Myonuclear reprogramming underlies muscle denervation and weakness following knee injury
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE270868 | GEO | 2026/05/15
REPOSITORIES: GEO
Similar Datasets
Project description:Muscle weakness following joint injury contributes to substantial functional deficits and disability. The molecular etiology of prolonged muscle atrophy and weakness following knee ligament injury remains undefined, limiting our understanding of the inceptive events underlying poor functional recovery. We studied the muscle transcriptome in men and women in response to ligament injury and surgical reconstruction, revealing substantial injury- and reconstructive surgery-dependent changes, with sustained increases in genes associated with neuromuscular junction remodeling. We identified histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) as one of the most upregulated targets in muscle following both injury and reconstruction, and multi-omics integration of HDAC4 ChIP-sequencing and RNA-sequencing revealed a coordinated repression of genes associated with metabolism and contractile function following injury. We further applied single nucleus RNA-sequencing and uncovered aberrant neuromuscular signaling and myonuclear reprogramming. Our multi-omics and single-nucleus transcriptome analyses demonstrate unique myocellular and neuromuscular adaptations that could explain persistent functional deficits following acute musculoskeletal injury.
2026-05-15 | GSE314430 | GEO
Project description:Background: Musculoskeletal disorders contribute to a substantial proportion of disability among people worldwide. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are among the most frequent knee injuries, and a majority of patients will go on to develop knee osteoarthritis within 10 years. Traditional rehabilitation following injury has limited success restoring muscle strength and mitigating the onset of posttraumatic knee osteoarthritis. Growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF8), or myostatin, is a myokine that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of musculoskeletal degeneration following ACL injury. This study investigated GDF8 levels in injured human skeletal muscle and serum and compared the efficacy of a humanized monoclonal GDF8 antibody against a placebo in a mouse model of injury-induced osteoarthritis (surgically induced ACL tear). Muscle GDF8 peaks rapidly following ACL injury, and early induction of GDF8 in skeletal muscle was predictive of atrophy, weakness and periarticular bone loss in patients six months following surgical ACL reconstruction. GDF8 antibody administration at the time of injury substantially reduced muscle atrophy, weakness and fibrosis in the mouse ACL injury model. GDF8 antibody treatment rescued the skeletal muscle and articular cartilage transcriptomic response to ACL injury and attenuated the severity of injury-induced knee osteoarthritis. Subcutaneous treatment with GDF8 antibody also diminished loss of periarticular bone microarchitecture. Genetic deletion of GDF8 neutralized musculoskeletal deficits in response to ACL injury. Our findings support an opportunity for rapid targeting of GDF8 to enhance functional musculoskeletal injury recovery and mitigate the development posttraumatic knee osteoarthritis, which could substantially reduce the disability burden associated with this injury.
2023-12-06 | GSE230736 | GEO
Project description:Background: Musculoskeletal disorders contribute to a substantial proportion of disability among people worldwide. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are among the most frequent knee injuries, and a majority of patients will go on to develop knee osteoarthritis within 10 years. Traditional rehabilitation following injury has limited success restoring muscle strength and mitigating the onset of posttraumatic knee osteoarthritis. Growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF8), or myostatin, is a myokine that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of musculoskeletal degeneration following ACL injury. This study investigated GDF8 levels in injured human skeletal muscle and serum and compared the efficacy of a humanized monoclonal GDF8 antibody against a placebo in a mouse model of injury-induced osteoarthritis (surgically induced ACL tear). Muscle GDF8 peaks rapidly following ACL injury, and early induction of GDF8 in skeletal muscle was predictive of atrophy, weakness and periarticular bone loss in patients six months following surgical ACL reconstruction. GDF8 antibody administration at the time of injury substantially reduced muscle atrophy, weakness and fibrosis in the mouse ACL injury model. GDF8 antibody treatment rescued the skeletal muscle and articular cartilage transcriptomic response to ACL injury and attenuated the severity of injury-induced knee osteoarthritis. Subcutaneous treatment with GDF8 antibody also diminished loss of periarticular bone microarchitecture. Genetic deletion of GDF8 neutralized musculoskeletal deficits in response to ACL injury. Our findings support an opportunity for rapid targeting of GDF8 to enhance functional musculoskeletal injury recovery and mitigate the development posttraumatic knee osteoarthritis, which could substantially reduce the disability burden associated with this injury.
