Molecular cardiomyoplasty: potential cardiac gene therapy for chronic heart failure

In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of converting cardiac fibroblasts into skeletal muscle cells by forced expression of the MyoD gene, one of the basic helix-loop-helix myogenic factors. Primary cardiac fibroblasts, isolated from newborn rats, were infected with retrovirus-carrying sense or antisense MyoD gene. Ten days after infection, expression of MyoD protein was demonstrated in 95% of cells infected with sense MyoD virus by intense nuclear immunostaining with a MyoD polyclonal antibody. In contrast, none of the cells infected with antisense MyoD virus showed staining. On withdrawal of serum, 95% of MyoD positive cells became elongated and, in the presence of appropriate cell density, fused to form multinucleated myotubes, morphologically similar to striated muscle cell. Expression of downstream myogenic differentiation markers, myosin heavy chain and myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2, in 95% of these myotubes were detected by intense cytoplasmic and nuclear immunostaining, respectively, with specific antibodies. In contrast, no detectable staining was noted in MyoD negative cells. Spontaneous contractile movements were noted in a few clusters of myotubes. In summary, cardiac fibroblasts were able to be converted into bonafide potentially functional skeletal myocytes as shown by definitive morphologic and biochemical changes. Further studies with in vivo models are needed to explore this unique molecular strategy to treat patients with chronic heart failure.     

Computerised analysis of fetal behaviour

The beta 1 integrin subunit is identical with the CD29 antigen, which is found at the surface of leukocytes. Integrins are involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion, mediate neuronal attachment and neurite outgrowth in response to extracellular matrix proteins in cell culture systems. A few analyses of beta 1 integrin subunit have been done on developing and regenerating skeletal muscle in animals; but cell culture systems and animal models differ in some respects from human skeletal muscle in situ. The expression of a beta 1 integrin subunit variant in human skeletal muscle was reported merely by Western blot analysis. Our present study, performed with immunohistochemical procedures, attempts to demonstrate the expression of the beta 1 integrin subunit in developing, normal adult, and diseased human skeletal muscles. The results demonstrated that the beta 1 integrin subunit is expressed in developing, normal adult, regenerating, and denervated human skeletal muscle. In developing muscle, the beta 1 integrin subunit was observed in muscle cells at least from 12 to 16 weeks of gestation. In muscular dystrophy and inflammatory myopathy the beta 1 integrin subunit staining occurs in basophilic muscle fibers. Furthermore, the beta 1 integrin subunit is expressed in mature fast twitch type 2 fibers, and in denervated myocytes in neurogenic muscular atrophy. On serial sections, the beta 1 integrin subunit, N-CAM (neural cell adhesion molecule) and vimentin are expressed in identical muscle fibers. However, in mature fast twitch type 2 fibers the beta 1 integrin subunit is expressed exclusively and in neurogenic muscular atrophy vimentin expression is weak. In conclusion, the beta 1 integrin subunit, in human skeletal muscles, probably plays a role in the growth morphology and innervation of developing, regenerating, and denervated myocytes. Furthermore, the observation that the beta 1 integrin subunit is enriched in mature fast twitch type 2 fibers indicates that the beta 1 integrin subunits may play a role in transducing mechanical forces to extracellular matrix proteins.     

