bims-moremu 2022-05-01 papers

bims-moremu

Biomed News

on Molecular regulators of muscle mass

Issue of 2022–05–01
39 papers selected by
Anna Vainshtein, Craft Science Inc.

Disuse-induced skeletal muscle atrophy in disease and non-disease states in humans: mechanisms, prevention, and recovery strategies.
SnapShot: Skeletal muscle atrophy.
Enhancement of anaerobic glycolysis - a role of PGC-1α4 in resistance exercise.
Electroporation of Plasmid DNA into Mouse Skeletal Muscle.
Aerobic exercise-mediated changes in the expression of glucocorticoid responsive genes in skeletal muscle differ across the day.
UCHL1 Regulates Lipid and Perilipin 2 Level in Skeletal Muscle.
Antiapoptotic Protein FAIM2 is targeted by miR-3202, and DUX4 via TRIM21, leading to cell death and defective myogenesis.
A HIF-1 signature dominates the attenuation in the human skeletal muscle transcriptional response to high-intensity interval training.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy trajectory in R-DMDdel52 preclinical rat model identifies COMP as biomarker of fibrosis.
Optineurin promotes myogenesis during muscle regeneration in mice by autophagic degradation of GSK3β.
Daily running enhances molecular and physiological circadian rhythms in skeletal muscle.
Cancer-cell-secreted miR-122 suppresses O-GlcNAcylation to promote skeletal muscle proteolysis.
CaMKII and Kalirin, a Rac1-GEF, regulate Akt phosphorylation involved in contraction-induced glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells.
Detection of muscle stem cell-derived myonuclei in murine overloaded muscles.
Molecular interactions of STAC proteins with skeletal muscle dihydropyridine receptor and excitation-contraction coupling.
Impact of obesity on the molecular response to a single bout of exercise in a preliminary human cohort.
Screening of anti-atrophic peptides by using photo-cleavable peptide array and 96-well scale contractile human skeletal muscle atrophy models.
Supplementation of Specific Collagen Peptides Following High-Load Resistance Exercise Upregulates Gene Expression in Pathways Involved in Skeletal Muscle Signal Transduction.
TNF Signaling Acts Downstream of MiR-322/-503 in Regulating DM1 Myogenesis.
Skeletal muscle properties show collagen organization and immune cell content are associated with resistance exercise response heterogeneity in older persons.
Circulating cell-free mtDNA release is associated with the activation of cGAS-STING pathway and inflammation in mitochondrial diseases.
Modeling Patient-Specific Muscular Dystrophy Phenotypes and Therapeutic Responses in Reprogrammed Myotubes Engineered on Micromolded Gelatin Hydrogels.
Fast stretching of skeletal muscle fibres abolishes residual force enhancement.
The therapeutic potential of soluble activin type IIB receptor treatment in a limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2D mouse model.
H2S Protects Against Immobilization-Induced Muscle Atrophy via Reducing Oxidative Stress and Inflammation.
Sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium handling in unbranched, immediately post-necrotic fast-twitch mdx fibres is similar to wild-type littermates.
A simple and scalable 3D printing methodology for generating aligned and extended human and murine skeletal muscle tissues.
The Effects of Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training on Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Mitochondrial mutations alter endurance exercise response and determinants in mice.
Fibroblast growth factor 21, a stress regulator, inhibits Drp1 activation to alleviate skeletal muscle ischemia/reperfusion injury.
Tryptophan Metabolism and COVID-19-Induced Skeletal Muscle Damage: Is ACE2 a Key Regulator?
Genetic variation in ALDH4A1 is associated with muscle health over the lifespan and across species.
Heterozygous frameshift variants in HNRNPA2B1 cause early-onset oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy.
Molecular characterization of myotonic dystrophy fibroblast cell lines for use in small molecule screening.
Autophagy guards tendon homeostasis.
RBPMS is an RNA-binding protein that mediates cardiomyocyte binucleation and cardiovascular development.
The PERKs of mitochondria protection during stress: insights for PERK modulation in neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases.
Obesity as a premature aging phenotype - implications for sarcopenic obesity.
Central and peripheral delivered AAV9-SMN are both efficient but target different pathomechanisms in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy.

Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2022 Apr 27.

Disuse-induced skeletal muscle atrophy in disease and non-disease states in humans: mechanisms, prevention, and recovery strategies.

Everson A Nunes, Tanner Stokes, James McKendry, Brad S Currier, Stuart M Phillips.

  Decreased skeletal muscle contractile activity (disuse) or unloading leads to muscle mass loss, also known as muscle atrophy. The balance between muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and muscle protein breakdown (MPB) is the primary determinant of skeletal muscle mass. A reduced mechanical load on skeletal muscle is one of the main external factors leading to muscle atrophy. However, endocrine and inflammatory factors can act synergistically in catabolic states, amplifying the atrophy process and accelerating its progression. Additionally, older individuals display aging-induced anabolic resistance, which can predispose this population to more pronounced effects when exposed to periods of reduced physical activity or mechanical unloading. Different cellular mechanisms contribute to the regulation of muscle protein balance during skeletal muscle atrophy. This review summarizes the effects of muscle disuse on muscle protein balance and the molecular mechanisms involved in muscle atrophy in the absence or presence of disease. Finally, a discussion of the current literature describing efficient strategies to prevent or improve the recovery from muscle atrophy is also presented.

Keywords:  atrophy; disuse; muscle wasting; protein turnover; sarcopenia

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpcell.00425.2021
Cell. 2022 Apr 28. pii: S0092-8674(22)00338-5. [Epub ahead of print]185(9): 1618-1618.e1

SnapShot: Skeletal muscle atrophy.

Leslie M Baehr, David C Hughes, David S Waddell, Sue C Bodine.

Skeletal muscle size is highly plastic and sensitive to a variety of stimuli. Muscle atrophy occurs as the result of changes in multiple signaling pathways that regulate both protein synthesis and degradation. The signaling pathways that are activated or inhibited depend on the specific stimuli that are altered. To view this SnapShot, open of download the PDF.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.03.028
Nat Commun. 2022 Apr 28. 13(1): 2324

Enhancement of anaerobic glycolysis - a role of PGC-1α4 in resistance exercise.

Jin-Ho Koh, Mark W Pataky, Surendra Dasari, Katherine A Klaus, Ivan Vuckovic, Gregory N Ruegsegger, Arathi Prabha Kumar, Matthew M Robinson, K Sreekumaran Nair.

Resistance exercise training (RET) is an effective countermeasure to sarcopenia, related frailty and metabolic disorders. Here, we show that an RET-induced increase in PGC-1α4 (an isoform of the transcriptional co-activator PGC-1α) expression not only promotes muscle hypertrophy but also enhances glycolysis, providing a rapid supply of ATP for muscle contractions. In human skeletal muscle, PGC-1α4 binds to the nuclear receptor PPARβ following RET, resulting in downstream effects on the expressions of key glycolytic genes. In myotubes, we show that PGC-1α4 overexpression increases anaerobic glycolysis in a PPARβ-dependent manner and promotes muscle glucose uptake and fat oxidation. In contrast, we found that an acute resistance exercise bout activates glycolysis in an AMPK-dependent manner. These results provide a mechanistic link between RET and improved glucose metabolism, offering an important therapeutic target to counteract aging and inactivity-induced metabolic diseases benefitting those who cannot exercise due to many reasons.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30056-6
J Vis Exp. 2022 Apr 06.

Electroporation of Plasmid DNA into Mouse Skeletal Muscle.

Brian A Hain, David L Waning.

Transient gene expression modulation in murine skeletal muscle by plasmid electroporation is a useful tool for assessing normal and pathological physiology. Overexpression or knockdown of target genes enables investigators to manipulate individual molecular events and, thus, better understand the mechanisms that impact muscle mass, muscle metabolism, and contractility. In addition, electroporation of DNA plasmids that encode fluorescent tags allows investigators to measure changes in subcellular localization of proteins in skeletal muscle in vivo. A key functional assessment of skeletal muscle includes the measurement of muscle contractility. In this protocol, we demonstrate that whole muscle contractility studies are still possible after plasmid DNA injection, electroporation, and gene expression modulation. The goal of this instructional procedure is to demonstrate the step-by-step method of DNA plasmid electroporation into mouse skeletal muscle to facilitate uptake and expression in the myofibers of the tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus muscles, as well as to demonstrate that skeletal muscle contractility is not compromised by injection and electroporation.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3791/63916
Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2022 Apr 21. pii: S0303-7207(22)00100-9. [Epub ahead of print]550 111652

Aerobic exercise-mediated changes in the expression of glucocorticoid responsive genes in skeletal muscle differ across the day.

