Project description:The transcriptome sequencing on muscle tissue from control group (CTX) and denervated group(CTX-DeN). The PI3K/Akt pathway is involved in denervation-aggravated muscle HO.
Project description:The right legs of 8 Brown-Norway male rats were denervated by a high sciatic nerve section in the hip region of the hind limb.Two months after denervation (6 months of age), extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were removed from the operated legs. The EDL muscles from 8 age-matched non-operated rats served as innervated controls. Total RNA was isolated, labeled cDNA was prepared and hybridized to the Rat Atlas 1.2 Array II membranes (Clontech Laboratories, Palo Alto, CA). Keywords: other
Project description:The right legs of 8 Brown-Norway male rats were denervated by a high sciatic nerve section in the hip region of the hind limb.Two months after denervation (6 months of age), extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were removed from the operated legs. The EDL muscles from 8 age-matched non-operated rats served as innervated controls. Total RNA was isolated, labeled cDNA was prepared and hybridized to the Rat Atlas 1.2 Array II membranes (Clontech Laboratories, Palo Alto, CA).
Project description:Fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) are emerging cellular components of the skeletal muscle regenerative environment. The alternative functional phenotype of FAPs - either supportive of muscle regeneration or promoting fibro-adipogenic degeneration - is a key determinant in the pathogenesis of muscular diseases, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). However, the molecular regulation of FAPs is still unknown. We show here that an "HDAC-myomiR-BAF60 variant network" regulates the functional phenotype of FAPs in dystrophic muscles of mdx mice. Combinatorial analysis of gene expression microarray and genome-wide chromatin remodeling by Nuclease accessibility (NA)-seq revealed that HDAC inhibitors de-repress a "latent" myogenic program in FAPs from dystrophic muscles at early stages of disease progression. In these cells HDAC inhibition promoted the expression of two core components of the myogenic transcriptional machinery, MyoD and BAF60C, and upregulated the myomiRs (miRs) miR-1.2, miR-133 and miR-206, which target two alternative BAF60 variants (BAF60A and B) ultimately leading to the activation of a pro-myogenic program at the expense of the fibro-adipogenic phenotype. By contrast, FAPs from dystrophic muscles at late stages of disease progression displayed resistance to HDACi-induced chromatin remodeling at myogenic loci and fail to activate the pro-myogenic phenotype. These results reveal a previously unappreciated disease stage-specific bipotency of mesenchimal cells within the regenerative environment of dystrophic muscles. Resolution of such bi-potency by epigenetic interventions, such as HDACi, provides the molecular rationale for the in situ reprogramming of target cells to promote therapeutic regeneration of dystrophic muscles. miRNA modulation upon Histone Deacetylase inhibition in Fibro-Adipogenic Progenitors (FAPs) derived from young mdx mice was evaluated by small RNA-sequencing in 2 controls and 2 treated samples
Project description:To identify novel atrophy-related genes, which are controlled by BMP signaling, we performed gene expression profiling on innervated and 14 days denervated muscles of Smad4 knockout and control mice, focusing on genes that were differentially upregulated in denervated Smad4-/- muscles compared to controls. Among the different genes our attention was attracted by a gene that encodes for a novel f-box protein (Fbxo30) belonging to the SCF complex family of the ubiquitin ligases. Cell size is determined by the balance between protein synthesis and degradation. This equilibrium is affected by hormones, nutrients, energy levels, mechanical stress and cytokines. Mutations that inactivate Myostatin lead to important muscle growth in animals and humans. However, the signals and pathways responsible for this hypertrophy remain largely unknown. Here we find that BMP signaling, acting through Smad1/5/8, is the fundamental hypertrophic signal. Inhibition of BMP signaling causes muscle atrophy, abolishes the hypertrophic phenotype of Myostatin knockout and strongly exacerbates the effects of denervation and fasting. BMP-Smad1/5/8 negatively regulates a novel gene (Fbxo30) that encodes an ubiquitin ligase, that is required for muscle loss. Collectively, these data identify a critical role for the BMP pathway in adult muscle maintenance, growth and atrophy. Gene expression profiling on innervated and 14 days denervated muscles of Smad4 knockout and control mice. Three independent experiments were performed for each experimental condition using different animals for each experiment.
