• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.303-304
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• 2016

Myoblast fusion is important for skeletal muscle formation. Even though the knowledge of myoblast fusion mechanism has accumulated over the years, the initial signal of fusion is yet to be elucidated. Our study reveals the novel function of a phosphatidylserine (PS) receptor, stabilin-2 (Stab2), in the modulation of myoblast fusion, through the recognition of PS exposed on myoblasts. During differentiation of myoblasts, Stab2 expression is higher than other PS receptors and is controlled by calcineurin/NFAT signaling on myoblasts. The forced expression of Stab2 results in an increase in myoblast fusion; genetic ablation of Stab2 in mice causes a reduction in muscle size, as a result of impaired myoblast fusion. After muscle injury, muscle regeneration is impaired in Stab2-deficient mice, resulting in small myofibers with fewer nuclei, which is due to reduction of fusion rather than defection of myoblast differentiation. The fusion-promoting role of Stab2 is dependent on its PS-binding motif, and the blocking of PS-Stab2 binding impairs cell-cell fusion on myoblasts. Given our previous finding that Stab2 recognizes PS exposed on apoptotic cells for sensing as an "eat-me" signal, we propose that PS-Stab2 binding is required for sensing of a "fuse-me" signal as the initial signal of myoblast fusion.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.249-254
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• 2012

Objective: To investigate the stem cell-like characteristics of human periodontal ligament (PDL) stromal cells outgrown from orthodontically extracted premolars and to evaluate the potential for myogenic differentiation. Methods: PDL stromal cells were obtained from extracted premolars by using the outgrowth method. Cell morphological features, self-replication capability, and the presence of cell-surface markers, along with osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation, were confirmed. In addition, myogenic differentiation was induced by the use of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza) for DNA demethylation. Results: PDL stromal cells showed growth patterns and morphological features similar to those of fibroblasts. In contrast, the proliferation rates of premolar PDL stromal cells were similar to those of bone marrow and adipogenic stem cells. PDL stromal cells expressed surface markers of human mesenchymal stem cells (i.e., CD90 and CD105), but not those of hematopoietic stem cells (i.e., CD31 and CD34). PDL stromal cells were differentiated into osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic lineages. Myotube structures were induced in PDL stromal cells after 5-Aza pretreatment, but not in the absence of 5-Aza pretreatment. Conclusions: PDL stromal cells isolated from extracted premolars can potentially be a good source of postnatal stem cells for oromaxillofacial regeneration in bone and muscle.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.115-134
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• 2017

A total number of 668 apparently healthy fish were obtained from farm to study the effect of two heavy metals (Copper and Mercury) on histopathology of liver, kidney, spleen, gills and muscles also residues in muscles. The $LC_{50}$/96 hr. of Cu and Hg were estimated and fish exposed to 1/2 $LC_{50}$ for 7 days and for 1/10 $LC_{50}$ for 8 weeks from each product separately. Histopathological findings in acute and chronic mercuric chloride toxicity revealed degeneration and necrosis in the glomeruli, interstitium tissue and epithelium lining renal tubules. The tubular epithelium became necrotic at several places. Eosinophilic hyaline droplets is exist in the cytoplasm of the necrosed cells. Degenerative changes and hyperactivity in melanomachrophage center was seen in the spleen together with some necrotic areas. Necrosis and aggregation of melanomachrophage were seen in the hepatic cells, Hepatic cells showed vacuolar degeneration in the hepatic cells. Gills showed loss in the lamellae of the filaments associated with edema, inflammatory cells infiltration and haemorrhages in the arch. The sarcoplasm of the bundles of the skeletal muscle showed granular degeneration and focal inflammatory cells infiltration between the hyalinized bundles. Mercury residues obtained from these studies in the acute toxicity were 0.22 ppm/gm in the 2nd day, 0.411 ppm/gm in the $5^{th}$ day ended with 0.96 ppm/gm in the $7^{th}$ day. In chronic toxicity it was 1.1320, 1.7140, 2.3620 and 3.5640 ppm/gm respectively from the $2^{nd}$ to the $8^{th}$ week of exposure. In acute and chronic copper toxicity, there was degenerative changes in renal tubules. Melanophores aggregation in the wall of the blood vessels of the spleen and depletion of some of the melanophores in the melanomachrophage were seen together with necrosis in some areas. Congested Mvs (Micro vessels) and vacuolation of hepatocytes were observed. Some areas of hemorrhage and melanophores vacuolar degeneration in the liver were seen. There was mitosis in some areas with displesia of hepatopancreatic cells and eosinophilic granular cells aggregation. Zymogen granules disappeared and there were dyplastic hepatocytes. Congestion in the blood vessels of the gill filaments, associated with massive number of granular eosinophilic cells infiltration were seen in the base of the filaments. There were sever vacuolization and hyalinization in the skeletal muscle bundles. Detection of residues of copper sulfate revealed increase of the amount of copper measured in ppm/gm comparing to the normal control starting from 0.60 ppm/g in the $2^{nd}$ day, 0.67 ppm/g in the $5^{th}$ day and 0.67 ppm/g in the $7^{th}$ day. Result obtained in chronic copper sulfate toxicity revealed gradual increase of the amount of copper which ranged from 0.18 ppm/g at the $2^{nd}$ week to 0.21 ppm/g in the $8^{th}$ week of exposure.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.261-266
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• 2023

