The Role of Embryonic Chick Muscle Cell Culture in the Study of Skeletal Myogenesis

The mechanisms involved in the development of skeletal muscle fibers have been studied in the last 70 years and yet many aspects of this process are still not completely understood. A myriad of in vivo and in vitro invertebrate and vertebrate animal models has been used for dissecting the molecular and cellular events involved in muscle formation. Among the most used animal models for the study of myogenesis are the rodents rat and mouse, the fruit fly Drosophila, and the birds chicken and quail. Here, we describe the robustness and advantages of the chick primary muscle culture model for the study of skeletal myogenesis. In the myoblast culture obtained from embryonic chick pectoralis muscle it is possible to analyze all the steps involved in skeletal myogenesis, such as myoblast proliferation, withdrawal from cell cycle, cell elongation and migration, myoblast alignment and fusion, the assembly of striated myofibrils, and the formation of multinucleated myotubes. The fact that in vitro chick myotubes can harbor hundreds of nuclei, whereas myotubes from cell lines have only a dozen nuclei demonstrates the high level of differentiation of the autonomous chick myogenic program. This striking differentiation is independent of serum withdrawal, which points to the power of the model. We also review the major pro-myogenic and anti-myogenic molecules and signaling pathways involved in chick myogenesis, in addition to providing a detailed protocol for the preparation of embryonic chick myogenic cultures. Moreover, we performed a bibliometric analysis of the articles that used this model to evaluate which were the main explored topics of interest and their contributors. We expect that by describing the major findings, and their advantages, of the studies using the embryonic chick myogenic model we will foster new studies on the molecular and cellular process involved in muscle proliferation and differentiation that are more similar to the actual in vivo condition than the muscle cell lines.

Differential bone remodeling mechanism in hindlimb unloaded rats and hibernating Daurian ground squirrels: a comparison between artificial and natural disuse

To determine that differential bone remodeling mechanism (especially Wnt signaling) in hindlimb unloaded rats and hibernating Daurian ground squirrels, the bone microstructure, mechanical properties, and expression levels of bone remodeling related proteins and key proteins of Wnt/β-catenin signaling were analyzed in this study. The thickness of cortical and trabecular bone was decreased in femur of hindlimb unloaded rats, while it was maintained in femur of hibernating ground squirrels. Interestingly, the ultimate bending energy and ultimate normalized displacement were reduced and the bending rigidity was increased in tibia of hibernating ground squirrels. Besides, the protein level of Runx2 was decreased in femur and tibia of unloaded rats, while it was maintained in tibia and even increased in femur of hibernating ground squirrels. The protein levels of RANKL and MMP-9 were increased in femur and tibia in unloaded rats, while they were maintained in both femur and tibia of hibernating ground squirrels. The protein level of GSK-3β was increased in femur and tibia of unloaded rats, while it was maintained in both femur and tibia of hibernating ground squirrels. The phospho-β-catenin expression was increased in both femur and tibia of unloaded rats, while it was only decreased in femur, but maintained in tibia of hibernating ground squirrels. In conclusion, the femur and tibia in hindlimb unloaded rats showed obvious bone loss, while they mitigated disuse-induced bone loss in hibernating ground squirrels, involving differential protein expression of key molecules in bone remodeling. In comparison with hindlimb unloaded rats, promoting osteoblast differentiation through activating canonical GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling involving Runx2 might be an adaptation to natural disuse in femur of hibernating Daurian ground squirrels. However, there was no statistical change in the protein levels of bone formation related proteins, GSK-3β and phospho-β-catenin in tibia of hibernating Daurian ground squirrels.

Active GSK3β and an intact β-catenin TCF complex are essential for the differentiation of human myogenic progenitor cells

Wnt-β-catenin signalling is essential for skeletal muscle myogenesis during development, but its role in adult human skeletal muscle remains unknown. Here we have used human primary CD56^Pos satellite cell-derived myogenic progenitors obtained from healthy individuals to study the role of Wnt-β-catenin signalling in myogenic differentiation. We show that dephosphorylated β-catenin (active-β-catenin), the central effector of the canonical Wnt cascade, is strongly upregulated at the onset of differentiation and undergoes nuclear translocation as differentiation progresses. To establish the role of Wnt signalling in regulating the differentiation process we manipulated key nodes of this pathway through a series of β-catenin gain-of-function (GSK3 inhibition and β-catenin overexpression) or loss-of-function experiments (dominant negative TCF4). Our data showed that manipulation of these critical pathway components led to varying degrees of disruption to the normal differentiation phenotype indicating the importance of Wnt signalling in regulating this process. We reveal an independent necessity for active-β-catenin in the fusion and differentiation of human myogenic progenitors and that dominant negative inhibition of TCF4 prevents differentiation completely. Together these data add new mechanistic insights into both Wnt signalling and adult human myogenic progenitor differentiation.

Wnt/β-catenin signaling via Axin2 is required for myogenesis and, together with YAP/Taz and Tead1, active in IIa/IIx muscle fibers

Canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays an important role in myogenic differentiation, but its physiological role in muscle fibers remains elusive. Here, we studied activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in adult muscle fibers and muscle stem cells in an Axin2 reporter mouse. Axin2 is a negative regulator and a target of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In adult muscle fibers, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is only detectable in a subset of fast fibers that have a significantly smaller diameter than other fast fibers. In the same fibers, immunofluorescence staining for YAP/Taz and Tead1 was detected. Wnt/β-catenin signaling was absent in quiescent and activated satellite cells. Upon injury, Wnt/β-catenin signaling was detected in muscle fibers with centrally located nuclei. During differentiation of myoblasts expression of Axin2, but not of Axin1, increased together with Tead1 target gene expression. Furthermore, absence of Axin1 and Axin2 interfered with myoblast proliferation and myotube formation, respectively. Treatment with the canonical Wnt3a ligand also inhibited myotube formation. Wnt3a activated TOPflash and Tead1 reporter activity, whereas neither reporter was activated in the presence of Dkk1, an inhibitor of canonical Wnt signaling. We propose that Axin2-dependent Wnt/β-catenin signaling is involved in myotube formation and, together with YAP/Taz/Tead1, associated with reduced muscle fiber diameter of a subset of fast fibers.