The superior gluteal artery perforator flap

The neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS, termed also NOS-I) is expressed in normal adult skeletal muscle, suggesting important functions for NO in muscle biology. However, the expression and subcellular localization of NOS in muscle development and myoblast differentiation are largely unknown. In the present study, NOS was immunolocalized with isoform-specific antibodies in developing muscle and in differentiated myoblast cultures (mouse C2C12) together with histochemical NADPH-dependent diaphorase activity that is blocked by specific NOS inhibitors and therefore designated as NOS-associated diaphorase activity (NOSaD). Western blot analysis revealed immunoreactive bands for NOS-I-III in lysates from perinatal and adult muscle tissue and C2C12-myotubes that comigrated with prototypical proteins. In embryonic skeletal muscle, but not in adult myofibers, diffuse cytosolic staining and lack of sarcolemmal NOSaD activity and NOS-I immunoreaction were evident. In both myoblasts and fusioned myotubes, NOSaD and NOS isoforms I-III colocalize in the cytosol. Additionally, members of the sarcolemmal dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (i.e., dystrophin, adhalin, beta1-dystroglycan) immunolocalize in the cytosol of differentiating myoblasts, whereas anti-dystrophin and anti-beta1-dystroglycan clearly delineate the sarcolemma in myotubes. Thus, expression of NOS isoforms I-III and NOSaD is cytosolic in fusion-competent myoblasts during myotube formation in vitro. Interaction of NOSaD/NOS-I with the sarcolemmal dystrophin-complex known from mature myofibers is apparently lacking in prenatal muscle development and differentiating myoblasts. Localization of NOS isoforms thus characterized in myogenic cultures may help further to investigate regulated NO formation in muscle cells in vitro.     

Negative regulation of granulocytic differentiation in the myeloid precursor cell line 32Dcl3 by ear-2, a mammalian homolog of Drosophila seven-up, and a chimeric leukemogenic gene, AML1/ETO

The polyomavirus enhancer binding protein 2alphaB (AML1/PEBP2alphaB/Cbfa2) plays a pivotal role in granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mediated differentiation of a myeloid progenitor cell line, 32Dc13. In this article, we report the identification of a PEBP2alphaB interacting protein, Ear-2, an orphan member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily that directly binds to and can inhibit the function of PEBP2alphaB. Ear-2 is expressed in proliferating 32Dc13 cells in presence of interleukin 3 but is down-regulated during differentiation induced by G-CSF. Interestingly, AML1/ETO(MTG8), a leukemogenic chimeric protein can block the differentiation of 32Dc13 cells, which is accompanied by the sustained expression of ear-2. Overexpression of Ear-2 can prevent G-CSF-induced differentiation, strongly suggesting that ear-2 is a key negative regulator of granulocytic differentiation. Our results indicate that a dynamic balance existing between PEBP2alphaB and Ear-2 appears to determine the choice between growth or differentiation for myeloid cells.     

Localization of CapZ during myofibrillogenesis in cultured chicken muscle

Actin filaments undergo dramatic changes in their organization during myofibrillogenesis. In mature skeletal muscle, both CapZ and the barbed end of the actin filaments are located at Z-discs. In vitro, CapZ binds the barbed end of actin filaments and prevents actin subunit addition and loss; CapZ also nucleates actin polymerization in vitro. Taken together, these properties suggest that CapZ may function to organize actin filaments during myofibrillogenesis. We report here that the amount of CapZ in myofibrils from adult chicken pectoral muscle is sufficient to "cap" each actin filament of the sacromere. Double immunofluorescence microscopy of skeletal muscle cells in culture was used to determine the spatial and temporal distributions of CapZ relative to actin, alpha-actinin, titin, and myosin during myofibrillogenesis. Of particular interest was the assembly of CapZ at nascent Z-discs in relation to the organization of actin filaments in nascent myofibrils. In myoblasts and young myotubes, CapZ was diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm. As myotubes matured, CapZ was initially observed in a uniform distribution along non-striated actin filaments called stress fiber-like structures (SFLS). CapZ was observed in a periodic pattern characteristic of mature Z-discs along the SFLS prior to the appearance of a striated staining pattern for actin. In older myotubes, when actin was observed in a pattern characteristic of I-bands, CapZ was distributed in a periodic pattern characteristic of mature Z-discs. The finding that CapZ was assembled at nascent Z-discs before actin was observed in a striated pattern is consistent with the hypothesis that CapZ directs the location and polarity of actin filaments during I-band formation in skeletal muscle cells. The assembly of CapZ at nascent Z-disc structures also was observed relative to the assembly of sarcomeric alpha-actinin, titin, and thick filaments. Titin and myosin were observed in structures having the organization of mature sarcomeres prior to the appearance of CapZ at nascent Z-discs. The distribution of CapZ and sarcomeric alpha-actinin in young myotubes was not coincident; in older myotubes, both CapZ and alpha-actinin were co-localized at Z-discs. In cardiac myocytes, CapZ was detected at Z-discs and was distributed in a punctate pattern throughout the cytoplasm. CapZ also was co-localized with A-CAM and vinculin at cell-cell junctions formed by the myocytes.     

