抗阻训练通过Akt-FoxO1通路抑制低氧诱导的骨骼肌萎缩

高原低氧环境会引起肌力下降和运动能力退化,而抗阻训练是刺激骨骼肌生长的重要手段,叉头转录因子1（fork head box protein O 1,FoxO1）在调控骨骼肌蛋白质分解通路中承担重要角色。为探究Akt-FoxO1通路是否参与抗阻训练抑制低氧诱导的骨骼肌萎缩,本研究构建低氧诱导骨骼肌萎缩的大鼠模型,并模拟海拔4 000 m低氧环境下（12.4% O2）进行抗阻训练,对比观察大鼠比目鱼肌和趾长伸肌湿重和横截面积,以及蛋白激酶B（protein kinase B,Akt）、叉头转录因子1、泛素蛋白连接酶1（muscle ring finger 1,MuRF1）的表达差异等。结果表明,低氧暴露导致大鼠趾长伸肌湿重显著下降,苏木精-伊红染色组织切片分析肌纤维横截面积、低氧环境下比目鱼肌横截面积明显下降,而低氧抗阻训练后趾长伸肌横截面积明显高于安静组。实时荧光定量PCR和蛋白质免疫印迹结果显示,低氧暴露后FoxO1和MuRF1基因表达明显上调,低氧下抗阻训练后发现,Akt基因表达明显上调而FoxO1、MuRF则明显下调。免疫荧光观察磷酸化FoxO1在细胞核内外表达情况,发现抗阻训练后FoxO1（S256）于细胞核外表达增强。上述结果表明,抗阻训练可以达到抑制低氧诱导骨骼肌萎缩的效果,Akt促进FoxO1磷酸化从而减缓骨骼肌蛋白质分解过程是抗阻训练能够抑制骨骼肌萎缩的分子机制之一。     

Pyrazole inhibitors of coactivator associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1)

This study reports the identification and Hits to Leads optimization of inhibitors of coactivator associated arginine methyltransferase (CARM1). Compound 7b is a potent, selective inhibitor of CARM1.     

Myostatin induces degradation of sarcomeric proteins through a Smad3 signaling mechanism during skeletal muscle wasting

Ubiquitination-mediated proteolysis is a hallmark of skeletal muscle wasting manifested in response to negative growth factors, including myostatin. Thus, the characterization of signaling mechanisms that induce the ubiquitination of intracellular and sarcomeric proteins during skeletal muscle wasting is of great importance. We have recently characterized myostatin as a potent negative regulator of myogenesis and further demonstrated that elevated levels of myostatin in circulation results in the up-regulation of the muscle-specific E3 ligases, Atrogin-1 and muscle ring finger protein 1 (MuRF1). However, the exact signaling mechanisms by which myostatin regulates the expression of Atrogin-1 and MuRF1, as well as the proteins targeted for degradation in response to excess myostatin, remain to be elucidated. In this report, we have demonstrated that myostatin signals through Smad3 (mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3) to activate forkhead box O1 and Atrogin-1 expression, which further promotes the ubiquitination and subsequent proteasome-mediated degradation of critical sarcomeric proteins. Smad3 signaling was dispensable for myostatin-dependent overexpression of MuRF1. Although down-regulation of Atrogin-1 expression rescued approximately 80% of sarcomeric protein loss induced by myostatin, only about 20% rescue was seen when MuRF1 was silenced, implicating that Atrogin-1 is the predominant E3 ligase through which myostatin manifests skeletal muscle wasting. Furthermore, we have highlighted that Atrogin-1 not only associates with myosin heavy and light chain, but it also ubiquitinates these sarcomeric proteins. Based on presented data we propose a model whereby myostatin induces skeletal muscle wasting through targeting sarcomeric proteins via Smad3-mediated up-regulation of Atrogin-1 and forkhead box O1.     