2023-12-06 | GSE230708 | GEO
Project description:Background: An anterior cruciate ligament tear (ACLT) leads to protracted quadriceps weakness and atrophy. Protein turnover largely dictates muscle size and is highly responsive to injury and loading. Regulation of the molecular protein synthetic machinery within the quadriceps following ACLT has largely been unexplored, limiting the development of targeted therapies. Purpose: To define the effect of ACLT on 1) activation of protein synthetic and catabolic signaling within quadriceps biopsies from human participants, and 2) the time course of alterations to protein synthesis and its molecular regulation in a mouse model of ACL injury. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory studyMethods: Muscle biopsy specimens were obtained from the ACL-injured and non-injured vastus lateralis of young adults following an overnight fast (n=21, mean ± SD: 19 ± 5 years). Mice had their limbs assigned to ACLT or control, and whole quadriceps were collected 6 hours, 1, 3, or 7 days post-injury with puromycin (0.04µmol/g) injected 30 minutes before tissue collection. Muscle fiber size and expression and phosphorylation of protein anabolic signaling proteins and E3 ubiquitin ligases were assessed at the protein and transcript level. Relative protein synthesis was measured by puromycin incorporation in mice.Results: Human quadriceps showed reduced phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 (-41%) in the ACL-injured limb (p<0.05), in addition to elevated phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (+98%, p<0.05), indicative of depressed protein anabolic signaling in the injured limb. No differences in E3 ubiquitin ligase expression were noted (p>0.05). Protein synthesis was lower at 1 and 3 days post-ACLT in mice (p<0.05 vs. control limb). Conclusions: 1) Global protein synthesis and anabolic signaling deficits occur in the quadriceps in response to ACL injury, without notable changes in measured markers of muscle protein catabolism. 2) Importantly, these deficits occur prior to the onset of significant atrophy, underscoring the need for early intervention. Clinical Relevance: These findings suggest blunted protein anabolism as opposed to increased catabolism likely mediates the quadriceps atrophy that occurs following ACL injury. Thus, future interventions should aim to restore muscle protein anabolism rapidly following the initial injury.
2023-01-11 | GSE211681 | GEO
Project description:Background: An anterior cruciate ligament tear (ACLT) leads to protracted quadriceps weakness and atrophy. Protein turnover largely dictates muscle size and is highly responsive to injury and loading. Regulation of the molecular protein synthetic machinery within the quadriceps following ACLT has largely been unexplored, limiting the development of targeted therapies. Purpose: To define the effect of ACLT on 1) activation of protein synthetic and catabolic signaling within quadriceps biopsies from human participants, and 2) the time course of alterations to protein synthesis and its molecular regulation in a mouse model of ACL injury. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory studyMethods: Muscle biopsy specimens were obtained from the ACL-injured and non-injured vastus lateralis of young adults following an overnight fast (n=21, mean ± SD: 19 ± 5 years). Mice had their limbs assigned to ACLT or control, and whole quadriceps were collected 6 hours, 1, 3, or 7 days post-injury with puromycin (0.04µmol/g) injected 30 minutes before tissue collection. Muscle fiber size and expression and phosphorylation of protein anabolic signaling proteins and E3 ubiquitin ligases were assessed at the protein and transcript level. Relative protein synthesis was measured by puromycin incorporation in mice.Results: Human quadriceps showed reduced phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 (-41%) in the ACL-injured limb (p<0.05), in addition to elevated phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (+98%, p<0.05), indicative of depressed protein anabolic signaling in the injured limb. No differences in E3 ubiquitin ligase expression were noted (p>0.05). Protein synthesis was lower at 1 and 3 days post-ACLT in mice (p<0.05 vs. control limb). Conclusions: 1) Global protein synthesis and anabolic signaling deficits occur in the quadriceps in response to ACL injury, without notable changes in measured markers of muscle protein catabolism. 2) Importantly, these deficits occur prior to the onset of significant atrophy, underscoring the need for early intervention. Clinical Relevance: These findings suggest blunted protein anabolism as opposed to increased catabolism likely mediates the quadriceps atrophy that occurs following ACL injury. Thus, future interventions should aim to restore muscle protein anabolism rapidly following the initial injury.
2023-01-11 | GSE211682 | GEO
Project description:Knee osteoarthritis contributes substantially to worldwide disability. Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) develops secondary to a joint injury, such as ligament rupture, and there is increasing evidence suggesting a key role for inflammation in the etiology of PTOA and associated functional deficits. Colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1-R) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of musculoskeletal degeneration following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. We sought to assess the efficacy CSF1-R inhibition to mitigate muscle and joint pathology in a mouse model of PTOA. Four-month-old mice were randomized to receive a CSF1-R inhibitor and studied for 7 or 28 days after joint injury. Additionally, we profiled synovial fluid samples for CSF1-R from patients with injury to their ACL. Transcriptomic analysis of quadriceps muscle and articular cartilage in CSF1-R inhibitor-treated animals at 7 days after injury revealed elevated chondrocyte differentiation within articular cartilage and enhanced metabolic and contractile gene expression within skeletal muscle. At 28 days post-injury, CSF1-R inhibition attenuated PTOA severity and mitigated skeletal muscle atrophy. Patient synovial fluid CSF1-R levels correlated with matrix metalloproteinase 13, a prognostic marker and molecular effector of PTOA. Our findings support an opportunity for CSF1-R targeting to mitigate the severity of PTOA and muscle atrophy after joint injury.