Coordinated action of Axin1 and Axin2 suppresses β-catenin to regulate muscle stem cell function

The resident stem cells of skeletal muscle are satellite cells, which are regulated by both canonical and non-canonical Wnt pathways. Canonical Wnt signalling promotes differentiation, and is controlled at many levels, including via Axin1 and Axin2-mediated β-catenin degradation. Axin1 and Axin2 are thought equivalent suppressors of canonical Wnt signalling, although Axin2 is also a Wnt target gene. We show that Axin1 expression was higher in proliferating satellite cells, while Axin2 was up-regulated during differentiation. siRNA-mediated Axin1 knockdown changed cell morphology, suppressed proliferation and promoted myogenic differentiation. Simultaneous knockdown of both Axin1 and β-catenin rescued proliferation and partially, premature differentiation. Surprisingly, retroviral-mediated overexpression of Axin2 was unable to compensate for knockdown of Axin1 in satellite cells, indicating that Axin1 and Axin2 are not fully redundant. Isolated satellite cells from Axin2-null mice also had no major phenotype. However, siRNA-mediated knockdown of Axin1 in Axin2-null cells strongly inhibited proliferation, while inducing differentiation, clear nuclear localisation of β-catenin, up-regulation of canonical Wnt target genes (Axin2, Lef1, Tcf4, Pitx2c and Lgr5) and activation of a TCF reporter construct. Again, concomitant knockdown of Axin1 and β-catenin in Axin2-null satellite cells rescued morphology and proliferation, but only partially prevented precocious differentiation. Thus, Axin1 and Axin2 do not have equivalent functions in satellite cells, but are both involved in repression of Wnt/β-catenin signalling to maintain proliferation and contribute to controlling timely myogenic differentiation.

N-cadherin negatively regulates collective Drosophila glial migration via actin cytoskeleton remodeling

Cell migration is an essential and highly regulated process. During development, glia and neurons migrate over long distances, in most cases collectively, to reach their final destination and build the sophisticated architecture of the nervous system, the most complex tissue of the body. Collective migration is highly stereotyped and efficient, defects in the process leading to severe human diseases that include mental retardation. This dynamic process entails extensive cell communication and coordination, hence the real challenge is to analyze it in the whole organism and at cellular resolution. We here investigate the impact of the N-cadherin adhesion molecule on collective glial migration using the Drosophila developing wing and cell-type specific manipulation of gene expression. We show that N-cadherin timely accumulates in glial cells and that its levels affect migration efficiency. N-cadherin works as a molecular brake in a dosage dependent manner by negatively controlling actin nucleation and cytoskeleton remodeling through α/β catenins. This is the first in vivo evidence for N-cadherin negatively and cell autonomously controlling collective migration.

Molecular signals governing cremaster muscle development: clues for cryptorchidism

BACKGROUND/AIM

Cryptorchidism affects 2-4% of newborn boys. Testicular descent requires the gubernaculum to differentiate into cremaster muscle (CM) during androgen-mediated inguino-scrotal descent, but the cellular mechanisms regulating this remodeling remain elusive. β-Catenin, a marker of canonical Wnt signaling, promotes myogenic genes and cellular adhesion. We aimed to determine if androgen receptor (AR) blockade altered β-catenin and its downstream myogenic proteins within the CM.

METHOD

Gubernacula from male rats (n=12) and rats treated with anti-androgen, flutamide (n=12) at E19, D0, D2 were processed for immunohistochemistry. Antibodies against β-catenin, embryonic myosin, and myogenin were visualized by confocal microscopy.

RESULTS

At E19, β-catenin immuno-reactivity (IR) localized to the CM membrane. By D2, cytoplasmic β-catenin-IR was noted with overall β-catenin-IR decreasing. Myogenic proteins resided primarily in cells containing β-catenin on their plasma membrane. Embryonic myosin-IR was high at E19 and then decreased by D2, while myogenin-IR increased. AR blockade increased cytoplasmic β-catenin at D2 and reduced levels of both myogenic proteins.

CONCLUSION

Myogenic proteins are present in CM cells containing β-catenin. AR blockade did not alter cellular adhesion via β-catenin. In contrast, blocking AR prevented β-catenin entering the nucleus and impaired CM myogenesis. Mutations in this pathway may result in idiopathic cryptorchidism.

EB1 levels are elevated in ascorbic Acid (AA)-stimulated osteoblasts and mediate cell-cell adhesion-induced osteoblast differentiation

Osteoblasts are differentiated mesenchymal cells that function as the major bone-producing cells of the body. Differentiation cues including ascorbic acid (AA) stimulation provoke intracellular changes in osteoblasts leading to the synthesis of the organic portion of the bone, which includes collagen type I α1, proteoglycans, and matrix proteins, such as osteocalcin. During our microarray analysis of AA-stimulated osteoblasts, we observed a significant up-regulation of the microtubule (MT) plus-end binding protein, EB1, compared with undifferentiated osteoblasts. EB1 knockdown significantly impaired AA-induced osteoblast differentiation, as detected by reduced expression of osteoblast differentiation marker genes. Intracellular examination of AA-stimulated osteoblasts treated with EB1 siRNA revealed a reduction in MT stability with a concomitant loss of β-catenin distribution at the cell cortex and within the nucleus. Diminished β-catenin levels in EB1 siRNA-treated osteoblasts paralleled an increase in phospho-β-catenin and active glycogen synthase kinase 3β, a kinase known to target β-catenin to the proteasome. EB1 siRNA treatment also reduced the expression of the β-catenin gene targets, cyclin D1 and Runx2. Live immunofluorescent imaging of differentiated osteoblasts revealed a cortical association of EB1-mcherry with β-catenin-GFP. Immunoprecipitation analysis confirmed an interaction between EB1 and β-catenin. We also determined that cell-cell contacts and cortically associated EB1/β-catenin interactions are necessary for osteoblast differentiation. Finally, using functional blocking antibodies, we identified E-cadherin as a major contributor to the cell-cell contact-induced osteoblast differentiation.

Impaired skeletal muscle regeneration in the absence of fibrosis during hibernation in 13-lined ground squirrels

Skeletal muscle atrophy can occur as a consequence of immobilization and/or starvation in the majority of vertebrates studied. In contrast, hibernating mammals are protected against the loss of muscle mass despite long periods of inactivity and lack of food intake. Resident muscle-specific stem cells (satellite cells) are known to be activated by muscle injury and their activation contributes to the regeneration of muscle, but whether satellite cells play a role in hibernation is unknown. In the hibernating 13-lined ground squirrel we show that muscles ablated of satellite cells were still protected against atrophy, demonstrating that satellite cells are not involved in the maintenance of skeletal muscle during hibernation. Additionally, hibernating skeletal muscle showed extremely slow regeneration in response to injury, due to repression of satellite cell activation and myoblast differentiation caused by a fine-tuned interplay of p21, myostatin, MAPK, and Wnt signaling pathways. Interestingly, despite long periods of inflammation and lack of efficient regeneration, injured skeletal muscle from hibernating animals did not develop fibrosis and was capable of complete recovery when animals emerged naturally from hibernation. We propose that hibernating squirrels represent a new model system that permits evaluation of impaired skeletal muscle remodeling in the absence of formation of tissue fibrosis.