Kirsten R Dunlap, Grant R Laskin, David S Waddell, Adam J Black, Jennifer L Steiner, Cynthia Vied, Bradley S Gordon.

  Glucocorticoids are released in response to acute aerobic exercise. The objective was to define changes in the expression of glucocorticoid target genes in skeletal muscle in response to acute aerobic exercise at different times of day. We identified glucocorticoid target genes altered in skeletal muscle by acute exercise by comparing data sets from rodents subjected to acute aerobic exercise in the light or dark cycles to data sets from C2C12 myotubes treated with glucocorticoids. The role of glucocorticoid receptor signaling and REDD1 protein in mediating gene expression was assessed in exercised mice. Changes to expression of glucocorticoid genes were greater when exercise occurred in the dark cycle. REDD1 was required for the induction of genes induced at both times of day. In all, the time of day at which aerobic exercise is conducted dictates changes to the expression of glucocorticoid target genes in skeletal muscle with REDD1 contributing to those changes.

Keywords:  Dexamethasone; Exercise training; Gene transcription; Glucocorticoid receptor; REDD1

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2022.111652
Front Physiol. 2022 ;13 855193

UCHL1 Regulates Lipid and Perilipin 2 Level in Skeletal Muscle.

Ryan Antony, Katherine Aby, Hongbo Gao, Mary Eichholz, Rekha Srinivasan, Yifan Li.

  Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) is a deubiquitinating enzyme that was originally found in neurons. We found that UCHL1 is highly expressed in slow oxidative skeletal muscles, but its functions remain to be fully understood. In this study, we observed that UCHL1 protein levels in skeletal muscle and C2C12 myotubes were downregulated by fasting or glucose starvation respectively. Skeletal muscle selective knockout (smKO) of UCHL1 resulted in a significant reduction of lipid content in skeletal muscle and improved glucose tolerance. UCHL1 smKO did not significantly change the levels of key proteins involved in oxidative metabolism such as SDHA, Akt, or PDH. Interestingly, while the levels of the major lipases and lipid transporters were unchanged, perilipin 2 was significantly downregulated in UCHL1 smKO muscle. Consistently, in C2C12 myotubes, UCHL1 siRNA knockdown also reduced perilipin 2 protein level. This data suggests that UCHL1 may stabilize perilipin 2 and thus lipid storage in skeletal muscle.

Keywords:  C2C12 cell; lipid; mice; perilipin 2; skeletal muscle; ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.855193
Cell Death Dis. 2022 Apr 25. 13(4): 405

Antiapoptotic Protein FAIM2 is targeted by miR-3202, and DUX4 via TRIM21, leading to cell death and defective myogenesis.

Hossam A N Soliman, Erik A Toso, Inas E Darwish, Samia M Ali, Michael Kyba.

Inappropriate expression of DUX4, a transcription factor that induces cell death at high levels of expression and impairs myoblast differentiation at low levels of expression, leads to the development of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), however, the pathological mechanisms downstream of DUX4 responsible for muscle loss are poorly defined. We performed a screen of 1972 miR inhibitors for their ability to interfere with DUX4-induced cell death of human immortalized myoblasts. The most potent hit identified by the screen, miR-3202, is known to target the antiapoptotic protein FAIM2. Inhibition of miR-3202 led to the upregulation of FAIM2, and remarkably, expression of DUX4 led to reduced cellular levels of FAIM2. We show that the E3 ubiquitin ligase and DUX4 target gene, TRIM21, is responsible for FAIM2 degradation downstream of DUX4. Human myoblasts overexpressing FAIM2 showed increased resistance to DUX4-induced cell death, whereas in wild-type cells FAIM2 knockdown resulted in increased apoptosis and failure to differentiate into myotubes. The necessity of FAIM2 for myogenic differentiation of WT cells led us to test the effect of FAIM2 overexpression on the impairment of myogenesis by DUX4. Strikingly, FAIM2 overexpression rescued the myogenic differentiation defect caused by low-level expression of DUX4. These data implicate FAIM2 levels, modulated by DUX4 through TRIM21, as an important factor mediating the pathogenicity of DUX4, both in terms of cell viability and myogenic differentiation, and thereby open a new avenue of investigation towards drug targets in FSHD.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-022-04804-x
J Appl Physiol (1985). 2022 Apr 28.

A HIF-1 signature dominates the attenuation in the human skeletal muscle transcriptional response to high-intensity interval training.

Jessica Maria Norrbom, Mia Ydfors, Alen Lovric, Christopher G R Perry, Helene Rundqvist, Eric Rullman.

  High-intensity interval training (HIIT) generates profound metabolic adaptations in skeletal muscle. These responses mirror performance improvements but follow a non-linear pattern comprised of an initial fast phase followed by a gradual plateau effect. The complete time-dependent molecular sequelae that regulates this plateau effect remains unknown. We hypothesize that the plateau effect during HIIT is restricted to specific pathways with communal upstream transcriptional regulation. To investigate this, eleven healthy men performed nine sessions of HIIT (10x4 minutes of cycling at 91 % of HRmax) over a 3-week period. Before and 3h after the 1st and 9th exercise bout, skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained, and RNA sequencing performed. Almost 2,000 genes across 84 pathways were differentially expressed in response to a single HIIT session. The overall transcriptional response to acute exercise was strikingly similar at 3 weeks, 83 % (n=1650) of the genes regulated after the 1st bout of exercise were similarly regulated by the 9th bout, albeit with a smaller effect size, and the response attenuated to on average 70 % of the 1st bout. The attenuation differed substantially between pathways and was very pronounced for glycolysis and cellular adhesion but more preserved for MAPK and VEGF-A signalling. The attenuation was driven by a combination of changes in steady-state expression and specific transcriptional regulation. Given that the exercise intensity was progressively increased, and that the attenuation was pathway specific, we suggest that moderation of muscular adaptation after a period of training stems from targeted regulation rather than a diminished exercise stimulus.

Keywords:  exercise; high-intensity interval training; human; skeletal muscle; transcriptome

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00310.2021
Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2022 Apr 25. 10(1): 60

Duchenne muscular dystrophy trajectory in R-DMDdel52 preclinical rat model identifies COMP as biomarker of fibrosis.

Valentina Taglietti, Kaouthar Kefi, Iwona Bronisz-Budzyńska, Busra Mirciloglu, Mathilde Rodrigues, Nastasia Cardone, Fanny Coulpier, Baptiste Periou, Christel Gentil, Melissa Goddard, François-Jérôme Authier, France Pietri-Rouxel, Edoardo Malfatti, Peggy Lafuste, Laurent Tiret, Frederic Relaix.

  Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal muscle-wasting disorder caused by mutations in the Dystrophin gene and for which there is currently no cure. To bridge the gap between preclinical and therapeutic evaluation studies, we have generated a rat model for DMD that carries an exon 52 deletion (R-DMDdel52) causing a complete lack of dystrophin protein. Here we show that R-DMDdel52 animals recapitulated human DMD pathophysiological trajectory more faithfully than the mdx mouse model. We report that R-DMDdel52 rats displayed progressive and severe skeletal muscle loss associated with fibrotic deposition, fat infiltration and fibre type switch. Early fibrosis was also apparent in the cardiac muscle. These histological modifications led to severe muscle, respiratory and cardiac functional impairments leading to premature death around 1 year. Moreover, DMD muscle exhibited systemic inflammation with a mixed M1/M2 phenotype. A comparative single cell RNAseq analysis of the diaphragm muscle was performed, revealing cellular populations alteration and molecular modifications in all muscle cell types. We show that DMD fibroadipogenic progenitors produced elevated levels of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, a glycoprotein responsible for modulating homeostasis of extracellular matrix, and whose increased concentration correlated with muscle fibrosis both in R-DMDdel52 rats and human patients. Fibrosis is a component of tissue remodelling impacting the whole musculature of DMD patients, at the tissue level but most importantly at the functional level. We therefore propose that this specific biomarker can optimize the prognostic monitoring of functional improvement of patients included in clinical trials.

Keywords:  Duchenne muscular dystrophy; Long QT; Preclinical modelling; Skeletal muscle; Translational medicine; scRNAseq

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s40478-022-01355-2
PLoS Biol. 2022 Apr 27. 20(4): e3001619

Optineurin promotes myogenesis during muscle regeneration in mice by autophagic degradation of GSK3β.