Dosing schedule-dependent attenuation of dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy in mice

Many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases are treated using synthetic glucocorticoids. However, excessive glucocorticoid can often cause unpredictable effects including muscle atrophy. Endogenous glucocorticoid levels robustly fluctuate in a circadian manner and peak just before the onset of the active phase in both humans and nocturnal rodents. The present study determines whether muscle atrophy induced by exogenous glucocorticoid can be avoided by optimizing dosing times. We administered single daily doses of the glucocorticoid analog dexamethasone (Dex) to mice for 10 days at the times of day corresponding to peak (early night) or trough (early morning) endogenous glucocorticoid levels. Administration at the acrophase of endogenous glucocorticoids significantly attenuated Dex-induced wasting of the gastrocnemius (Ga) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles that comprise mostly fast-twitch muscle fibers. Real-time RT-PCR revealed that the Dex-induced mRNA expression of genes encoding the atrophy-related ubiquitin ligases Muscle Atrophy F-box (Fbxo32, also known as MAFbx/Atrogin-1) and Muscle RING finger 1 (Trim63, also known as MuRF1) in the Ga and TA muscles was significantly attenuated by Dex when administered during the early night. Dex negligibly affected the weight of the soleus (So) muscle that mostly comprises slow-twitch muscle fibers, but significantly and similarly decreased the weight of the spleen at both dosing times. These results suggest that glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy can be attenuated by optimizing the dosing schedule.     

Heart failure increases atrogin-1 and MuRF1 gene expression in skeletal muscle with fiber type-specific atrophy

Heart failure (HF) is characterized by a reduced tolerance to exercise due to early fatigue and dyspnea; this may be due in part to skeletal muscle myopathy with a shift from slow to fast fibers and loss of muscle mass. Muscle wasting does not occur similarly in all types of muscle fiber, thus we tested the hypothesis that HF induces skeletal muscle atrophy in a fiber type-specific manner altering the expression of atrogin-1 and MuRF1 in a fast muscle of rats with monocrotaline-induced heart failure. We studied extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle from both HF and control Wistar rats. Atrogin-1 and MuRF1 mRNA content were determined using Real-Time RT-qPCR while muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) from sections stained histochemically for myofibrillar ATPase were used as an index of type-specific fiber atrophy. The measurement of gene expression by RT-qPCR revealed that EDL muscle mRNA expression of MuRF1 and atrogin-1 was significantly increased in the HF group. Muscle fiber type IIB CSA decreased in the HF group compared to the CT group; there was no significant difference in muscle fiber types I and IIA/D CSA between the HF and CT groups. In conclusion, we showed that HF induces fiber type IIB specific atrophy, up-regulating atrogin-1 and MuRF1 mRNA expression in EDL muscle of monocrotaline treated rats.     

High CO2 Levels Cause Skeletal Muscle Atrophy via AMP-activated Kinase (AMPK), FoxO3a Protein,and Muscle-specific Ring Finger Protein 1 (MuRF1)

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute lung injury, and critical care illness may develop hypercapnia. Many of these patients often have muscle dysfunction which increases morbidity and impairs their quality of life. Here, we investigated whether hypercapnia leads to skeletal muscle atrophy. Mice exposed to high CO₂ had decreased skeletal muscle wet weight, fiber diameter, and strength. Cultured myotubes exposed to high CO₂ had reduced fiber diameter, protein/DNA ratios, and anabolic capacity. High CO₂ induced the expression of MuRF1 in vivo and in vitro, whereas MuRF1^−/− mice exposed to high CO₂ did not develop muscle atrophy. AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), a metabolic sensor, was activated in myotubes exposed to high CO₂, and loss-of-function studies showed that the AMPKα2 isoform is necessary for muscle-specific ring finger protein 1 (MuRF1) up-regulation and myofiber size reduction. High CO₂ induced AMPKα2 activation, triggering the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of FoxO3a, and leading to an increase in MuRF1 expression and myotube atrophy. Accordingly, we provide evidence that high CO₂ activates skeletal muscle atrophy via AMPKα2-FoxO3a-MuRF1, which is of biological and potentially clinical significance in patients with lung diseases and hypercapnia.     