Project description:Fibro adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) promote satellite cell differentiation in adult skeletal muscle regeneration. However, in pathological conditions, FAPs are responsible for fibrosis and fatty infiltrations. Here we show that the NOTCH pathway negatively modulates FAP differentiation both in vitro and in vivo. However, FAPs isolated from young dystrophin- deficient mdx mice are insensitive to this control mechanism. An unbiased mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of FAPs from muscles of wild type and mdx mice, suggest that the synergistic cooperation between NOTCH and inflammatory signals controls FAP differentiation. Remarkably, we demonstrated that factors released by hematopoietic cells restore the sensitivity to NOTCH adipogenic inhibition in mdx FAPs. These results offer a basis for rationalizing pathological ectopic fat infiltrations in skeletal muscle and may suggest new therapeutic strategies to mitigate the detrimental effects of fat depositions in muscles of dystrophic patients.
Project description:Fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) are emerging cellular components of the skeletal muscle regenerative environment. The alternative functional phenotype of FAPs - either supportive of muscle regeneration or promoting fibro-adipogenic degeneration - is a key determinant in the pathogenesis of muscular diseases, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). However, the molecular regulation of FAPs is still unknown. We show here that an "HDAC-myomiR-BAF60 variant network" regulates the functional phenotype of FAPs in dystrophic muscles of mdx mice. Combinatorial analysis of gene expression microarray and genome-wide chromatin remodeling by Nuclease accessibility (NA)-seq revealed that HDAC inhibitors de-repress a "latent" myogenic program in FAPs from dystrophic muscles at early stages of disease progression. In these cells HDAC inhibition promoted the expression of two core components of the myogenic transcriptional machinery, MyoD and BAF60C, and upregulated the myomiRs (miRs) miR-1.2, miR-133 and miR-206, which target two alternative BAF60 variants (BAF60A and B) ultimately leading to the activation of a pro-myogenic program at the expense of the fibro-adipogenic phenotype. By contrast, FAPs from dystrophic muscles at late stages of disease progression displayed resistance to HDACi-induced chromatin remodeling at myogenic loci and fail to activate the pro-myogenic phenotype. These results reveal a previously unappreciated disease stage-specific bipotency of mesenchimal cells within the regenerative environment of dystrophic muscles. Resolution of such bi-potency by epigenetic interventions, such as HDACi, provides the molecular rationale for the in situ reprogramming of target cells to promote therapeutic regeneration of dystrophic muscles.
Project description:To identify novel atrophy-related genes, which are controlled by BMP signaling, we performed gene expression profiling on innervated and 14 days denervated muscles of Smad4 knockout and control mice, focusing on genes that were differentially upregulated in denervated Smad4-/- muscles compared to controls. Among the different genes our attention was attracted by a gene that encodes for a novel f-box protein (Fbxo30) belonging to the SCF complex family of the ubiquitin ligases. Cell size is determined by the balance between protein synthesis and degradation. This equilibrium is affected by hormones, nutrients, energy levels, mechanical stress and cytokines. Mutations that inactivate Myostatin lead to important muscle growth in animals and humans. However, the signals and pathways responsible for this hypertrophy remain largely unknown. Here we find that BMP signaling, acting through Smad1/5/8, is the fundamental hypertrophic signal. Inhibition of BMP signaling causes muscle atrophy, abolishes the hypertrophic phenotype of Myostatin knockout and strongly exacerbates the effects of denervation and fasting. BMP-Smad1/5/8 negatively regulates a novel gene (Fbxo30) that encodes an ubiquitin ligase, that is required for muscle loss. Collectively, these data identify a critical role for the BMP pathway in adult muscle maintenance, growth and atrophy.