Xiao Chen Shi, Bo Xia, Jian Feng Zhang, Rui Xin Zhang, Dan Yang Zhang, Huan Liu, Bao Cai Xie, Yong Liang Wang, Jiang Wei Wu.

Skeletal muscle regeneration is essential for maintaining muscle function in injury and muscular disease. Myogenesis plays key roles in forming new myofibers during the process. Here, through bioinformatic screen for the potential regulators of myogenesis from 5 independent microarray datasets, we identify an overlapping differentially expressed gene (DEG) optineurin (OPTN). Optn knockdown (KD) delays muscle regeneration in mice and impairs C2C12 myoblast differentiation without affecting their proliferation. Conversely, Optn overexpression (OE) promotes myoblast differentiation. Mechanistically, OPTN increases nuclear levels of β-catenin and enhances the T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF) transcription activity, suggesting activation of Wnt signaling pathway. The activation is accompanied by decreased protein levels of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), a negative regulator of the pathway. We further show that OPTN physically interacts with and targets GSK3β for autophagic degradation. Pharmacological inhibition of GSK3β rescues the impaired myogenesis induced by Optn KD during muscle regeneration and myoblast differentiation, corroborating that GSK3β is the downstream effector of OPTN-mediated myogenesis. Together, our study delineates the novel role of OPTN as a potential regulator of myogenesis and may open innovative therapeutic perspectives for muscle regeneration.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001619
Mol Metab. 2022 Apr 22. pii: S2212-8778(22)00073-4. [Epub ahead of print] 101504

Daily running enhances molecular and physiological circadian rhythms in skeletal muscle.

Nuria Casanova-Vallve, Drew Duglan, Megan E Vaughan, Marie Pariollaud, Michal K Handzlik, Weiwei Fan, Ruth T Yu, Christopher Liddle, Michael Downes, Julien Delezie, Rebecca Mello, Alanna B Chan, Pål O Westermark, Christian M Metallo, Ronald M Evans, Katja A Lamia.

   OBJECTIVE: Exercise is a critical component of a healthy lifestyle and a key strategy for the prevention and management of metabolic disease. Identifying molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation in response to chronic physical activity is of critical interest in metabolic physiology. Circadian rhythms broadly modulate metabolism, including muscle substrate utilization and exercise capacity. Here, we define the molecular and physiological changes induced across the daily cycle by voluntary low intensity daily exercise.
METHODS: Wildtype C57BL6/J male and female mice were housed with or without access to a running wheel for six weeks. Maximum running speed was measured at four different zeitgeber times (ZTs, hours after lights on) using either electrical or manual stimulation to motivate continued running on a motorized treadmill. RNA isolated from plantaris muscles at six ZTs was sequenced to establish the impact of daily activity on genome-wide transcription. Patterns of gene expression were analyzed using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Detection of Differential Rhythmicity (DODR). Blood glucose, lactate, and ketones, and muscle and liver glycogen were measured before and after exercise.
RESULTS: We demonstrate that the use of mild electrical shocks to motivate running negatively impacts maximum running speed in mice, and describe a manual method to motivate running in rodent exercise studies. Using this method, we show that time of day influences the increase in exercise capacity afforded by six weeks of voluntary wheel running: when maximum running speed is measured at the beginning of the nighttime active period in mice, there is no measurable benefit from a history of daily voluntary running, while maximum increase in performance occurs at the end of the night. We show that daily voluntary exercise dramatically remodels the murine muscle circadian transcriptome. Finally, we describe daily rhythms in carbohydrate metabolism associated with the time-dependent response to moderate daily exercise in mice.
CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these data indicate that chronic nighttime physical activity dramatically remodels daily rhythms of murine muscle gene expression, which in turn support daily fluctuations in exercise performance.

Keywords:  Circadian Clock; Exercise; Glycogen; Metabolism; Muscle

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101504
Nat Cell Biol. 2022 Apr 25.

Cancer-cell-secreted miR-122 suppresses O-GlcNAcylation to promote skeletal muscle proteolysis.

Wei Yan, Minghui Cao, Xianhui Ruan, Li Jiang, Sylvia Lee, Adriana Lemanek, Majid Ghassemian, Donald P Pizzo, Yuhao Wan, Yueqing Qiao, Andrew R Chin, Erika Duggan, Dong Wang, John P Nolan, Jeffrey D Esko, Simon Schenk, Shizhen Emily Wang.

A decline in skeletal muscle mass and low muscular strength are prognostic factors in advanced human cancers. Here we found that breast cancer suppressed O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) protein modification in muscle through extracellular-vesicle-encapsulated miR-122, which targets O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT). Mechanistically, O-GlcNAcylation of ryanodine receptor 1 (RYR1) competed with NEK10-mediated phosphorylation and increased K48-linked ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation; the miR-122-mediated decrease in OGT resulted in increased RYR1 abundance. We further found that muscular protein O-GlcNAcylation was regulated by hypoxia and lactate through HIF1A-dependent OGT promoter activation and was elevated after exercise. Suppressed O-GlcNAcylation in the setting of cancer, through increasing RYR1, led to higher cytosolic Ca2+ and calpain protease activation, which triggered cleavage of desmin filaments and myofibrillar destruction. This was associated with reduced skeletal muscle mass and contractility in tumour-bearing mice. Our findings link O-GlcNAcylation to muscular protein homoeostasis and contractility and reveal a mechanism of cancer-associated muscle dysregulation.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-022-00893-0
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2022 Apr 12. pii: S0006-291X(22)00497-1. [Epub ahead of print]610 170-175

CaMKII and Kalirin, a Rac1-GEF, regulate Akt phosphorylation involved in contraction-induced glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells.

Sasa Liu, Juan Zhang, Rui Qi, Bangli Deng, Yuge Ni, Chang Zhang, Wenyan Niu.

  Rac1 plays an important role in contraction-stimulated muscle glucose uptake, but the mechanism is not fully elucidated. We previously identified Rac1-dependent activation of Akt played a partial role in contraction-stimulated GLUT4 translocation to the cell surface of C2C12 myotubes. Recognizing that contraction activates CaMKII in muscle and CaMKII is known to regulate Rac1 activity in other systems, here we investigated the relationship between CaMKII, Akt and contraction-stimulated glucose uptake. Expression of a constitutively-active mutant of CaMKIIδ stimulated Akt phosphorylation that was inhibited by Rac1 inhibitor II. C2C12 myotubes were contracted by electrical pulse stimulation (EPS). We observed the CaMKII inhibitor, KN-93 and CaMKIIδ siRNA-mediated knockdown, reduced EPS-induced Akt phosphorylation in C2C12 myotubes. ITX3, an inhibitor of the Rac-GTPase Kalirin and Kalirin siRNA-mediated knockdown reduced EPS-stimulated Akt phosphorylation in myotubes. In addition, the Akt inhibitor MK2206 partly reduced EPS-stimulated glucose uptake without simultaneously affecting CaMKII phosphorylation and Kalirin protein abundance. Our findings demonstrate EPS leads to Akt activation through a CaMKII-Kalirin-Rac1 signaling pathway and partly regulates contraction-stimulated glucose uptake in muscle cells.

Keywords:  Akt1/2; Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II; Contraction; Glucose uptake; Kalirin; Rac1

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.03.152
STAR Protoc. 2022 Jun 17. 3(2): 101307

Detection of muscle stem cell-derived myonuclei in murine overloaded muscles.

Akihiro Kaneshige, Takayuki Kaji, Hayato Saito, Tatsuyoshi Higashimoto, Ayasa Nakamura, Tamaki Kurosawa, Madoka Ikemoto-Uezumi, Akiyoshi Uezumi, So-Ichiro Fukada.

  Muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) supply nuclei to existing myofibers in response to mechanical loading. This myonuclear accretion is critical for efficient muscle hypertrophy. Herein, we present protocols for the detection of MuSC-derived new myonuclei in loaded mouse muscle, including procedures for EdU injection to stain myonuclei, followed by surgery and skeletal muscle fixation. We then describe immunostaining for EdU+ myonuclei and image acquisition for quantitative analyses. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Kaneshige et al. (2022).

Keywords:  Cell Biology; Microscopy; Stem Cells

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101307
Protein Sci. 2022 May;31(5): e4311

Molecular interactions of STAC proteins with skeletal muscle dihydropyridine receptor and excitation-contraction coupling.

Dmitry Shishmarev, Emily Rowland, Shouvik Aditya, Srinivasan Sundararaj, Aaron J Oakley, Angela F Dulhunty, Marco G Casarotto.

  Excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) is the physiological process in which an electrical signal originating from the central nervous system is converted into muscle contraction. In skeletal muscle tissue, the key step in the molecular mechanism of ECC initiated by the muscle action potential is the cooperation between two Ca2+ channels, dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR; voltage-dependent L-type calcium channel) and ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1). These two channels were originally postulated to communicate with each other via direct mechanical interactions; however, the molecular details of this cooperation have remained ambiguous. Recently, it has been proposed that one or more supporting proteins are in fact required for communication of DHPR with RyR1 during the ECC process. One such protein that is increasingly believed to play a role in this interaction is the SH3 and cysteine-rich domain-containing protein 3 (STAC3), which has been proposed to bind a cytosolic portion of the DHPR α1S subunit known as the II-III loop. In this work, we present direct evidence for an interaction between a small peptide sequence of the II-III loop and several residues within the SH3 domains of STAC3 as well as the neuronal isoform STAC2. Differences in this interaction between STAC3 and STAC2 suggest that STAC3 possesses distinct biophysical features that are potentially important for its physiological interactions with the II-III loop. Therefore, this work demonstrates an isoform-specific interaction between STAC3 and the II-III loop of DHPR and provides novel insights into a putative molecular mechanism behind this association in the skeletal muscle ECC process.

Keywords:  DHPR; II-III loop; STAC2; STAC3; excitation-contraction coupling; protein-protein interactions; skeletal muscle

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.4311
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2022 May;30(5): 1091-1104

Impact of obesity on the molecular response to a single bout of exercise in a preliminary human cohort.

Patrick Vanderboom, Xiaoyan Zhang, Corey R Hart, Hawley E Kunz, Kevin J Gries, Carrie J Heppelmann, Yuanhang Liu, Surendra Dasari, Ian R Lanza.

OBJECTIVE: The health benefits of exercise are well documented, but several exercise-response parameters are attenuated in individuals with obesity. The goal of this pilot study was to identify molecular mechanisms that may influence exercise response with obesity.
METHODS: A multi-omics comparison of the transcriptome, proteome, and phosphoproteome in muscle from a preliminary cohort of lean individuals (n = 4) and individuals with obesity (n = 4) was performed, before and after a single bout of 30 minutes of unilateral cycling at 70% maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 peak). Mass spectrometry and RNA sequencing were used to interrogate the proteome, phosphoproteome, and transcriptome from muscle biopsy tissue.
RESULTS: The main findings are that individuals with obesity exhibited transcriptional and proteomic signatures consistent with reduced mitochondrial function, protein synthesis, and glycogen synthesis. Furthermore, individuals with obesity demonstrated markedly different transcriptional, proteomic, and phosphoproteomic responses to exercise, particularly biosynthetic pathways of glycogen synthesis and protein synthesis. Casein kinase II subunit alpha and glycogen synthase kinase-3β signaling was identified as exercise-response pathways that were notably altered by obesity.
CONCLUSIONS: Opportunities to enhance exercise responsiveness by targeting specific molecular pathways that are disrupted in skeletal muscle from individuals with obesity await a better understanding of the precise molecular mechanisms that may limit exercise-response pathways in obesity.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23419
Biotechnol Bioeng. 2022 Apr 27.

Screening of anti-atrophic peptides by using photo-cleavable peptide array and 96-well scale contractile human skeletal muscle atrophy models.

Kazuki Yamamoto, Saki Ohsumi, Takunori Nagashima, Hirokazu Akiyama, Hiroyuki Honda, Kazunori Shimizu.

  Skeletal muscle atrophy is characterized by decreases in protein content, myofiber diameter, and contractile force generation. As muscle atrophy worsens the quality of life, the development of anti-atrophic substances is desirable. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate a screening process for anti-atrophic peptides using photo-cleavable peptide array technology and human contractile atrophic muscle models. We developed a 96-well system, and established a screening process with less variability. Dexamethasone-induced human atrophic tissue was constructed on the system. Eight peptides were selected from the literature and used for the screening of peptides for preventing the decrease of the contractile forces of tissues. The peptide QIGFIW, which showed preventive activity, was selected as the seed sequence. As a result of amino acid substitution, we obtained QIGFIQ as a peptide with higher anti-atrophic activity. These results indicate that the combinatorial use of the photo-cleavable peptide array technology and 96-well screening system could comprise a powerful approach to obtaining anti-atrophic peptides, and suggest that the 96-well screening system and atrophic model represent a practical and powerful tool for the development of drugs/functional food ingredients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Keywords:  Contractile force; Microdevices; Organ-on-a-chip; Phenotypic screening; Tissue engineering

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.28125
Front Physiol. 2022 ;13 838004

Supplementation of Specific Collagen Peptides Following High-Load Resistance Exercise Upregulates Gene Expression in Pathways Involved in Skeletal Muscle Signal Transduction.

Christoph Centner, Simon Jerger, Alistair Mallard, Anna Herrmann, Eugenia Varfolomeeva, Sandra Gollhofer, Steffen Oesser, Carsten Sticht, Norbert Gretz, Per Aagaard, Jakob L Nielsen, Ulrik Frandsen, Charlotte Suetta, Albert Gollhofer, Daniel König.

  Previous evidence suggests that resistance training in combination with specific collagen peptides (CP) improves adaptive responses of the muscular apparatus. Although beneficial effects have been repeatedly demonstrated, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Therefore, the primary objective of the present randomized trial was to elucidate differences in gene expression pathways related to skeletal muscle signal transduction following acute high-load resistance exercise with and without CP intake. Recreationally active male participants were equally randomized to high-load leg extension exercise in combination with 15 g CP or placebo (PLA) supplementation. Muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis muscle were obtained at baseline as well as 1, 4 and 24 h post exercise to investigate gene expression using next generation sequencing analysis. Several important anabolic pathways including PI3K-Akt and MAPK pathways were significantly upregulated at 1 and 4 h post-exercise. Significant between-group differences for both pathways were identified at the 4 h time point demonstrating a more pronounced effect after CP intake. Gene expression related to the mTOR pathway demonstrated a higher visual increase in the CP group compared to PLA by trend, but failed to achieve statistically significant group differences. The current findings revealed a significantly higher upregulation of key anabolic pathways (PI3K-Akt, MAPK) in human skeletal muscle 4 h following an acute resistance training combined with intake of 15 g of specific collagen peptides compared to placebo. Further investigations should examine potential relationships between upregulated gene expression and changes in myofibrillar protein synthesis as well as potential long-term effects on anabolic pathways on the protein level.

Keywords:  KEGG enrichment analysis; collagen peptides; gene expression; pathway analysis; resistance exercise

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.838004
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 ;13 843202

TNF Signaling Acts Downstream of MiR-322/-503 in Regulating DM1 Myogenesis.

Meng Li, Feng Xu, Zhongxian Liu, Chunguang Wang, Yun Zhao, Guoping Zhu, Xiaopeng Shen.

  Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is caused by the expanded CUG repeats and usually displays defective myogenesis. Although we previously reported that ectopic miR-322/-503 expression improved myogenesis in DM1 by targeting the toxic RNA, the underlying pathways regulating myogenesis that were aberrantly altered in DM1 and rescued by miR-322/-503 were still unknown. Here, we constructed DM1 and miR-322/-503 overexpressing DM1 myoblast models, which were subjected to in vitro myoblast differentiation along with their corresponding controls. Agreeing with previous findings, DM1 myoblast showed remarkable myogenesis defects, while miR-322/-503 overexpression successfully rescued the defects. By RNA sequencing, we noticed that Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling was the only pathway that was significantly and oppositely altered in these two experimental sets, with it upregulated in DM1 and inhibited by miR-322/-503 overexpression. Consistently, hyperactivity of TNF signaling was detected in two DM1 mouse models. Blocking TNF signaling significantly rescued the myogenesis defects in DM1. On the contrary, TNF-α treatment abolished the rescue effect of miR-322/-503 on DM1 myogenesis. Taking together, these results implied that TNF signaling mediated the myogenesis defects in DM1 and might act downstream of miR-322/-503 in regulating the myogenesis in DM1. Moreover, the inhibition of TNF signaling benefiting myogenesis in DM1 provided us with a novel therapeutic strategy for DM1.

Keywords:  DM1; TNF signaling; miR-322/-503; myoblast; myogenesis

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.843202
J Appl Physiol (1985). 2022 Apr 28.

Skeletal muscle properties show collagen organization and immune cell content are associated with resistance exercise response heterogeneity in older persons.