Muscle development, regeneration and laminopathies: how lamins or lamina-associated proteins can contribute to muscle development, regeneration and disease

The aim of this review article is to evaluate the current knowledge on associations between muscle formation and regeneration and components of the nuclear lamina. Lamins and their partners have become particularly intriguing objects of scientific interest since it has been observed that mutations in genes coding for these proteins lead to a wide range of diseases called laminopathies. For over the last 10 years, various laboratories worldwide have tried to explain the pathogenesis of these rare disorders. Analyses of the distinct aspects of laminopathies resulted in formulation of different hypotheses regarding the mechanisms of the development of these diseases. In the light of recent discoveries, A-type lamins—the main building blocks of the nuclear lamina—together with other key elements, such as emerin, LAP2α and nesprins, seem to be of great importance in the modulation of various signaling pathways responsible for cellular differentiation and proliferation.

M-cadherin-inhibited phosphorylation of ß-catenin augments differentiation of mouse myoblasts

β-Catenin is essential for muscle development because it regulates both cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion and canonical Wingless and Int1 (Wnt) signaling. The phosphorylation of β-catenin by glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) at serine31/37/threonine41 regulates its stability and its role in canonical Wnt signaling. In this study, we have investigated whether the N-terminal phosphorylation of β-catenin is regulated by M-cadherin, and whether this regulation mediates the role of M-cadherin in myogenic differentiation. Our data show that the knockdown of M-cadherin expression by RNA interference (RNAi) in C2C12 myoblasts significantly increases the phosphorylation of β-catenin at Ser33/37/Thr41 and decreases the protein abundance of ser37/thr41-unphosphorylated active β-catenin. Furthermore, M-cadherin RNAi promotes TCF/LEF transcription activity but also blunts the initiation of the myogenic progress by Wnt pathway activator lithium chloride or Wnt-3a treatment. Knockdown of β-catenin expression by RNAi decreases myogenic induction in myoblasts. Forced expression of a phosphorylation-resistant β-catenin plasmid (S33Y-β-catenin) fails to enhance myogenic differentiation, but it partially rescues C2C12 cells from M-cadherin RNAi-induced apoptosis. These data show, for the first time, that M-cadherin-mediated signaling attenuates β-catenin phosphorylation at Ser31/37/Thr41 by GSK-3β, and that this regulation has a positive effect on myogenic differentiation induced by canonical Wnt signaling.

β-Catenin stabilization in skeletal muscles, but not in motor neurons, leads to aberrant motor innervation of the muscle during neuromuscular development in mice

β-Catenin, a key component of the Wnt signaling pathway, has been implicated in the development of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in mice, but its precise role in this process remains unclear. Here we use a β-catenin gain-of-function mouse model to stabilize β-catenin selectively in either skeletal muscles or motor neurons. We found that β-catenin stabilization in skeletal muscles resulted in increased motor axon number and excessive intramuscular nerve defasciculation and branching. In contrast, β-catenin stabilization in motor neurons had no adverse effect on motor innervation pattern. Furthermore, stabilization of β-catenin, either in skeletal muscles or in motor neurons, had no adverse effect on the formation and function of the NMJ. Our findings demonstrate that β-catenin levels in developing muscles in mice are crucial for proper muscle innervation, rather than specifically affecting synapse formation at the NMJ, and that the regulation of muscle innervation by β-catenin is mediated by a non-cell autonomous mechanism.

Rac1 and RhoA GTPases have antagonistic functions during N-cadherin-dependent cell-cell contact formation in C2C12 myoblasts

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

N-cadherin, a member of the Ca(2+)-dependent cell-cell adhesion molecule family, plays an essential role in the induction of the skeletal muscle differentiation programme. However, the molecular mechanisms which govern the formation of N-cadherin-dependent cell-cell contacts in myoblasts remain unexplored.

RESULTS

In the present study, we show that N-cadherin-dependent cell contact formation in myoblasts is defined by two stages. In the first phase, N-cadherin is highly mobile in the lamellipodia extensions between the contacting cells. The second stage corresponds to the formation of mature N-cadherin-dependent cell contacts, characterized by the immobilization of a pool of N-cadherin which appears to be clustered in the interdigitated membrane structures that are also membrane attachment sites for F-actin filaments. We also demonstrated that the formation of N-cadherin-dependent cell-cell contacts requires a co-ordinated and sequential activity of Rac1 and RhoA. Rac1 is involved in the first stage and facilitates N-cadherin-dependent cell-cell contact formation, but it is not absolutely required. Conversely, RhoA is necessary for N-cadherin-dependent cell contact formation, since, via ROCK (Rho-associated kinase) signalling and myosin 2 activation, it allows the stabilization of N-cadherin at the cell-cell contact sites.

CONCLUSIONS

We have shown that Rac1 and RhoA have opposite effects on N-cadherin-dependent cell-cell contact formation in C2C12 myoblasts and act sequentially to allow its formation.

Trenbolone enhances myogenic differentiation by enhancing β-catenin signaling in muscle-derived stem cells of cattle

Testosterone is a key hormone regulating animal growth and development, which promotes skeletal muscle growth and inhibits fat deposition; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined. Because canonical Wingless and Int/β-catenin signaling promotes myogenesis, we hypothesized that testosterone regulates myogenesis through enhancing the β-catenin signaling pathway and the expression of its targeted genes. Muscle-derived stem cells were prepared from the skeletal muscle of fetal calf at day 180 of gestation and treated with or without trenbolone (10 nM), a synthetic analog of testosterone, in a myogenic medium. Trenbolone treatment increased the protein levels of MyoD and myosin heavy chain, as well as the androgen receptor content. The myogenic effect of trenbolone was blocked by cyproterone acetate, a specific inhibitor of androgen receptor, showing that the myogenic effect of trenbolone was mediated by the androgen receptor. Immunoprecipitation showed that androgen receptor and β-catenin formed a complex, which was increased by trenbolone treatment. Trenbolone activated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, which might phosphorylate β-catenin at Ser552, stabilizing β-catenin. Indeed, both cytoplasmic and nuclear β-catenin levels were increased after trenbolone treatment. As a result, β-catenin-mediated transcriptional activity was enhanced by trenbolone treatment. In conclusion, these data provide evidence that testosterone increases cellular β-catenin content which promotes the expression of β-catenin-targeted genes and myogenesis in the muscle-derived stem cells of cattle.

Laminopathies: the molecular background of the disease and the prospects for its treatment

Laminopathies are rare human degenerative disorders with a wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes, associated with defects in the main protein components of the nuclear envelope, mostly in the lamins. They include systemic disorders and tissue-restricted diseases. Scientists have been trying to explain the pathogenesis of laminopathies and find an efficient method for treatment for many years. In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge about laminopathies, the molecular mechanisms behind the development of particular phenotypes, and the prospects for stem cell and/or gene therapy treatments.

