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An electrical pulse stimulation protocol to study acute epigenetic response to muscle cell contraction uncovers acute hydroxymethylation of the exercise-responsive gene Nr4a3 [Bisulfite-Seq]

ABSTRACT: Physical exercise triggers numerous positive adaptations through the regulation of genes controlling muscle structure and function. Epigenetic factors like DNA methylation participate in transcriptional activation by allowing the recruitment of the transcription machinery to gene promoters. Exercise induces dynamic DNA demethylation at gene promoters, but the contribution of the demethylation precursor hydroxymethylcytosine is unknown. Given the evanescent nature of hydroxymethylcytosine, a model of muscle contraction amenable to collection of repeated and acute time series is requested to determine if contraction-induced demethylation is preceded by increased hydroxymethylcytosine levels. Here, we aimed to establish an acute skeletal muscle contraction model that could, at least partly, mimic the effect of acute exercise on gene expression, in order to investigate the effect of muscle contraction in DNA demethylation and hydroxymethylation. We refined an Electrical Pulse Stimulation (EPS) protocol in C2C12 myotubes that we benchmarked to the nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (Nr4a3) gene, a gene selected for having the highest increase in expression in response to acute exercise in humans. Using targeted bisulfite sequencing, we found that a region of the Nr4a3 promoter is rapidly demethylated 60 minutes after EPS and subsequently re-methylated after 120 minutes. Of interest, hydroxymethylation of the differentially methylated region of Nr4a3 promoter after EPS was elevated at 0 minutes and reached lowest levels at 60 minutes after EPS. We established a cell culture-based protocol to mimic acute transcriptional responses to exercise and provide insight into the mechanism by which exercise-responsive genes are demethylated after muscle contraction

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE87747 | GEO | 2017/02/22

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA347416

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Regular physical exercise evokes profound physiological responses which are strongly associated with many health benefits. However, the details of cellular networks and mechanisms underlying the adaptive responses to exercise remain to be elucidated. We have previously shown the usefulness of electrical pulse stimulation (EPS) to investigate metabolic effects of exercise in cultured human myotubes. The aim of the present study was to uncover networks of signaling pathways and regulatory molecules responsible for the metabolic effects of exercise in human skeletal muscle cells exposed to chronic EPS. Differentiated myotubes were subjected to two different EPS protocols (protocol 1; 2 ms, 10 V, 0.1 Hz for 24 h or protocol 2; 2 ms, 30 V, and 1 Hz for 48 h). Fuel handling was assessed using radiolabeled substrates. The transcriptome, cell proteome, and secreted proteins from EPS-treated and untreated myotubes were analyzed using a combination of high-throughput RNA sequencing, microarray, and high-resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Independent validation of selected putative myokines were measured using ELISA or multiplex assay. Oxidative metabolism was enhanced in human myotubes exposed to EPS protocol 1. A total of 81 differentially regulated proteins and 952 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed in the cells after EPS protocol 1. Gene ontology (GO) analysis indicated that significantly regulated proteins and genes were enriched in biological processes related to glycolytic pathways, positive regulation of fatty acid oxidation, and oxidative phosphorylation, as well as muscle contraction, autophagy/mitophagy, and oxidative stress. Moreover, proteomic identification of secreted proteins revealed extracellular levels of 137 proteins were changed in myotubes subjected to EPS protocol 1. We also found some degree of overlap between the DEGs found in myotubes submitted to EPS protocol 1 and protocol 2. Among these DEGs was a myokine, leukemia inhibitory factor, which showed to enhance the glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells, indicating autocrine mechanism to maintain metabolic homeostasis. Collectively, our data provides new insight into the transcriptome, proteome and secreted proteins alterations following in vitro exercise and is a valuable resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms and regulatory molecules mediating the beneficial metabolic effects of exercise.

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An electrical pulse stimulation protocol to study acute epigenetic response to muscle cell contraction uncovers acute hydroxymethylation of the exercise-responsive gene Nr4a3 [Bisulfite-Seq]

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