Douglas E Long, Bailey D Peck, Kaleen M Lavin, Cory M Dungan, Kate Kosmac, Steven Craig Tuggle, Marcas M Bamman, Philip A Kern, Charlotte A Peterson.

  In older individuals, hypertrophy from progressive resistance training (PRT) is compromised in approximately one- third of participants in exercise trials. The objective of this study was to establish novel relationships between baseline muscle features and/or their PRT-induced change in vastus lateralis muscle biopsies with hypertrophy outcomes. Multiple linear regression analyses adjusted for sex were performed on phenotypic data from older adults (n=48, 70.8±4.5 years) completing 14 weeks of PRT. Results show that baseline muscle size associates with growth regardless of hypertrophy outcome measure (fiber cross-sectional area (fCSA), β=-0.76, Adj. p<0.01; thigh muscle area by CT, β=-0.75, Adj. p<0.01; DXA thigh lean mass, β=-0.47, Adj. p<0.05). Furthermore, loosely packed collagen organization (β=-0.44, Adj. p<0.05) and abundance of CD11b+/CD206- immune cells (β=-0.36, Adj. p=0.10) were negatively associated with whole muscle hypertrophy, with a significant sex interaction on the latter. Additionally, a composite hypertrophy score generated using all three measures reinforces significant fiber level findings that changes in myonuclei (β=0.67, Adj. p<0.01), changes in immune cells (β=0.48, Adj. p<0.05; both CD11b+/CD206+ and CD11b+/CD206- cells), and capillary density (β=0.56, Adj. p<0.01) are significantly associated with growth. Exploratory single cell RNA-sequencing of CD11b+ cells in muscle in response to resistance exercise showed that macrophages have a mixed phenotype. Collagen associations with macrophages may be an important aspect in muscle response heterogeneity. Detailed histological phenotyping of muscle combined with multiple measures of growth response to resistance training in older persons identify potential new mechanisms underlying response heterogeneity and possible sex differences.

Keywords:  cellular features; collagen; macrophage; muscle hypertrophy; resistance training

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00025.2022
J Neurol. 2022 Apr 29.

Circulating cell-free mtDNA release is associated with the activation of cGAS-STING pathway and inflammation in mitochondrial diseases.

Xutong Zhao, Meng Yu, Yawen Zhao, Yiming Zheng, Lingchao Meng, Kang Du, Zhiying Xie, He Lv, Wei Zhang, Jing Liu, Qingqing Wang, Yun Yuan, Zhaoxia Wang, Jianwen Deng.

   BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence for the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of mitochondrial diseases (MDs). However, the mechanisms underlying mutation-induced inflammation in MD remain elusive. Our previous study suggested that mitophagy is impaired in the skeletal muscle of those with MD, likely causing mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) release and thereby triggering inflammation. We here aimed to decipher the role of the cGAS-STING pathway in inflammatory process in MDs.
METHODS: We investigated the levels of circulating cell-free mtDNA (ccf-mtDNA) in the serum of 104 patients with MDs. Immunofluorescence was performed in skeletal muscles in MDs and control. Biochemical analysis of muscle biopsies was conducted with western blot to detect cGAS, STING, TBK1, IRF3 and phosphorylated IRF3 (p-IRF3). RT-qPCR was performed to detect the downstream genes of type I interferon in skeletal muscles. Furthermore, a protein microarray was used to examine the cytokine levels in the serum of patients with MDs.
RESULTS: We found that ccf-mtDNA levels were significantly increased in those with MDs compared to the controls. Consistently, the immunofluorescent results showed that cytosolic dsDNA levels were increased in the muscle samples of MD patients. Biochemical analysis of muscle biopsies showed that cGAS, IRF3, and TBK1 protein levels were significantly increased in those with MDs, indicating that there was activation of the cGAS-STING pathway. RT-qPCR showed that downstream genes of type I interferon were upregulated in muscle samples of MDs. Protein microarray results showed that a total of six cytokines associated with the cGAS-STING pathway were significantly increased in MD patients (fold change > 1.2, p value < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that increases in ccf-mtDNA levels is associated with the activation of the cGAS-STING pathway, thereby triggering inflammation in MDs.

Keywords:  Ccf-mtDNA; Inflammation; Mitochondrial diseases; cGAS-STING pathway

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-022-11146-3
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2022 ;10 830415

Modeling Patient-Specific Muscular Dystrophy Phenotypes and Therapeutic Responses in Reprogrammed Myotubes Engineered on Micromolded Gelatin Hydrogels.

Florian Barthélémy, Jeffrey W Santoso, Laura Rabichow, Rongcheng Jin, Isaiah Little, Stanley F Nelson, Megan L McCain, M Carrie Miceli.

  In vitro models of patient-derived muscle allow for more efficient development of genetic medicines for the muscular dystrophies, which often present mutation-specific pathologies. One popular strategy to generate patient-specific myotubes involves reprogramming dermal fibroblasts to a muscle lineage through MyoD induction. However, creating physiologically relevant, reproducible tissues exhibiting multinucleated, aligned myotubes with organized striations is dependent on the introduction of physicochemical cues that mimic the native muscle microenvironment. Here, we engineered patient-specific control and dystrophic muscle tissues in vitro by culturing and differentiating MyoD-directly reprogrammed fibroblasts isolated from one healthy control subject, three patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and two Limb Girdle 2A/R1 (LGMD2A/R1) patients on micromolded gelatin hydrogels. Engineered DMD and LGMD2A/R1 tissues demonstrated varying levels of defects in α-actinin expression and organization relative to control, depending on the mutation. In genetically relevant DMD tissues amenable to mRNA reframing by targeting exon 44 or 45 exclusion, exposure to exon skipping antisense oligonucleotides modestly increased myotube coverage and alignment and rescued dystrophin protein expression. These findings highlight the value of engineered culture substrates in guiding the organization of reprogrammed patient fibroblasts into aligned muscle tissues, thereby extending their value as tools for exploration and dissection of the cellular and molecular basis of genetic muscle defects, rescue, and repair.

Keywords:  DMD; LGMD; calpain 3; dystrophin; exon skipping; hydrogels

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.830415
J Exp Biol. 2022 Apr 29. pii: jeb.244011. [Epub ahead of print]

Fast stretching of skeletal muscle fibres abolishes residual force enhancement.

Shuyue Liu, Venus Joumaa, Walter Herzog.

  The steady-state isometric force of a muscle after active stretching is greater than the steady-state force for a purely isometric contraction at the same length and activation level. The mechanisms underlying this property, termed residual force enhancement (rFE), remain unknown. When myofibrils are actively stretched while cross-bridge cycling is inhibited, rFE is substantially reduced, suggesting that cross-bridge cycling is essential to produce rFE. Our purpose was to further investigate the role of cross-bridge cycling in rFE by investigating whether fast stretching that causes cross-bridge slipping is associated with a loss of rFE. Skinned fibre bundles from rabbit psoas muscles were stretched slowly (0.08 µm s-1) or rapidly (800 µm s-1) while activated, from an average sarcomere length of 2.4 to 3.2 µm. Force was enhanced by 38%±4% (mean±s.e.m) after the slow stretches but was not enhanced after the fast stretches, suggesting that proper cross-bridge cycling is required to produce rFE.

Keywords:  Cross-bridge cycling; Fast stretch; Muscle slipping; Slow stretch; Three filament sarcomere model; Titin

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.244011
Neuromuscul Disord. 2022 Mar 07. pii: S0960-8966(22)00066-9. [Epub ahead of print]

The therapeutic potential of soluble activin type IIB receptor treatment in a limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2D mouse model.

Ali Alqallaf, Sarah Engelbeen, Angela Palo, Federico Cutrupi, Christa Tanganyika-de Winter, Jaap Plomp, Sakthivel Vaiyapuri, Annemieke Aartsma-Rus, Ketan Patel, Maaike van Putten.

  Limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2D (LGMD2D) is characterized by progressive weakening of muscles in the hip and shoulder girdles. It is caused by a mutation in the α-sarcoglycan gene and results in absence of α-sarcoglycan in the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. The activin type IIB receptor is involved in the activin/myostatin pathway, with myostatin being a negative regulator of muscle growth. In this study, we investigated the effects of sequestering myostatin by a soluble activin type IIB receptor (sActRIIB) on muscle growth in Sgca-null mice, modelling LGMD2D. Treatment was initiated at 3 weeks of age, prior to the disease onset, or at 9 weeks of age when already in an advanced stage of the disease. We found that early sActRIIB treatment resulted in increased muscle size. However, this led to more rapid decline of muscle function than in saline-treated Sgca-null mice. Furthermore, no histopathological improvements were seen after sActRIIB treatment. When initiated at 9 weeks of age, sActRIIB treatment resulted in increased muscle mass too, but to a lesser extent. No effect of the treatment was observed on muscle function or histopathology. These data show that sActRIIB treatment as a stand-alone therapy does not improve muscle function or histopathology in Sgca-null mice.