低氧经mTOR/4E-BP1和FoxO1/Atrogin-1通路影响骨骼肌蛋白质积累

低氧暴露对骨骼肌蛋白质合成/分解的影响受到广泛关注,但该过程中相关调控通路的研究仍十分有限。本研究拟通过蛋白质相对积累量来研究合成和分解通路的变化。将骨骼肌细胞置于低氧环境中培养,分别在0 h、6 h、12 h和24 h收集细胞,并进行检测。免疫荧光观察肌球蛋白(myosin),翻译表面感应检测蛋白质合成,Western印迹法测试蛋白质合成相关基因(ERK1/2、p-ERK1/2、mTOR、p-mTOR、4E-BP1、p-4E-BP1)、蛋白质分解相关基因(泛素、FoxO1、p-FoxO1、MuRF1和Atrogin-1)表达量。结果发现,随着低氧干预时间延长,肌纤维直径和骨骼肌细胞中蛋白质相对积累量随时间逐渐减小(P<0.01)。与0 h相比,6 h p-4E-BP1/4E-BP1和Atrogin-1的表达显著上调(P<0.05),p-mTOR表达显著高于0 h(P<0.01);6 h和24 h p-mTOR/mTOR的比值显著大于0 h(P<0.05),而p-FoxO1/FoxO1的比值随时间逐渐减小(P<0.01)。上述结果表明,低氧干预能够使骨骼肌细胞直径减少、骨骼肌细胞蛋白质积累减少,并且低氧打破骨骼肌细胞蛋白质合成和分解的平衡,可能是通过调节mTOR/4E-BP1通路活性和FoxO1/Atrogin-1通路的活性实现的。     

Muscle-specific MicroRNA1 (miR1) Targets Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) during Dexamethasone-mediated Atrophy

High doses of dexamethasone (Dex) or myostatin (Mstn) induce severe atrophy of skeletal muscle. Here we show a novel microRNA1 (miR1)-mediated mechanism through which Dex promotes skeletal muscle atrophy. Using both C2C12 myotubes and mouse models of Dex-induced atrophy we show that Dex induces miR1 expression through glucocorticoid receptor (GR). We further show that Mstn treatment facilitates GR nuclear translocation and thereby induces miR1 expression. Inhibition of miR1 in C2C12 myotubes attenuated the Dex-induced increase in atrophy-related proteins confirming a role for miR1 in atrophy. Analysis of miR1 targets revealed that HSP70 is regulated by miR1 during atrophy. Our results demonstrate that increased miR1 during atrophy reduced HSP70 levels, which resulted in decreased phosphorylation of AKT, as HSP70 binds to and protects phosphorylation of AKT. We further show that loss of pAKT leads to decreased phosphorylation, and thus, enhanced activation of FOXO3, up-regulation of MuRF1 and Atrogin-1, and progression of skeletal muscle atrophy. Based on these results, we propose a model whereby Dex- and Mstn-mediated atrophic signals are integrated through miR1, which then either directly or indirectly, inhibits the proteins involved in providing protection against atrophy.     

Muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF1) as a connector of muscle energy metabolism and protein synthesis

During pathophysiological muscle wasting, a family of ubiquitin ligases, including muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF1), has been proposed to trigger muscle protein degradation via ubiquitination. Here, we characterized skeletal muscles from wild-type (WT) and MuRF1 knockout (KO) mice under amino acid (AA) deprivation as a model for physiological protein degradation, where skeletal muscles altruistically waste themselves to provide AAs to other organs. When WT and MuRF1 KO mice were fed a diet lacking AA, MuRF1 KO mice were less susceptible to muscle wasting, for both myocardium and skeletal muscles. Under AA depletion, WT mice had reduced muscle protein synthesis, while MuRF1 KO mice maintained nonphysiologically elevated levels of skeletal muscle protein de novo synthesis. Consistent with a role of MuRF1 for muscle protein turnover during starvation, the concentrations of essential AAs, especially branched-chain AAs, in the blood plasma significantly decreased in MuRF1 KO mice under AA deprivation. To clarify the molecular roles of MuRF1 for muscle metabolism during wasting, we searched for MuRF1-associated proteins using pull-down assays and mass spectrometry. Muscle-type creatine kinase (M-CK), an essential enzyme for energy metabolism, was identified among the interacting proteins. Coexpression studies revealed that M-CK interacts with the central regions of MuRF1 including its B-box domain and that MuRF1 ubiquitinates M-CK, which triggers the degradation of M-CK via proteasomes. Consistent with MuRF1's role of adjusting CK activities in skeletal muscles by regulating its turnover in vivo, we found that CK levels were significantly higher in the MuRF1 KO mice than in WT mice. Glucocorticoid modulatory element binding protein-1 and 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase, previously identified as potential MuRF1-interacting proteins, were also ubiquitinated MuRF1-dependently. Taken together, these data suggest that, in a multifaceted manner, MuRF1 participates in the regulation of AA metabolism, including the control of free AAs and their supply to other organs under catabolic conditions, and in the regulation of ATP synthesis under metabolic-stress conditions where MuRF1 expression is induced.