Bmp signaling at the tips of skeletal muscles regulates the number of fetal muscle progenitors and satellite cells during development

Muscle progenitors, labeled by the transcription factor Pax7, are responsible for muscle growth during development. The signals that regulate the muscle progenitor number during myogenesis are unknown. We show, through in vivo analysis, that Bmp signaling is involved in regulating fetal skeletal muscle growth. Ectopic activation of Bmp signaling in chick limbs increases the number of fetal muscle progenitors and fibers, while blocking Bmp signaling reduces their numbers, ultimately leading to small muscles. The Bmp effect that we observed during fetal myogenesis is diametrically opposed to that previously observed during embryonic myogenesis and that deduced from in vitro work. We also show that Bmp signaling regulates the number of satellite cells during development. Finally, we demonstrate that Bmp signaling is active in a subpopulation of fetal progenitors and satellite cells at the extremities of muscles. Overall, our results show that Bmp signaling plays differential roles in embryonic and fetal myogenesis.

TGF-beta3 inhibits chondrogenesis by suppressing precartilage condensation through stimulation of N-cadherin shedding and reduction of cRREB-1 expression

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) plays crucial roles in controlling cell differentiation and maintaining tissue integrity. Previously we reported that TGF-beta3 treatment decreased the mRNA expression of the gap junction protein, connexin 43 as well as cell number, which lead to the inhibition of chondrogenic condensation in cultured chick leg bud mesenchymal cells. The present study demonstrates that TGF-beta3 can induce cleavage in the ectodomain of neuronal cadherin (N-cadherin) at the initiation stage of chondrogenesis and reduce cell numbers, cellular adhesion and the expression level of connexin 43. Differential displayed PCR (DD-PCR) comparison of adherent- and non-adherent chick leg chondrogenic progenitor cells showed increased expression of the chick ras-responsive element binding transcription factor, cRREB-1, in adherent cells. In chick leg bud mesenchymal cells, cRREB-1 transcription was inhibited by TGF-beta3 at the early stage of chondrogenesis. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of cRREB-1 reduced cell numbers, cellular adhesion, and the expression level of connexin 43 resulting in the inhibition of precartilage condensation. Taken together, these findings indicate that TGF-beta3 mediates the inhibitory signal necessary for precartilage condensation by stimulating N-cadherin shedding and reducing cRREB-1 expression levels.

Microtubule plus-end binding protein EB1 is necessary for muscle cell differentiation, elongation and fusion

During muscle differentiation, microtubule stability, nucleation and orientation all undergo profound changes, which are simultaneous with and possibly necessary for the elongation and fusion of muscle cells. We do not yet understand these events, but they present similarities with the polarized migration of fibroblasts, in which EB1 is necessary for microtubule stabilization. However, it was recently reported that EB3, not EB1, is involved in muscle cell elongation and fusion, and that neither of these two proteins influences microtubule stabilization. To re-examine the role of EB1, we have generated C2 cell lines permanently expressing EB1-targeted shRNAs. In these lines, EB1 is specifically knocked down by more than 90% before any differentiation-related changes can take place. We find that differentiation (assessed by myogenin expression), elongation and fusion are prevented. In addition, two early events that normally precede differentiation - microtubule stabilization and the accumulation of cadherin and beta-catenin on the plasma membrane - are inhibited. Re-expression of EB1 as EB1-GFP restores all aspects of normal differentiation, whereas overexpression of EB3-GFP restores elongation but not fusion. We conclude that EB1 is necessary for the early stages of muscle differentiation.

Embryonic and fetal limb myogenic cells are derived from developmentally distinct progenitors and have different requirements for beta-catenin

Vertebrate muscle arises sequentially from embryonic, fetal, and adult myoblasts. Although functionally distinct, it is unclear whether these myoblast classes develop from common or different progenitors. Pax3 and Pax7 are expressed by somitic myogenic progenitors and are critical myogenic determinants. To test the developmental origin of embryonic and fetal myogenic cells in the limb, we genetically labeled and ablated Pax3(+) and Pax7(+) cells. Pax3(+)Pax7(-) cells contribute to muscle and endothelium, establish and are required for embryonic myogenesis, and give rise to Pax7(+) cells. Subsequently, Pax7(+) cells give rise to and are required for fetal myogenesis. Thus, Pax3(+) and Pax7(+) cells contribute differentially to embryonic and fetal limb myogenesis. To investigate whether embryonic and fetal limb myogenic cells have different genetic requirements we conditionally inactivated or activated beta-catenin, an important regulator of myogenesis, in Pax3- or Pax7-derived cells. beta-Catenin is necessary within the somite for dermomyotome and myotome formation and delamination of limb myogenic progenitors. In the limb, beta-catenin is not required for embryonic myoblast specification or myofiber differentiation but is critical for determining fetal progenitor number and myofiber number and type. Together, these studies demonstrate that limb embryonic and fetal myogenic cells develop from distinct, but related progenitors and have different cell-autonomous requirements for beta-catenin.

All muscle satellite cells are equal, but are some more equal than others?

Skeletal muscle is an accessible adult stem-cell model in which differentiated myofibres are maintained and repaired by a self-renewing stem-cell compartment. These resident stem cells, which are known as satellite cells, lie on the surface of the muscle fibre, between the plasmalemma and overlying basal lamina. Although they are normally mitotically quiescent in adult muscle, satellite cells can be activated when needed to generate myoblasts, which eventually differentiate to provide new myonuclei for the homeostasis, hypertrophy and repair of muscle fibres, or fuse together to form new myofibres for regeneration. Satellite cells also self-renew in order to maintain a viable stem-cell pool that is able to respond to repeated demand. The study of the control of self-renewal has led to the idea that the satellite-cell pool might be heterogeneous: that is it might contain both self-renewing satellite `stem' cells and myogenic precursors with limited replicative potential in the same anatomical location. The regulatory circuits that control satellite-cell self-renewal are beginning to be deciphered, with Pax7, and Notch and Wnt signalling being clearly implicated. This Commentary seeks to integrate these interesting new findings into the wider context of satellite-cell biology, and to highlight some of the many outstanding questions.

β-catenin promotes self-renewal of skeletal-muscle satellite cells

Satellite cells are the resident stem cells of adult skeletal muscle. As with all stem cells, how the choice between self-renewal or differentiation is controlled is central to understanding their function. Here, we have explored the role of β-catenin in determining the fate of myogenic satellite cells. Satellite cells express β-catenin, and expression is maintained as they activate and undergo proliferation. Constitutive retroviral-driven expression of wild-type or stabilised β-catenin results in more satellite cells expressing Pax7 without any MyoD – therefore, adopting the self-renewal pathway, with fewer cells undergoing myogenic differentiation. Similarly, preventing the degradation of endogenous β-catenin by inhibiting GSK3β activity also results in more Pax7-positive–MyoD-negative (Pax7+MyoD–) satellite-cell progeny. Consistent with these observations, downregulation of β-catenin using small interfering RNA (siRNA) reduced the proportion of satellite cells that express Pax7 and augmented myogenic differentiation after mitogen withdrawal. Since a dominant-negative version of β-catenin had the same effect as silencing β-catenin using specific siRNA, β-catenin promotes self-renewal via transcriptional control of target genes. Thus, β-catenin signalling in proliferating satellite cells directs these cells towards the self-renewal pathway and, so, contributes to the maintenance of this stem-cell pool in adult skeletal muscle.