Keywords:  LGMDR3; Muscle growth; Muscle hypertrophy; Myostatin

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nmd.2022.03.002
Front Physiol. 2022 ;13 844539

H2S Protects Against Immobilization-Induced Muscle Atrophy via Reducing Oxidative Stress and Inflammation.

Miaomiao Xu, Xiaoguang Liu, Peng Bao, Yan Jie Wang, Jianqiang Lu, Yu Jian Liu.

  Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are major triggers of the imbalance between protein synthesis and degradation during the pathogenesis of immobilization-induced muscle atrophy. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gas transmitter with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, on immobilization-induced muscle atrophy. Mice were allocated to control and immobilization (IM) groups, which were treated with slow (GYY4137) or rapid (NaHS) H2S releasing donors for 14 days. The results showed that both GYY4137 and NaHS treatment reduced the IM-induced muscle loss, and increased muscle mass. The IM-induced expressions of Muscle RING finger 1 (MuRF1) and atrogin-1, two muscle-specific E3 ubiquitin ligases, were decreased by administration of GYY4137 or NaHS. Both GYY4137 and NaHS treatments alleviated the IM-induced muscle fibrosis, as evidenced by decreases in collagen deposition and levels of tissue fibrosis biomarkers. Moreover, administration of GYY4137 or NaHS alleviated the IM-induced infiltration of CD45 + leukocytes, meanwhile inhibited the expressions of the pro-inflammatory biomarkers in skeletal muscles. It was found that administration of either GYY4137 or NaHS significantly attenuated immobilization-induced oxidative stress as indicated by decreased H2O2 levels and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) immunoreactivity, as well as increased total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and NRF2 downstream anti-oxidant targets levels in skeletal muscles. Collectively, the present study demonstrated that treatment with either slow or rapid H2S releasing donors protected mice against immobilization-induced muscle fibrosis and atrophy. The beneficial effects of H2S on immobilization-induced skeletal muscle atrophy might be due to both the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of H2S.

Keywords:  H2S; fibrosis; immobilization; inflammation; muscle atrophy; oxidative stress

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.844539
Exp Physiol. 2022 Apr 26.

Sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium handling in unbranched, immediately post-necrotic fast-twitch mdx fibres is similar to wild-type littermates.

Stephen Chan, Sindy L L Kueh, John W Morley, Stewart I Head.

   NEW FINDINGS: Central question: What are the early effects of dystrophin deficiency on SR Ca2+ handling in the mdx mouse?
MAIN FINDING: In the mdx mouse, Ca2+ handling by the SR is little affected by the absence of dystrophin when looking at fibres without branches that have just regenerated following massive myonecrosis. This has important implications for our understanding of Ca2+ pathology in the mdx mouse.
ABSTRACT: There is a variety of results in the literature regarding the effects of dystrophin deficiency on the Ca2+ -handling properties of the SR in mdx mice, an animal model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. One possible source of variation is the presence of branched fibres. Fibre branching, a consequence of degenerative-regenerative processes such as muscular dystrophy, has in itself a significant influence on the function of the SR. In our present study we attempt to detect early effects of dystrophin deficiency on SR Ca2+ handling by using unbranched fibres from the immediate post-necrotic stage in mdx mice (just regenerated following massive necrosis). Using kinetically-corrected Fura-2 fluorescence signals measured during twitch and tetanus, we analysed the amplitude, rise time and decay time of Δ[Ca2+ ]i in unfatigued and fatigued fibres. Decay was also resolved into SR pump and SR leak components. Fibres from mdx mice were similar in all respects to fibres from wt littermates apart from: (i) a smaller amplitude of the initial spike of Δ[Ca2+ ]i during a tetanus; and (ii) a mitigation of the fall in Δ[Ca2+ ]i amplitude during the course of fatigue. Our findings suggest that the early effects of a loss of dystrophin on SR Ca2+ handling in mdx mice are subtle, and emphasise the importance of distinguishing between Ca2+ pathology that is due to lack of dystrophin and Ca2+ pathology that is due to muscle degeneration. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Keywords:  SR calcium; branched fibres; mdx mouse

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1113/EP090057
Biomed Mater. 2022 Apr 28.

A simple and scalable 3D printing methodology for generating aligned and extended human and murine skeletal muscle tissues.

Selgin D Cakal, Carmen Radeke, Juan F Alcala, Ditte G Ellman, Sarkhan Butdayev, Ditte C Andersen, Kirstine Calloe, Johan Ulrik Lind.

  Preclinical biomedical and pharmaceutical research on disease causes, drug targets, and side effects increasingly relies on in vitro models of human tissue. 3D printing offers unique opportunities for generating models of superior physiological accuracy, as well as for automating their fabrication. Towards these goals, we here describe a simple and scalable methodology for generating physiologically relevant models of skeletal muscle. Our approach relies on dual-material micro-extrusion of two types of gelatin hydrogel into patterned soft substrates with locally alternating stiffness. We identify minimally complex patterns capable of guiding the large-scale self-assembly of aligned, extended, and contractile human and murine skeletal myotubes. Interestingly, we find high-resolution patterning is not required, as even patterns with feature sizes of several hundred micrometers is sufficient. Consequently, the procedure is rapid and compatible with any low-cost extrusion-based 3D printer. The generated myotubes easily span several millimeters, and various myotube patterns can be generated in a predictable and reproducible manner. The compliant nature and adjustable thickness of the hydrogel substrates, serves to enable extended culture of contractile myotubes. The method is further readily compatible with standard cell-culturing platforms as well as commercially available electrodes for electrically induced exercise and monitoring of the myotubes.

Keywords:  3D printing; Micro-extrusion; Myotubes; Self organization; Skeletal Muscle; Tissue Models

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-605X/ac6b71
Sports Med. 2022 Apr 27.

The Effects of Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training on Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Tommy R Lundberg, Joshua F Feuerbacher, Marvin Sünkeler, Moritz Schumann.

BACKGROUND: Whole muscle hypertrophy does not appear to be negatively affected by concurrent aerobic and strength training compared to strength training alone. However, there are contradictions in the literature regarding the effects of concurrent training on hypertrophy at the myofiber level.
OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to systematically examine the extent to which concurrent aerobic and strength training, compared with strength training alone, influences type I and type II muscle fiber size adaptations. We also conducted subgroup analyses to examine the effects of the type of aerobic training, training modality, exercise order, training frequency, age, and training status.
DESIGN: A systematic literature search was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) [PROSPERO: CRD42020203777]. The registered protocol was modified to include only muscle fiber hypertrophy as an outcome.
DATA SOURCES: PubMed/MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus were systematically searched on 12 August, 2020, and updated on 15 March, 2021.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Population: healthy adults of any sex and age; intervention: supervised, concurrent aerobic and strength training of at least 4 weeks; comparison: identical strength training prescription, with no aerobic training; and outcome: muscle fiber hypertrophy.
RESULTS: A total of 15 studies were included. The estimated standardized mean difference based on the random-effects model was - 0.23 (95% confidence interval [CI] - 0.46 to - 0.00, p = 0.050) for overall muscle fiber hypertrophy. The standardized mean differences were - 0.34 (95% CI - 0.72 to 0.04, p = 0.078) and - 0.13 (95% CI - 0.39 to 0.12, p = 0.315) for type I and type II fiber hypertrophy, respectively. A negative effect of concurrent training was observed for type I fibers when aerobic training was performed by running but not cycling (standardized mean difference - 0.81, 95% CI - 1.26 to - 0.36). None of the other subgroup analyses (i.e., based on concurrent training frequency, training status, training modality, and training order of same-session training) revealed any differences between groups.
CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to previous findings on whole muscle hypertrophy, the present results suggest that concurrent aerobic and strength training may have a small negative effect on fiber hypertrophy compared with strength training alone. Preliminary evidence suggests that this interference effect may be more pronounced when aerobic training is performed by running compared with cycling, at least for type I fibers.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01688-x
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 May 03. 119(18): e2200549119

Mitochondrial mutations alter endurance exercise response and determinants in mice.