The skeletal muscles of livestock play a crucial role as protein sources for humans, and the consumption of poultry meat is steadily increasing worldwide. Numerous genes, including myogenic regulatory factors, are involved in myogenesis, and precise regulation of them is essential. In this study, genes specifically expressed in muscles were selected, and their promoters were cloned and analyzed. The analysis of gene expression in various tissues of animals revealed that many genes exhibited specific expression patterns in skeletal muscles, with TNNT3, TNNC2, and MYF6 genes showing similar patterns in poultry. The promoter regions of three genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction to sizes of 1.2 kb, 1.03 kb, and 1.43 kb, respectively. These fragments were then inserted at the front of the enhanced green fluorescent protein gene in vectors. It was confirmed that the sequences of three promoters closely matched the chicken genome sequences. Upon introducing vectors with each promoter into QM7 quail muscle cells, all three promoters successfully induced the expression of the green fluorescent protein. The brightness of the green fluorescence in each promoter was approximately seven times dimmer compared to the control, CMV-IE promoter. It is predicted that more than 230 transcription factors can bind to each promoter, especially various transcription factors expressed in muscles, including myogenic regulatory factors such as MYF5, MYOD, and MYOG. These promoters can be valuable for studying gene expression in poultry muscle cells, and further research is needed to precisely investigate the regulatory region of gene expression in promoters.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.60-68
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• 2023

Objectives: This study was conducted to compare the effects of Hominis placenta (Jahage, J) and wild ginseng (SanSam, S) pharmacopuncture drugs on muscle differentiation and energy metabolism regulation in C2C12 myotubes. Methods: The C2C12 myoblasts were differentiated into myotubes for 5 days by replacing in medium containing 2% horse serum and then treated with J and S pharmacopuncture extract at different concentrations for 24 hr. The expression of myosin heavy chain and energy metabolism-regulating factors, myosin heavy chain (MHC), nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1), and proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) were determined in C2C12 myotubes by western blot. Additionally, the phosphorylation of AMPK and the expression of mitochondrial biogenesis, including sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) were determined in the myotubes. Results: As a result, treatment with J and S pharmacopuncture extract at 0.1 and 1 mg/mL increased the MHC expression in C2C12 myotubes compared with non-treated cells, but only S pharmacopuncture was shown a significant and distinct increase in the expression. Expression of TFAM and NRF-1 was also shown significant increases in S and J pharmacopuncture in C2C12 myotubes compared to non-treated cells. The phosphorylation of AMPK and the expression of PGC-1α and SIRT1 showed increased expression in S and J pharmacopuncture compared to non-treated cells. The effect of low-dose of J pharmacopuncture on the phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and PGC-1α expression was greater than that of S pharmacopuncture. Conclusions: In conclusion, both J and S pharmacopuncture promote muscle differentiation in C2C12 myoblasts into myotubes and energy metabolism through the AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway. This indicates that the pharmacopuncture with tonic herbal medicines can help to improve skeletal muscle function.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.371-377
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• 2017

Muscle atrophy is characterized by a decrease in the mass of the muscle. With an increase in life expectancy and chronic illnesses, the incidence of muscle atrophy is increasing and the quality of life of patients is decreasing. Thus, reducing muscle atrophy is of high clinical and socio-economic importance. Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant that has been used as a traditional medicine in many countries to treat various human illnesses. It has been reported that Korean mistletoe extract (KME) has diverse biological functions including anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity properties, and extension of lifespan. Especially, we have recently reported that KME improves exercise endurance in mice, indicating its beneficial roles in enhancing the capacity of skeletal muscle. In this study, we investigated whether KME could activate the signaling pathway related to protein synthesis in a mouse model of muscle atrophy. Interestingly, KME efficiently activated the Akt/mTOR pathway, and Akt and mTOR are important signaling hub molecules for the acceleration of protein synthesis in muscle cells. In addition, KME also increased the activity of S6 kinase which is involved in the regulation of muscle cell size. Moreover, the ERK activity, required for transcription of ribosomal RNA for protein synthesis, was also enhanced in KME-treated mouse muscle. These data support the idea that KME increases muscle mass via increased protein synthesis. Our findings also suggest that Korean mistletoe might be a promising candidate for the development of functional foods that are beneficial for preventing muscle atrophy.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.93-98
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• 1997