Catecholaminergic neurotransmitters regulate migration and repopulation of immature human CD34+ cells through Wnt signaling

Catecholamines are important regulators of homeostasis, yet their functions in hematopoiesis are poorly understood. Here we report that immature human CD34+ cells dynamically expressed dopamine and beta2-adrenergic receptors, with higher expression in the primitive CD34+CD38(lo) population. The myeloid cytokines G-CSF and GM-CSF upregulated neuronal receptor expression on immature CD34+ cells. Treatment with neurotransmitters increased the motility, proliferation and colony formation of human progenitor cells, correlating with increased polarity, expression of the metalloproteinase MT1-MMP and activity of the metalloproteinase MMP-2. Treatment with catecholamines enhanced human CD34+ cell engraftment of NOD-SCID mice through Wnt signaling activation and increased cell mobilization and bone marrow Sca-1+c-Kit+Lin- cell numbers. Our results identify new functions for neurotransmitters and myeloid cytokines in the direct regulation of human and mouse progenitor cell migration and development.

Sema4C participates in myogenic differentiation in vivo and in vitro through the p38 MAPK pathway

Sema4C is a member of transmembrane semaphorin proteins which regulate axonal guidance in the developing nervous system. The expression of Sema4C was dramatically induced not only during differentiation of C2C12 mouse myoblasts, but also during injury-induced skeletal muscle regeneration. C2C12 cells stably or transiently expressing Sema4C both showed increased myogenic differentiation reflected by accelerated myotube formation and expression of muscle-specific proteins. Overexpression of Sema4C elicited p38 phosphorylation directly, and the effects of Sema4C during myogenic differentiation could be abolished by the p38alpha-specific inhibitor SB203580. Knockdown of Sema4C by siRNA transfection during C2C12 myoblasts differentiation could suppress the phosphorylation of p38 followed by dramatically diminished myotube formation. Sema4C could activate the myogenin promoter during myogenic differentiation. This activation could be abolished by p38 inhibitor SB203580. Taken together, these observations reveal novel functional potentialities of Sema4C which suggest that Sema4C promotes terminal myogenic differentiation in a p38 MAPK-dependent manner.

Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation and myogenic differentiation are induced by cholesterol depletion

Myogenic differentiation is a multistep process that begins with the commitment of mononucleated precursors that withdraw from cell cycle. These myoblasts elongate while aligning to each other, guided by the recognition between their membranes. This step is followed by cell fusion and the formation of long and striated multinucleated myotubes. We have recently shown that cholesterol depletion by methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MbetaCD) induces myogenic differentiation by enhancing myoblast recognition and fusion. Here, we further studied the signaling pathways responsible for early steps of myogenesis. As it is known that Wnt plays a role in muscle differentiation, we used the chemical MbetaCD to deplete membrane cholesterol and investigate the involvement of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway during myogenesis. We show that cholesterol depletion promoted a significant increase in expression of beta-catenin, its nuclear translocation and activation of the Wnt pathway. Moreover, we show that the activation of the Wnt pathway after cholesterol depletion can be inhibited by the soluble protein Frzb-1. Our data suggest that membrane cholesterol is involved in Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in the early steps of myogenic differentiation.

M-cadherin and β-catenin participate in differentiation of rat satellite cells

Cadherins belong to a large family of membrane glycoprotein adhesion receptors that mediate homophilic, calcium-dependent cell adhesion. During myogenesis, cadherins are involved in initial cell-to-cell recognition; and it has also been suggested that they play a role in the initiation of myoblast fusion into multinuclear myotubes. One of the members of the cadherin family, M-cadherin, has been detected during embryogenesis in myogenic cells of somitic origin and in adult muscles. We investigated the distribution and function of M-cadherin and beta-catenin during differentiation of myoblasts in primary cultures of rat satellite cells. We found that M-cadherin was accumulated at the areas of contact between fusing myoblasts and that it colocalized with beta-catenin. Moreover, beta-catenin colocalized with actin in pre-fusing myoblasts. We show that myoblast differentiation is accompanied by an increase in the amounts of M-cadherin and beta-catenin both at the mRNA and the protein level. Flow cytometry analysis showed that M-cadherin expression was highest in fusing myoblasts. In addition, an antibody specific for the extracellular domain of M-cadherin inhibited the fusion of cultured myoblasts. These data suggest that regulation of the M-cadherin level plays an important role in the differentiation of satellite cells and in myoblast fusion in primary cultures.

PDZRN3 (LNX3, SEMCAP3) is required for the differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts into myotubes

PDZRN3 contains a RING-finger motif in its N-terminal region, two PDZ domains in its central region and a consensus-binding motif for PDZ domains at its C-terminus. It was identified in silico as a homolog of the protein known as LNX1 or SEMCAP1, which possesses ubiquitin ligase activity and binds the membrane protein Semaphorin 4C. However, PDZRN3 itself has not previously been characterized. We have now evaluated the properties and functions of PDZRN3. The PDZRN3 gene was shown to be expressed in various human tissues including the heart, skeletal muscle and liver and its expression in mouse skeletal muscle was developmentally regulated. Both the differentiation of C2C12 mouse skeletal myoblasts into myotubes and injury-induced muscle regeneration in vivo were found to be accompanied by up-regulation of PDZRN3. The differentiation-associated increase in the expression of PDZRN3 in C2C12 cells follows that of myogenin and precedes that of myosin heavy chain. Depletion of PDZRN3 by RNA interference inhibited the formation of myotubes as well as the associated up-regulation of myosin heavy chain in C2C12 cells. Our data suggest that PDZRN3 plays an essential role in the differentiation of myoblasts into myotubes by acting either downstream or independently of myogenin.

Regulation of the M-cadherin-beta-catenin complex by calpain 3 during terminal stages of myogenic differentiation

The cysteine protease calpain 3 (CAPN3) is essential for normal muscle function, since mutations in CAPN3 cause limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A. Previously, we showed that myoblasts isolated from CAPN3 knockout (C3KO) mice were able to fuse to myotubes; however, sarcomere formation was disrupted. In this study we further characterized morphological and biochemical features of C3KO myotubes in order to elucidate a role for CAPN3 during myogenesis. We showed that cell cycle withdrawal occurred normally in C3KO cultures, but C3KO myotubes have an increased number of myonuclei per myotube. We found that CAPN3 acts during myogenesis to specifically control levels of membrane-associated but not cytoplasmic beta-catenin and M-cadherin. CAPN3 was able to cleave both proteins, and in the absence of CAPN3, M-cadherin and beta-catenin abnormally accumulated at the membranes of myotubes. Given the role of M-cadherin in myoblast fusion, this finding suggests that the excessive myonuclear index of C3KO myotubes was due to enhanced fusion. Postfusion events, such as beta1D integrin expression and myofibrillogenesis, were suppressed in C3KO myotubes. These data suggest that the persistence of fusion observed in C3KO cells inhibits subsequent steps of differentiation, such as integrin complex rearrangements and sarcomere assembly.