Patrick M Schaefer, Komal Rathi, Arrienne Butic, Wendy Tan, Katherine Mitchell, Douglas C Wallace.

  SignificancePrimary mitochondrial diseases (PMDs) are the most prevalent inborn metabolic disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 4,200 individuals. Endurance exercise is generally known to improve mitochondrial function, but its indication in the heterogeneous group of PMDs is unclear. We determined the relationship between mitochondrial mutations, endurance exercise response, and the underlying molecular pathways in mice with distinct mitochondrial mutations. This revealed that mitochondria are crucial regulators of exercise capacity and exercise response. Endurance exercise proved to be mostly beneficial across the different mitochondrial mutant mice with the exception of a worsened dilated cardiomyopathy in ANT1-deficient mice. Thus, therapeutic exercises, especially in patients with PMDs, should take into account the physical and mitochondrial genetic status of the patient.

Keywords:  endurance exercise; mitochondrial disease; skeletal muscle adaption

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2200549119
Lab Invest. 2022 Apr 29.

Fibroblast growth factor 21, a stress regulator, inhibits Drp1 activation to alleviate skeletal muscle ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Baoxiang Li, Limin Liu.

Abnormal Drp1 activation and subsequent excessive mitochondrial fission play a critical role in ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/RI). Although fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) protects organs against I/RI and regulates metabolism, which indicates that FGF21 is involved in mitochondria homeostasis, the detailed mechanism remains unclear. Herein, we investigated whether FGF21 had an effect on Drp1 activation during skeletal muscle I/RI. Drp1 phosphorylation and its translocation to mitochondria, as regulated by FGF21, was examined in mouse and C2C12 cell I/RI models. Mice overexpressing FGF21 displayed alleviation of serum index, histological lesions and apoptosis levels. Moreover, FGF21 markedly decreased cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) and Drp1 phosphorylation at Ser616, accompanied by reduced accumulation in mitochondria. In parallel in vitro studies, cells with FGF21 knockdown displayed enhanced Drp1 activation, and the reverse effect was found when FGF21 was added. More importantly, FGF21 attenuated mitochondrial fission with linear mitochondria rather than fragmented mitochondria. Furthermore, a CDK1 inhibitor reduced Drp1 activation and mitochondrial fission due to FGF21 knockdown. This study shows that FGF21 inhibits Drp1 activation to protect mitochondria from fission, thereby rescuing cells from I/RI-induced apoptosis. Our findings may provide a new therapeutic approach to ameliorate skeletal muscle I/RI.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41374-022-00787-7
Front Nutr. 2022 ;9 868845

Tryptophan Metabolism and COVID-19-Induced Skeletal Muscle Damage: Is ACE2 a Key Regulator?

Hikari Takeshita, Koichi Yamamoto.

  The severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by systemic damage to organs, including skeletal muscle, due to excessive secretion of inflammatory cytokines. Clinical studies have suggested that the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism is selectively enhanced in patients with severe COVID-19. In addition to acting as a receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the causative virus of COVID-19, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) contributes to tryptophan absorption and inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system. In this article, we review previous studies to assess the potential for a link between tryptophan metabolism, ACE2, and skeletal muscle damage in patients with COVID-19.

Keywords:  COVID-19; SARS-CoV2; angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2); skeletal muscle; tryptophan

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.868845
Elife. 2022 Apr 26. pii: e74308. [Epub ahead of print]11

Genetic variation in ALDH4A1 is associated with muscle health over the lifespan and across species.

Osvaldo Villa, Nicole L Stuhr, Chia-An Yen, Eileen M Crimmins, Thalida Em Arpawong, Sean P Curran.

  The influence of genetic variation on the aging process, including the incidence and severity of age-related diseases, is complex. Here we define the evolutionarily conserved mitochondrial enzyme ALH-6/ALDH4A1 as a predictive biomarker for age-related changes in muscle health by combining C. elegans genetics and a gene-wide association scanning (GeneWAS) from older human participants of the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS). In a screen for mutations that activate oxidative stress responses, specifically in the muscle of C. elegans, we identified 96 independent genetic mutants harboring loss-of-function alleles of alh-6, exclusively. Each of these genetic mutations mapped to the ALH-6 polypeptide and led to the age-dependent loss of muscle health. Intriguingly, genetic variants in ALDH4A1 show associations with age-related muscle-related function in humans. Taken together, our work uncovers mitochondrial alh-6/ALDH4A1 as a critical component to impact normal muscle aging across species and a predictive biomarker for muscle health over the lifespan.

Keywords:  C. elegans; evolutionary biology; genetics; genomics; human

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.74308
Nat Commun. 2022 Apr 28. 13(1): 2306

Heterozygous frameshift variants in HNRNPA2B1 cause early-onset oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy.

Hong Joo Kim, Payam Mohassel, Sandra Donkervoort, Lin Guo, Kevin O'Donovan, Maura Coughlin, Xaviere Lornage, Nicola Foulds, Simon R Hammans, A Reghan Foley, Charlotte M Fare, Alice F Ford, Masashi Ogasawara, Aki Sato, Aritoshi Iida, Pinki Munot, Gautam Ambegaonkar, Rahul Phadke, Dominic G O'Donovan, Rebecca Buchert, Mona Grimmel, Ana Töpf, Irina T Zaharieva, Lauren Brady, Ying Hu, Thomas E Lloyd, Andrea Klein, Maja Steinlin, Alice Kuster, Sandra Mercier, Pascale Marcorelles, Yann Péréon, Emmanuelle Fleurence, Adnan Manzur, Sarah Ennis, Rosanna Upstill-Goddard, Luca Bello, Cinzia Bertolin, Elena Pegoraro, Leonardo Salviati, Courtney E French, Andriy Shatillo, F Lucy Raymond, Tobias B Haack, Susana Quijano-Roy, Johann Böhm, Isabelle Nelson, Tanya Stojkovic, Teresinha Evangelista, Volker Straub, Norma B Romero, Jocelyn Laporte, Francesco Muntoni, Ichizo Nishino, Mark A Tarnopolsky, James Shorter, Carsten G Bönnemann, J Paul Taylor.

Missense variants in RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) underlie a spectrum of disease phenotypes, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, and inclusion body myopathy. Here, we present ten independent families with a severe, progressive muscular dystrophy, reminiscent of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) but of much earlier onset, caused by heterozygous frameshift variants in the RBP hnRNPA2/B1. All disease-causing frameshift mutations abolish the native stop codon and extend the reading frame, creating novel transcripts that escape nonsense-mediated decay and are translated to produce hnRNPA2/B1 protein with the same neomorphic C-terminal sequence. In contrast to previously reported disease-causing missense variants in HNRNPA2B1, these frameshift variants do not increase the propensity of hnRNPA2 protein to fibrillize. Rather, the frameshift variants have reduced affinity for the nuclear import receptor karyopherin β2, resulting in cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNPA2 protein in cells and in animal models that recapitulate the human pathology. Thus, we expand the phenotypes associated with HNRNPA2B1 to include an early-onset form of OPMD caused by frameshift variants that alter its nucleocytoplasmic transport dynamics.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30015-1
iScience. 2022 May 20. 25(5): 104198

Molecular characterization of myotonic dystrophy fibroblast cell lines for use in small molecule screening.

Jana R Jenquin, Alana P O'Brien, Kiril Poukalov, Yidan Lu, Jesus A Frias, Hannah K Shorrock, Jared I Richardson, Hormoz Mazdiyasni, Hongfen Yang, Robert W Huigens, David Boykin, Laura P W Ranum, John Douglas Cleary, Eric T Wang, J Andrew Berglund.

  Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and type 2 (DM2) are common forms of adult onset muscular dystrophy. Pathogenesis in both diseases is largely driven by production of toxic-expanded repeat RNAs that sequester MBNL RNA-binding proteins, causing mis-splicing. Given this shared pathogenesis, we hypothesized that diamidines, small molecules that rescue mis-splicing in DM1 models, could also rescue mis-splicing in DM2 models. While several DM1 cell models exist, few are available for DM2 limiting research and therapeutic development. Here, we characterize DM1 and DM2 patient-derived fibroblasts for use in small molecule screens and therapeutic studies. We identify mis-splicing events unique to DM2 fibroblasts and common events shared with DM1 fibroblasts. We show that diamidines can partially rescue molecular phenotypes in both DM1 and DM2 fibroblasts. This study demonstrates the potential of fibroblasts as models for DM1 and DM2, which will help meet an important need for well-characterized DM2 cell models.