2025-06-25 | GSE275958 | GEO
Project description:Knee osteoarthritis contributes substantially to worldwide disability. Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) develops secondary to a joint injury, such as ligament rupture, and there is increasing evidence suggesting a key role for inflammation in the etiology of PTOA and associated functional deficits. Colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1-R) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of musculoskeletal degeneration following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. We sought to assess the efficacy CSF1-R inhibition to mitigate muscle and joint pathology in a mouse model of PTOA. Four-month-old mice were randomized to receive a CSF1-R inhibitor and studied for 7 or 28 days after joint injury. Additionally, we profiled synovial fluid samples for CSF1-R from patients with injury to their ACL. Transcriptomic analysis of quadriceps muscle and articular cartilage in CSF1-R inhibitor-treated animals at 7 days after injury revealed elevated chondrocyte differentiation within articular cartilage and enhanced metabolic and contractile gene expression within skeletal muscle. At 28 days post-injury, CSF1-R inhibition attenuated PTOA severity and mitigated skeletal muscle atrophy. Patient synovial fluid CSF1-R levels correlated with matrix metalloproteinase 13, a prognostic marker and molecular effector of PTOA. Our findings support an opportunity for CSF1-R targeting to mitigate the severity of PTOA and muscle atrophy after joint injury.
2025-06-25 | GSE275957 | GEO
Project description:Skeletal muscles undergo atrophy in response to denervation and neuromuscular diseases. Understanding the mechanisms by which denervation drives muscle atrophy is crucial for developing therapies against neurogenic muscle atrophy. Here, we identify muscle-secreted fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) as a key inducer of atrophy following muscle denervation. In denervated skeletal muscles, Fgf21 is the most robustly upregulated member of the Fgf family and acts in an autocrine/paracrine manner to promote muscle atrophy. Silencing Fgf21 in muscle prevents denervation-induced muscle wasting by preserving neuromuscular junction (NMJ) innervation. Conversely, forced expression of FGF21 in muscle reduces NMJ innervation, leading to muscle atrophy. Mechanistically, TGFB1 released by denervated fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) upregulates Fgf21 through the JNK/c-Jun axis. The resulting increase in FGF21 protein reduces the cytoplasmic level of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4), culminating in muscle atrophy. HDAC4 knockdown abolishes the atrophy-resistant effects observed in Fgf21-deficient denervated muscles, resulting in muscle atrophy. Our findings reveal a novel role and heretofore unrecognized mechanism of FGF21 in skeletal muscle atrophy, suggesting that inhibiting muscular FGF21 could be a promising strategy for mitigating skeletal muscle atrophy.
2025-11-06 | GSE303861 | GEO
Project description:Motor unit remodelling involving repeated denervation and re-innervation occurs throughout life. The efficiency of this process declines with age contributing to neuromuscular deficits. We investigated differentially expressed genes (DEG) in muscle following peroneal nerve crush to model of motor unit remodelling in C57Bl6 mice. Muscle RNA was isolated at 3 days post-crush, RNA libraries were generated using poly-A selection, sequenced.
2022-01-10 | E-MTAB-10601 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Muscle denervation due to injury, disease or aging results in impaired motor function. Restoring neuromuscular communication requires axonal regrowth and regeneration of neuromuscular synapses. Muscle activity inhibits neuromuscular synapse regeneration. The mechanism by which muscle activity regulates regeneration of synapses is poorly understood. Dach2 and Hdac9 are activity-regulated transcriptional co-repressors that are highly expressed in innervated muscle and suppressed following muscle denervation. Here, we report that Dach2 and Hdac9 inhibit regeneration of neuromuscular synapses. Importantly, we identified Myog and Gdf5 as muscle-specific Dach2/Hdac9-regulated genes that stimulate neuromuscular regeneration in denervated muscle. Interestingly, Gdf5 also stimulates presynaptic differentiation and inhibits branching of regenerating neurons. Finally, we found that Dach2 and Hdac9 suppress miR206 expression, a microRNA involved in enhancing neuromuscular regeneration. RNAseq on innervated and 3 day denervated adult soleus muscle from wildtype mice is compared with that from 3 day denervated soleus muscle from Dach2/Hdac9 deleted mice to identify Dach2/Hdac9-regulated genes.
2015-10-29 | E-GEOD-58669 | biostudies-arrayexpress