Cytomimetic engineering of hepatocyte morphogenesis and function by substrate-based presentation of acellular E-cadherin

Although cadherin-mediated intercellular contacts can be integral to the maintenance of functionally competent hepatocytes in vitro, the ability to engineer hepatocellular differentiated function via acellular E-cadherin has yet to be thoroughly explored. To investigate the potential of substrate-presented, acellular E-cadherin to modulate hepatocellular self-assembly and functional fate, rat hepatocytes were cultured at sparse densities on surfaces designed to display recombinant E-cadherin/Fc chimeras. On these substrates, hepatocytes were observed to recognize microdisplayed E-cadherin/Fc and responded by modulating the spatial distribution of the intracellular cadherin-complexing protein beta-catenin. Substrate-presented E-cadherin/Fc was also found to markedly alter patterns of hepatocyte morphogenesis, as cellular spreading and two-dimensional reorganization were significantly inhibited under these conditions, leading to multicellular aggregates that were considerably more three-dimensional in nature. Increasing cadherin exposure was also associated with elevated levels of albumin and urea secretion, two markers of hepatocyte differentiation, over control cultures. This suggested that cell-substrate cadherin engagement established more functionally competent hepatocellular phenotypes, coinciding with the notion that E-cadherin is a differentiation-inducing ligand for these cells. The morphogenetic and function-promoting effects of substrate-bound E-cadherin/Fc were further enhanced under conditions in which protein A was utilized as an anchoring molecule to present cadherin molecules, suggesting that ligand mobility may play an important role in the effective establishment of cell-to-substrate cadherin interactions. Interestingly, the percent increase in function detected for conditions of high cadherin exposure versus control cultures was found to be substantially higher at extremely low cell densities. This observation indicated that hepatocytes respond to substrate-presented E-cadherin even in the absence of native intercellular interactions and associated juxtacrine signaling. The incorporation of acellular E-cadherin on biomaterial substrates may thus potentially present a means to prevent hepatocellular dedifferentiation by maintaining liver-specific function in otherwise severely functionally repressive culture conditions.

Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3β activity is sufficient to stimulate myogenic differentiation

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a prominent and disabling feature of chronic wasting diseases. Prevention or reversal of muscle atrophy by administration of skeletal muscle growth (hypertrophy)-stimulating agents such as insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) could be an important therapeutic strategy in these diseases. To elucidate the IGF-I signal transduction responsible for muscle formation (myogenesis) during muscle growth and regeneration, we applied IGF-I to differentiating C2C12myoblasts and evaluated the effects on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) signaling and myogenesis. IGF-I caused phosphorylation and inactivation of GSK-3β activity via signaling through the PI3K/Akt pathway. We assessed whether pharmacological inhibition of GSK-3β with lithium chloride (LiCl) was sufficient to stimulate myogenesis. Addition of IGF-I or LiCl stimulated myogenesis, evidenced by increased myotube formation, muscle creatine kinase (MCK) activity, and troponin I (TnI) promoter transactivation during differentiation. Moreover, mRNAs encoding MyoD, Myf-5, myogenin, TnI-slow, TnI-fast, MCK, and myoglobin were upregulated in myoblasts differentiated in the presence of IGF-I or LiCl. Importantly, blockade of GSK-3β inhibition abrogated IGF-I- but not LiCl-dependent stimulation of myogenic mRNA accumulation, suggesting that the promyogenic effects of IGF-I require GSK-3β inactivation and revealing an important negative regulatory role for GSK-3β in myogenesis. Therefore, this study identifies GSK-3β as a potential target for pharmacological stimulation of muscle growth.

Once upon a time there was beta-catenin in cadherin-mediated signalling

beta-Catenin was initially characterized as a protein interacting with the cadherin cytoplasmic tail and regulating cell-cell contacts and actin cytoskeleton interactions. Moreover, the gene coding for the Drosophila orthologue of beta-catenin, armadillo, was independently identified downstream of wingless in the segment-polarity signalling pathway. In fact, beta-catenin/Armadillo turned out to be key mediators of the Wnt/Wingless pathways in vertebrates and invertebrates. beta-Catenin participates in both adhesion and signalling functions in a mutually exclusive manner; bound to cadherins at the plasma membrane or 'unbound' in cytosolic or nuclear complexes. This model had placed beta-catenin at the crossroads between cadherin and Wnt signalling, leading to the dogma of inhibition of beta-catenin signalling by cadherins.

E3 ubiquitin ligases as regulators of membrane protein trafficking and degradation

Ubiquitination is a regulated post-translational modification that conjugates ubiquitin (Ub) to lysine residues of target proteins and determines their intracellular fate. The canonical role of ubiquitination is to mediate degradation by the proteasome of short-lived cytoplasmic proteins that carry a single, polymeric chain of Ub on a specific lysine residue. However, protein modification by Ub has much broader and diverse functions involved in a myriad of cellular processes. Monoubiquitination, at one or multiple lysine residues of transmembrane proteins, influences their stability, protein-protein recognition, activity and intracellular localization. In these processes, Ub functions as an internalization signal that sends the modified substrate to the endocytic/sorting compartments, followed by recycling to the plasma membrane or degradation in the lysosome. E3 ligases play a pivotal role in ubiquitination, because they recognize the acceptor protein and hence dictate the high specificity of the reaction. The multitude of E3s present in nature suggests their nonredundant mode of action and the need for their controlled regulation. Here we give a short account of E3 ligases that specifically modify and regulate membrane proteins. We emphasize the intricate network of interacting proteins that contribute to the substrate-E3 recognition and determine the substrate's cellular fate.

Requirement of the transmembrane semaphorin Sema4C for myogenic differentiation

Semaphorins constitute a large family of signaling proteins that contribute to axonal guidance. Here we demonstrate that the transmembrane semaphorin Sema4C is up-regulated both in the early stage of differentiation of C2C12 mouse skeletal myoblasts into myotubes and during injury-induced muscle regeneration in vivo. Depletion of Sema4C in C2C12 cells resulted in marked attenuation of myotube formation. A fusion protein containing the extracellular Sema domain and a peptide corresponding to the intracellular COOH-terminal region of Sema4C each inhibited the differentiation of C2C12 cells. These findings indicate that Sema4C-mediated interaction among myoblasts plays an important role in terminal myogenic differentiation.

