Project description:Distinctions between craniofacial and axial muscles exist from the onset of development and throughout adulthood. The masticatory muscles are a specialized group of craniofacial muscles that retain embryonic fiber properties throughout adulthood, suggesting that the developmental origin of these muscles may govern a pattern of expression that differs from limb muscles. To determine the extent of these differences, expression profiling of total RNA isolated from the masseter and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles of adult female mice was performed, which identified transcriptional changes in unanticipated functional classes of genes in addition to those associated with fiber type. In particular, the masseters displayed a reduction of transcripts associated with load-sensing and anabolic processes, and heightened expression of genes associated with stress. Consistent with these observations were a significantly smaller fiber cross-sectional area in masseters, significantly elevated load-sensing signaling (phosphorylated Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK)), and increased apoptotic index in masseters compared to TA muscles. Based on these results, we hypothesize that masticatory muscles may sense and respond to load differently than limb muscles, where the drive for anabolic processes is reduced, and cell stress mediated processes are enhanced. These results establish a novel classification for the masseter muscle in the spectrum of skeletal muscle allotypes, and may provide insight into the molecular basis for specific muscle-related pathologies associated with masticatory muscles. Experiment Overall Design: Tissues were isolated from normal adult female mice (C57Bl/6), age 6 months. Paired comparisons between masseter and tibialis anterior muscles were performed on all present genes using "Significance Analysis of Microarrays" (SAM) to identify differentially expressed genes between masticatory and axial muscles.
Project description:PGC1b transgenic mice were generated to selectively over-express PGC1b in skeletal muscles using human skeletal alpha-actin gene promoter. The gene expression profiles were collected from Tibialis anterior (TA) muscles of wild type (WT) and PGC1b transgenic (TG) mice. Tibialis anterior muscles from three month old WT and PGC1b transgenic male mice.
Project description:To investigate the molecular effects of telomere damage in skeletal muscle by Terf2 knockout, we performed bulk RNA sequencing on gastrocnemius-plantaris-soleus (GPS) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles isolated from Terf2 knockout (KO) and control (Cre) mice. Total RNA was extracted from dissected muscles and used for library preparation followed by paired-end sequencing. Samples include both male and female 8 month old mice. The dataset comprises biological replicates from KO and Cre genotypes for each muscle type. FASTQ files correspond to quality-filtered and trimmed reads used for alignment.
Project description:PGC1b transgenic mice were generated to selectively over-express PGC1b in skeletal muscles using human skeletal alpha-actin gene promoter. The gene expression profiles were collected from Tibialis anterior (TA) muscles of wild type (WT) and PGC1b transgenic (TG) mice.
Project description:Comparative gene expression profiling of motor neurons innervating the extensor digitorum longus (disease-resistant), gastrocnemius (intermediate vulnerability), and tibialis anterior (vulnerable) muscles in mice to determine the factors underlying their selective vulnerability in sinal muscular atrophy.
Project description:Distinctions between craniofacial and axial muscles exist from the onset of development and throughout adulthood. The masticatory muscles are a specialized group of craniofacial muscles that retain embryonic fiber properties throughout adulthood, suggesting that the developmental origin of these muscles may govern a pattern of expression that differs from limb muscles. To determine the extent of these differences, expression profiling of total RNA isolated from the masseter and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles of adult female mice was performed, which identified transcriptional changes in unanticipated functional classes of genes in addition to those associated with fiber type. In particular, the masseters displayed a reduction of transcripts associated with load-sensing and anabolic processes, and heightened expression of genes associated with stress. Consistent with these observations were a significantly smaller fiber cross-sectional area in masseters, significantly elevated load-sensing signaling (phosphorylated Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK)), and increased apoptotic index in masseters compared to TA muscles. Based on these results, we hypothesize that masticatory muscles may sense and respond to load differently than limb muscles, where the drive for anabolic processes is reduced, and cell stress mediated processes are enhanced. These results establish a novel classification for the masseter muscle in the spectrum of skeletal muscle allotypes, and may provide insight into the molecular basis for specific muscle-related pathologies associated with masticatory muscles. Keywords: skeletal muscle, developmental origin, craniofacial muscles