Tetranectin is a novel marker for myogenesis during embryonic development, muscle regeneration, and muscle cell differentiation in vitro

Tetranectin, a plasminogen-binding protein with a C-type lectin domain, is found in both serum and the extracellular matrix. In the present study we report that tetranectin is closely associated with myogenesis during embryonic development, skeletal muscle regeneration, and muscle cell differentiation in vitro. We find that tetranectin expression coincides with muscle differentiation and maturation in the second half of gestation and further that tetranectin is enriched at the myotendinous and myofascial junctions. The tetranectin immunostaining declines after birth and no immunostaining is observed in normal adult muscle. However, during skeletal muscle regeneration induced by the intramuscular injection of the myotoxic anesthetic Marcaine, myoblasts, myotubes, and the stumps of damaged myofibers exhibit intense tetranectin immunostaining. Tetranectin is also present in regenerating muscle cells in dystrophic mdx mice. Murine C2C12 myogenic cells and pluripotent embryonic stem cells can undergo muscle cell differentiation in vitro. Tetranectin is not expressed in the undifferentiated myogenic cells, but during the progression of muscle differentiation, tetranectin mRNA is induced, and both cytoplasmic and cell surface tetranectin immunostaining become apparent. Finally, we demonstrate that while tetranectin mRNA is translated to a similar degree in developing limbs and lung, the protein does not seem to be tissue associated in the lung as it is in the limbs. This indicates that in some tissues, such as the limbs, tetranectin may function locally, whereas in other tissues, such as the lung, tetranectin production may be destined for body fluids. In summary, these results suggest that tetranectin is a matricellular protein and plays a role in myogenesis.     

Neuregulins promote survival and growth of cardiac myocytes. Persistence of ErbB2 and ErbB4 expression in neonatal and adult ventricular myocytes

Neuregulins (i.e. neuregulin-1 (NRG1), also called neu differentiation factor, heregulin, glial growth factor, and acetylcholine receptor-inducing activity) are known to induce growth and differentiation of epithelial, glial, neuronal, and skeletal muscle cells. Unexpectedly, mice with loss of function mutations of NRG1 or of either of two of their cognate receptors, ErbB2 and ErbB4, die during midembryogenesis due to the aborted development of myocardial trabeculae in ventricular muscle. To examine the role of NRG and their receptors in developing and postnatal myocardium, we studied the ability of a soluble NRG1 (recombinant human glial growth factor 2) to promote proliferation, survival, and growth of isolated neonatal and adult rat cardiac myocytes. Both ErbB2 and ErbB4 receptors were found to be expressed by neonatal and adult ventricular myocytes and activated by rhGGF2. rhGGF2 (30 ng/ml) provoked an approximate 2-fold increase in embryonic cardiac myocyte proliferation. rhGGF2 also promoted survival and inhibited apoptosis of subconfluent, serum-deprived myocyte primary cultures and also induced hypertrophic growth in both neonatal and adult ventricular myocytes, which was accompanied by enhanced expression of prepro-atrial natriuretic factor and skeletal alpha-actin. Moreover, NRG1 mRNA could be detected in coronary microvascular endothelial cell primary cultures prepared from adult rat ventricular muscle. NRG1 expression in these cells was increased by endothelin-1, another locally acting cardiotropic peptide within the heart. The persistent expression of both a neuregulin and its cognate receptors in the postnatal and adult heart suggests a continuing role for neuregulins in the myocardial adaption to physiologic stress or injury.