Wnt10b deficiency promotes coexpression of myogenic and adipogenic programs in myoblasts

Adult myoblasts retain plasticity in developmental potential and can be induced to undergo myogenic, adipogenic, or osteoblastogenic differentiation in vitro. In this report, we show that the balance between myogenic and adipogenic potential in myoblasts is controlled by Wnt signaling. Furthermore, this balance is altered during aging such that aspects of both differentiation programs are coexpressed in myoblasts due to decreased Wnt10b abundance. Mimicking Wnt signaling in aged myoblasts through inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase or through overexpression of Wnt10b resulted in inhibition of adipogenic gene expression and sustained or enhanced myogenic differentiation. On the other hand, myoblasts isolated from Wnt10b null mice showed increased adipogenic potential, likely contributing to excessive lipid accumulation in actively regenerating myofibers in vivo in Wnt10b-/- mice. Whereas Wnt10b deficiency contributed to increased adipogenic potential in myoblasts, the augmented myogenic differentiation potential observed is likely the result of a compensatory increase in Wnt7b during differentiation of Wnt10b-/- myoblasts. No such compensation was apparent in aged myoblasts and in fact, both Wnt5b and Wnt10b were down-regulated. Thus, alteration in Wnt signaling in myoblasts with age may contribute to impaired muscle regenerative capacity and to increased muscle adiposity, both characteristic of aged muscle.

N-cadherin mediated distribution of ?-catenin alters MAP kinase and BMP-2 signaling on chondrogenesis-related gene expression

We have examined the effect of calcium-dependent adhesion, mediated by N-cadherin, on cell signaling during chondrogenesis of multipotential embryonic mouse C3H10T1/2 cells. The activity of chondrogenic genes, type II collagen, aggrecan, and Sox9 were examined in monolayer (non-chondrogenic), and micromass (chondrogenic) cultures of parental C3H10T1/2 cells and altered C3H10T1/2 cell lines that express a dominant negative form of N-cadherin (delta390-T1/2) or overexpress normal N-cadherin (MNCD2-T1/2). Our findings show that missexpression or inhibition of N-cadherin in C3H10T1/2 cells results in temporal and spatial changes in expression of the chondrogenic genes Sox9, aggrecan, and collagen type II. We have also analyzed activity of the serum response factor (SRF), a nuclear target of MAP kinase signaling implicated in chondrogenesis. In semi-confluent monolayer cultures (minimum cell-cell contact) of C3H10T1/2, MNCD2-T1/2, or delta390-T1/2 cells, there was no significant change in the pattern of MAP kinase or bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) regulation of SRF. However, in micromass cultures, the effect of MAP kinase and BMP-2 on SRF activity was proportional to the nuclear localization of beta-catenin, a Wnt stabilized cytoplasmic factor that can associate with lymphoid enhancer-binding factor (LEF) to serve as a transcription factor. Our findings suggest that the extent of adherens junction formation mediated by N-cadherin can modulate the potential Wnt-induced nuclear activity of beta-catenin.

Cholesterol depletion by methyl-beta-cyclodextrin enhances myoblast fusion and induces the formation of myotubes with disorganized nuclei

The formation of a skeletal muscle fiber begins with the withdrawal of committed mononucleated precursors from the cell cycle. These myoblasts elongate while aligning with each other, guided by recognition between their membranes. This step is followed by cell fusion and the formation of long striated multinucleated myotubes. We used methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MCD) in primary cultured chick skeletal muscle cells to deplete membrane cholesterol and investigate its role during myogenesis. MCD promoted a significant increase in the expression of troponin T, enhanced myoblast fusion, and induced the formation of large multinucleated myotubes with nuclei being clustered centrally and not aligned at the cell periphery. MCD myotubes were striated, as indicated by sarcomeric alpha-actinin staining, and microtubule and desmin filament distribution was not altered. Pre-fusion MCD-treated myoblasts formed large aggregates, with cadherin and beta-catenin being accumulated in cell adhesion contacts. We also found that the membrane microdomain marker GM1 was not present as clusters in the membrane of MCD-treated myoblasts. Our data demonstrate that cholesterol is involved in the early steps of skeletal muscle differentiation.

Targets of fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF-1) and FGF-2 signaling involved in the invasive and tumorigenic behavior of carcinoma cells

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-1 and -2 have potent biological activities implicated in malignant tumor development. Their autocrine and nonautocrine activity in tumor progression of carcinoma was investigated in the NBT-II cell system. Cells were manipulated to either produce and be autocrine for FGF-1 or -2 or to only produce but not respond to these factors. The autocrine cells are highly invasive and tumorigenic and the determination of specific targets of FGF/fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signaling was assessed. In vitro studies showed that nonautocrine cells behave like epithelial parental cells, whereas autocrine cells have a mesenchymal phenotype correlated with the overexpression of urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), the internalization of E-cadherin, and the redistribution of beta-catenin from the cell surface to the cytoplasm and nucleus. uPAR was defined as an early target, whereas E-cadherin and the leukocyte common antigen-related protein-tyrosine phosphatase (LAR-PTP) were later targets of FGF signaling, with FGFR1 activation more efficient than FGFR2 at modulating these targets. Behavior of autocrine cells was consistent with a decrease of tumor-suppressive activities of both E-cadherin and LAR-PTP. These molecular analyses show that the potential of these two growth factors in tumor progression is highly dependent on specific FGFR signaling and highlights its importance as a target for antitumor therapy.

Insulin and wnt1 pathways cooperate to induce reserve cell activation in differentiation and myotube hypertrophy

During ex vivo myoblast differentiation, a pool of quiescent mononucleated myoblasts, reserve cells, arise alongside myotubes. Insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and PKB/Akt-dependent phosphorylation activates skeletal muscle differentiation and hypertrophy. We have investigated the role of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) inhibition by protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt and Wnt/beta-catenin pathways in reserve cell activation during myoblast differentiation and myotube hypertrophy. Inhibition of GSK-3 by LiCl or SB216763, restored insulin-dependent differentiation of C2ind myoblasts in low serum, and cooperated with insulin in serum-free medium to induce MyoD and myogenin expression in C2ind myoblasts, quiescent C2 or primary human reserve cells. We show that LiCl treatment induced nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin in C2 myoblasts, thus mimicking activation of canonical Wnt signaling. Similarly to the effect of GSK-3 inhibitors with insulin, coculturing C2 reserve cells with Wnt1-expressing fibroblasts enhanced insulin-stimulated induction of MyoD and myogenin in reserve cells. A similar cooperative effect of LiCl or Wnt1 with insulin was observed during late ex vivo differentiation and promoted increased size and fusion of myotubes. We show that this synergistic effect on myotube hypertrophy involved an increased fusion of reserve cells into preexisting myotubes. These data reveal insulin and Wnt/beta-catenin pathways cooperate in muscle cell differentiation through activation and recruitment of satellite cell-like reserve myoblasts.