Keywords:  Biochemistry; Molecular physiology; Small molecule

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.104198
Cell Death Dis. 2022 Apr 23. 13(4): 402

Autophagy guards tendon homeostasis.

Costanza Montagna, Rene B Svensson, Monika L Bayer, Salvatore Rizza, Emiliano Maiani, Ching-Yan Chloé Yeung, Giuseppe Filomeni, Michael Kjær.

Tendons are vital collagen-dense specialized connective tissues transducing the force from skeletal muscle to the bone, thus enabling movement of the human body. Tendon cells adjust matrix turnover in response to physiological tissue loading and pathological overloading (tendinopathy). Nevertheless, the regulation of tendon matrix quality control is still poorly understood and the pathogenesis of tendinopathy is presently unsolved. Autophagy, the major mechanism of degradation and recycling of cellular components, plays a fundamental role in the homeostasis of several tissues. Here, we investigate the contribution of autophagy to human tendons' physiology, and we provide in vivo evidence that it is an active process in human tendon tissue. We show that selective autophagy of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER-phagy), regulates the secretion of type I procollagen (PC1), the major component of tendon extracellular matrix. Pharmacological activation of autophagy by inhibition of mTOR pathway alters the ultrastructural morphology of three-dimensional tissue-engineered tendons, shifting collagen fibrils size distribution. Moreover, autophagy induction negatively affects the biomechanical properties of the tissue-engineered tendons, causing a reduction in mechanical strength under tensile force. Overall, our results provide the first evidence that autophagy regulates tendon homeostasis by controlling PC1 quality control, thus potentially playing a role in the development of injured tendons.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-022-04824-7
Dev Cell. 2022 Apr 25. pii: S1534-5807(22)00211-8. [Epub ahead of print]57(8): 959-973.e7

RBPMS is an RNA-binding protein that mediates cardiomyocyte binucleation and cardiovascular development.

Peiheng Gan, Zhaoning Wang, Maria Gabriela Morales, Yu Zhang, Rhonda Bassel-Duby, Ning Liu, Eric N Olson.

  Noncompaction cardiomyopathy is a common congenital cardiac disorder associated with abnormal ventricular cardiomyocyte trabeculation and impaired pump function. The genetic basis and underlying mechanisms of this disorder remain elusive. We show that the genetic deletion of RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing (Rbpms), an uncharacterized RNA-binding factor, causes perinatal lethality in mice due to congenital cardiovascular defects. The loss of Rbpms causes premature onset of cardiomyocyte binucleation and cell cycle arrest during development. Human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes with RBPMS gene deletion have a similar blockade to cytokinesis. Sequencing analysis revealed that RBPMS plays a role in RNA splicing and influences RNAs involved in cytoskeletal signaling pathways. We found that RBPMS mediates the isoform switching of the heart-enriched LIM domain protein Pdlim5. The loss of Rbpms leads to an abnormal accumulation of Pdlim5-short isoforms, disrupting cardiomyocyte cytokinesis. Our findings connect premature cardiomyocyte binucleation to noncompaction cardiomyopathy and highlight the role of RBPMS in this process.

Keywords:  Pdlim5; RNA-binding protein; Rbpms; alternative splicing; cardiomyocyte binucleation; hypertrabeculation; noncompaction cardiomyopathy; patent ductus arteriosus

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2022.03.017
Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2022 Apr 26.

The PERKs of mitochondria protection during stress: insights for PERK modulation in neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases.

Liliana M Almeida, Brígida R Pinho, Michael R Duchen, Jorge M A Oliveira.

  Protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress sensor that responds to the accumulation of misfolded proteins. Once activated, PERK initiates signalling pathways that halt general protein production, increase the efficiency of ER quality control, and maintain redox homeostasis. PERK activation also protects mitochondrial homeostasis during stress. The location of PERK at the contact sites between the ER and the mitochondria creates a PERK-mitochondria axis that allows PERK to detect stress in both organelles, adapt their functions and prevent apoptosis. During ER stress, PERK activation triggers mitochondrial hyperfusion, preventing premature apoptotic fragmentation of the mitochondria. PERK activation also increases the formation of mitochondrial cristae and the assembly of respiratory supercomplexes, enhancing cellular ATP-generating capacity. PERK strengthens mitochondrial quality control during stress by promoting the expression of mitochondrial chaperones and proteases and by increasing mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy, resulting in renewal of the mitochondrial network. But how does PERK mediate all these changes in mitochondrial homeostasis? In addition to the classic PERK-eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α)-activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) pathway, PERK can activate other protective pathways - PERK-O-linked N-acetyl-glucosamine transferase (OGT), PERK-transcription factor EB (TFEB), and PERK-nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) - contributing to broader regulation of mitochondrial dynamics, metabolism, and quality control. The pharmacological activation of PERK is protective in models of neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, such as Huntington's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy and obesity, while the inhibition of PERK was protective in models of Parkinson's and prion diseases and diabetes. In this review, we address the molecular mechanisms by which PERK regulates mitochondrial dynamics, metabolism and quality control, and discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting PERK in neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases.

Keywords:  PERK; dynamics; endoplasmic reticulum; metabolic diseases; metabolism; mitochondria; neurodegeneration; stress; unfolded protein response

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12860
Geroscience. 2022 Apr 26.

Obesity as a premature aging phenotype - implications for sarcopenic obesity.

Emily Nunan, Carson L Wright, Oluwayemisi A Semola, Madhan Subramanian, Priya Balasubramanian, Pamela C Lovern, Ibra S Fancher, Joshua T Butcher.

  Obesity and aging have both seen dramatic increases in prevalence throughout society. This review seeks to highlight common pathologies that present with obesity, along with the underlying risk factors, that have remarkable similarity to what is observed in the aged. These include skeletal muscle dysfunction (loss of quantity and quality), significant increases in adiposity, systemic alterations to autonomic dysfunction, reduction in nitric oxide bioavailability, increases in oxidant stress and inflammation, dysregulation of glucose homeostasis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. This review is organized by the aforementioned indices and succinctly highlights literature that demonstrates similarities between the aged and obese phenotypes in both human and animal models. As aging is an inevitability and obesity prevalence is unlikely to significantly decrease in the near future, these two phenotypes will ultimately combine as a multidimensional syndrome (a pathology termed sarcopenic obesity). Whether the pre-mature aging indices accompanying obesity are additive or synergistic upon entering aging is not yet well defined, but the goal of this review is to illustrate the potential consequences of a double aged phenotype in sarcopenic obesity. Clinically, the modifiable risk factors could be targeted specifically in obesity to allow for increased health span in the aged and sarcopenic obese populations.

Keywords:  Aging; Diabetes; Inflammation; Nitric oxide; Obesity; Oxidant stress; Sarcopenic obesity; Skeletal muscle

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-022-00567-7
Gene Ther. 2022 Apr 25.

Central and peripheral delivered AAV9-SMN are both efficient but target different pathomechanisms in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy.

Aoife Reilly, Marc-Olivier Deguise, Ariane Beauvais, Rebecca Yaworski, Simon Thebault, Daniel R Tessier, Vincent Tabard-Cossa, Niko Hensel, Bernard L Schneider, Rashmi Kothary.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular disease caused by loss of the SMN1 gene and low SMN protein levels. Although lower motor neurons are a primary target, there is evidence that peripheral organ defects contribute to SMA. Current SMA gene therapy and clinical trials use a single intravenous bolus of the blood-brain-barrier penetrant scAAV9-cba-SMN by either systemic or central nervous system (CNS) delivery, resulting in impressive amelioration of the clinical phenotype but not a complete cure. The impact of scAAV9-cba-SMN treatment regimens on the CNS as well as on specific peripheral organs is yet to be described in a comparative manner. Therefore, we injected SMA mice with scAAV9-cba-SMN either intravenously (IV) for peripheral SMN restoration or intracerebroventricularly (ICV) for CNS-focused SMN restoration. In our system, ICV injections increased SMN in peripheral organs and the CNS while IV administration increased SMN in peripheral tissues only, largely omitting the CNS. Both treatments rescued several peripheral phenotypes while only ICV injections were neuroprotective. Surprisingly, both delivery routes resulted in a robust rescue effect on survival, weight, and motor function, which in IV-treated mice relied on peripheral SMN restoration but not on targeting the motor neurons. This demonstrates the independent contribution of peripheral organs to SMA pathology and suggests that treatments should not be restricted to motor neurons.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41434-022-00338-1