The present study investigated the cellular localization of a-subunit of Gq (Gaq) protein in developing L8E63, rat skeletal muscle cell line. The colocalization of Gaq with actin cytoskeleton was demonstrated by double-labeling experiments. In mononucleated myoblasts, the immuno-fluorescence staining pattern of Gaq was almost identical with that of F-actin visualized with rhodamine-conjugated phalloidin. However, this colocalization of Gaq with cytoskeleton was not maintained in multinucleated myotubes. The staining pattern of Gaq in myotubes did not match with any specific subcellular structure, but appeared as a uniformly distributed diffuse staining throughout the whole cell surface. Interestingly, change in the expression level of Gaq was not detected during myoblast differentiation, suggesting that actin-associated Gaq protein might dissociate from the cytoskeleton as cells differentiate. Immunocytochemical experiments using specific antibodies directed against several G proteins indicated that the subcellular localizations of Gai1, Gai2, Gai3, and Gao were different from those obtained with Gaq.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.435-440
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• 2014

Hemodynamic shear stress, the frictional force acting on vascular endothelial cells, is crucial for endothelial homeostasis under normal physiological conditions. When discussing blood flow effects on various forms of endothelial (dys)function, one considers two flow patterns: steady laminar flow and disturbed flow because endothelial cells respond differently to these flow types both in vivo and in vitro. Laminar flow which exerts steady laminar shear stress is atheroprotective while disturbed flow creates an atheroprone environment. Emerging evidence has provided new insights into the cellular mechanisms of flowdependent regulation of vascular function that leads to cardiovascular events such as atherosclerosis, atherothrombosis, and myocardial infarction. In order to study effects of shear stress and different types of flow, various models have been used. In this review, we will summarize our current views on how disturbed flow-mediated signaling pathways are involved in the development of atherosclerosis.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.614-623
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• 2022

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of sheep slaughter age on myogenic characteristics in skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs). Methods: Primary SMSCs were isolated from hind leg biceps femoris muscles of Wurank lambs (slaughtered at three months, Mth-3) and adults (slaughtered at fifteen months, Mth-15). SMSCs were selected by morphological observation and fluorescence staining. Myogenic regulatory factors (MRF) and myosin heavy chain (MyHC) expressions of SMSCs were analyzed on days 1, 3, 4, and 5. Results: The expressions of myogenic factor 5 (Myf5), myogenic differentiation (MyoD), Myf6, and myogenin (MyoG) in Mth-15 were significantly higher in Mth-15 than in Mth-3 on days 1, 3, and 4 (p<0.05). However, MyoG expression in Mth-15 was significantly lower than in Mth-3 on day 5 (p<0.05). The expressions of MyHC I, MyHC IIa, and MyHC IIx in Mth-15 were significantly higher than in Mth-3 on days 1 and 3 (p<0.05), and MyHC IIb were significantly lower than in Mth-3 on days 3 and 4 (p<0.05). In contrast, the expression of MyHC IIx in Mth-15 was significantly lower and MyHC IIb was significantly higher than in Mth-3 on days 5 (p<0.05). Conclusion: The slaughter age altered the expression of MRFs and MyHCs in SMSCs while differentiation, which caused the variation of myogenic characteristics, and thus may affect the meat quality of Wurank sheep.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.79-89
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• 2019

Objective : This study investigated the anti-diabetic effects of DM1, a herbal mixture with Atractylodis Rhizoma, Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, and Cinnamomi Cortex in high fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetic mice and the mechanism in C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cells. Methods : The C57B/6 mice were fed high fat for 12 weeks, and then administrated DM1 extract (500 mg/kg, p.o.) for 4 weeks. The changes of body weight, calorie and water intakes, fasting blood glucose levels and the serum levels of glucose, insulin, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, AST and ALT were measured in mice. The histological changes of liver and pancreas tissues were also observed by H&E stain. C2C12 myoblasts were differentiated into myotubes and then treated with DM1 extract (0.5, 1, and 2 mg/㎖) for 24 hr. The expression of myosin heavy chain (MHC), PGC1α, Sirt1 and NRF1, and the AMPK phosphorylation were determined in the myotubes by western blot, respectively. Results : The DM1 extract administration significantly decreased the calorie and water intakes, glucose, triglyceride, AST and ALT levels and increased insulin and HDL-cholesterol in HFD-induced diabetic mice. DM1 extract inhibited lipid accumulation in liver tissue and improved glucose tolerance. In C2C12 myotubes, DM1 treatment increased the expression of MHC, PGC1α, Sirt-1, NRF-1 and the AMPK phosphorylation. Conclusion : In our results indicate that DM1 can improve diabetic symptoms by decreasing the obesity, glucose tolerance and fatty liver in HFD-induced diabetic mice, and responsible mechanism is might be related with energy enhancement.