N-cadherin activation substitutes for the cell contact control in cell cycle arrest and myogenic differentiation: involvement of p120 and beta-catenin

N-cadherin is expressed throughout skeletal myogenesis and has been proposed to be involved in the differentiation program of myogenic precursors. Here, we further characterize the N-cadherin involvement and its mechanism of action at the onset of differentiation, through controlled N-cadherin activation by plating isolated C2 myoblasts on surfaces coated with a chimeric Ncad-Fc homophilic ligand (N-cadherin ectodomain fused to the immunoglobulin G Fc fragment). We show that N-cadherin activation substitutes for the cell density in myogenic differentiation by promoting myogenin and troponin T expression. In addition, N-cadherin adhesion participates to the associated cell cycle arrest through the nuclear accumulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21 and p27. Mouse primary myoblast cultures exhibited similar responses to N-cadherin as C2 cells. RNA interference knockdowns of the N-cadherin-associated cytoplasmic proteins p120 and beta-catenin produced opposite effects on the differentiation pathway. p120 silencing resulted in a decreased myogenic differentiation, associated with a reduction in cadherin-catenin content, which may explain its action on myogenic differentiation. beta-Catenin silencing led to a stimulatory effect on myogenin expression, without any effect on cell cycle. Our results demonstrate that N-cadherin adhesion may account for cell-cell contact-dependent cell cycle arrest and differentiation of myogenic cells, involving regulation through p120 and beta-catenins.

Wnts and wing: Wnt signaling in vertebrate limb development and musculoskeletal morphogenesis

In the past twenty years, secreted signaling molecules of the Wnt family have been found to play a central role in controlling embryonic development from hydra to human. In the developing vertebrate limb, Wnt signaling is required for limb bud initiation, early limb patterning (which is governed by several well-characterized signaling centers), and, finally, late limb morphogenesis events. Wnt ligands are unique, in that they can activate several different receptor-mediated signal transduction pathways. The most extensively studied Wnt pathway is the canonical Wnt pathway, which controls gene expression by stabilizing beta-catenin in regulating a diverse array of biological processes. Recently, more attention has been given to the noncanonical Wnt pathway, which is beta-catenin-independent. The noncanonical Wnt pathway signals through activating Ca(2+) flux, JNK activation, and both small and heterotrimeric G proteins, to induce changes in gene expression, cell adhesion, migration, and polarity. Abnormal Wnt signaling leads to developmental defects and human diseases affecting either tissue development or homeostasis. Further understanding of the biological function and signaling mechanism of Wnt signaling is essential for the development of novel preventive and therapeutic approaches of human diseases. This review provides a critical perspective on how Wnt signaling regulates different developmental processes. As Wnt signaling in tumor formation has been reviewed extensively elsewhere, this part is not included in the review of the clinical significance of Wnt signaling.

β-Catenin regulates the gene of MMP-26, a novel matrix metalloproteinase expressed both in carcinomas and normal epithelial cells

There are several unorthodox features, which distinguish the non-redundant and unique novel matrix metalloproteinase-26 (MMP-26) (an enzyme that has recently evolved and does not exist in rodents but is present in humans) from other members of the MMP superfamily. This report describes our recent efforts to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms which restrict expression of MMP-26 to certain cell/tissue types. We examined transcriptional regulation of the human MMP-26 gene in normal and malignant cells. The AP-1 and Tcf-4 sites of the MMP-26 promoter appear most potent in regulating the expression of the MMP-26-luciferase chimera in HEK293 embryonic kidney and MCF7 breast carcinoma cells. Key regulators of the Wnt pathway (beta-catenin and lymphoid enhancer-binding factor/T-cell factor with which beta-catenin associates) enhanced the transcriptional activity of MMP-26 suggesting that the MMP-26 gene is a likely target of the Wnt pathway. Immunostaining, gene arrays and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirm the presence of MMP-26 in normal cells, including the apical epithelial conjunctiva cells of the human eye, as well as in malignant cells of epithelial origin. MMP-26 predominantly accumulates in its proenzyme form in the intracellular milieu of the transfected breast carcinoma MCF7 cells. This study brings us a step forward towards a better understanding of the unconventional role, regulation and functions of epithelial cell MMP-26 in physiological conditions and in neoplasms.

Ozz-E3, a muscle-specific ubiquitin ligase, regulates beta-catenin degradation during myogenesis

The identities of the ubiquitin-ligases active during myogenesis are largely unknown. Here we describe a RING-type E3 ligase complex specified by the adaptor protein, Ozz, a novel SOCS protein that is developmentally regulated and expressed exclusively in striated muscle. In mice, the absence of Ozz results in overt maturation defects of the sarcomeric apparatus. We identified beta-catenin as one of the target substrates of the Ozz-E3 in vivo. In the differentiating myofibers, Ozz-E3 regulates the levels of sarcolemma-associated beta-catenin by mediating its degradation via the proteasome. Expression of beta-catenin mutants that reduce the binding of Ozz to endogenous beta-catenin leads to Mb-beta-catenin accumulation and myofibrillogenesis defects similar to those observed in Ozz null myocytes. These findings reveal a novel mechanism of regulation of Mb-beta-catenin and the role of this pool of the protein in myofibrillogenesis, and implicate the Ozz-E3 ligase in the process of myofiber differentiation.

Exogenous cadherin microdisplay can interfere with endogenous signaling and reprogram gene expression in cultured hepatocytes

We recently found that the basal micro substrate presentation of E-cadherin, a key cell-cell adhesion molecule in the liver, can modulate hepatocellular proliferative potential and differentiated function (Brieva and Moghe, in press). In the current study, we established a similar experimental model involving rat hepatocytes cultured on collagen and incorporated 5 microm polystyrene microbeads functionalized with Protein A-anchored E-cadherin/human lgG Fc chimeric fusion constructs. We investigated the cadherin governed dose-response of cell proliferative potential and quantified the underlying changes in intracellular gene signaling processes. Hepatocellular proliferative potential was found to be intensified with an increase in the microdisplay of acellular cadherins and this effect was offset by increased cell seeding density. Notably, we report that following overnight exposure to acellular cadherins, the expression of genes known to mediate the control of cell proliferation, cyclin D1 and c-myc, was upregulated, while the expression of differentiation-related genes, namely albumin and cytochrome p450 II B1, was reduced. The exposure of cell cultures to exogenous cadherins was found to markedly disrupt the localization of endogenous E-cadherin and beta-catenin to junctions at cell-cell contacts and cause a quantitative decrease in the endogenous cadherin protein levels. Based on all of our observations, we propose that the acellular presentation of E-cadherin chimeras competitively disrupts endogenous cadherin containing complexes at cell-cell junctions and increases intracellular cadherin turnover, thereby promoting beta-catenin mediated signaling, which ultimately engenders an increase in cell proliferative potential and a decrease in differentiated function.