Regulation of acetylcholinesterase synthesis and assembly by muscle activity. Effects of tetrodotoxin

The abundance and distribution of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) oligomeric forms expressed in skeletal muscle is strongly dependent upon the activity state of the cells. In this study, we examined several stages of AChE biogenesis to determine which ones were regulated by muscle activity. Inhibiting spontaneous contraction of tissue-cultured quail myotubes with tetrodotoxin (TTX) reduces AChE activity by approximately 30% of the levels found in actively contracting cells. This decrease is due primarily to the loss of 20 S asymmetric (collagen-tailed) AChE from TTX-treated cultures and is reflected in reduced pool sizes for both cell surface and intracellular AChE molecules. Using monoclonal anti-AChE antibodies to immunoprecipitate and quantify isotopically labeled enzyme molecules, we show that AChE down-regulation by TTX is not mediated through changes in the rates of synthesis or degradation of AChE polypeptide chains. Newly synthesized AChE polypeptides acquire enzymatic activity at the same rate in TTX-treated cultures as in actively contracting cells, however, a larger percentage of catalytically active dimers and tetramers are secreted from TTX-treated cultures compared with controls. These results suggest that TTX-induced down-regulation of asymmetric AChE occurs at the level of assembly of globular AChE molecules with collagen-like tail subunits in the Golgi apparatus, rather than through changes in the availability of catalytic subunits. Thus, post-translational mechanisms appear to play an important role in regulating the abundance and distribution of this important synaptic component in skeletal muscle.     

Mechanical stimulation increases expression of acetylcholinesterase in cultured myotubes

We tested the hypothesis that acetylcholinesterase (AChE)expression in skeletal muscle cells is increased by passive mechanical stimulation. To this end, primary cultures of myotubes were subjected to repeated cycles of stretch-relaxation for 5 min, 30 min, 3 h, and 24 h, using the Flexercell FX-2000 strain unit. Although mechanicalstimulation did not affect AChE expression at early time points, it ledto a significant increase (42%; P < 0.05) in total AChE activity at 24 h. This increase reflected a general elevation in the activity of all AChE molecular forms as opposed to apreferential increase in a specific form. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) treatmentdid not prevent the increase in AChE expression, whereas nifedipinepartially blocked it. These changes in enzyme expression wereaccompanied by increases in the levels of AChE mRNA, suggesting theinvolvement of pretranslational regulatory mechanisms. Together, theseresults illustrate that, in addition to neural activation and trophicfactors, passive mechanical forces modulate expression of AChE inskeletal muscle cells. Because TTX did not prevent the increase in AChEexpression, it appears that the effects of mechanical stimulation areindependent of electrical activity, which further indicates the use ofan alternate signaling pathway.

     

Evidence for the Neurotrophic Regulation of Collagen-Tailed Acetylcholinesterase in Immature Skeletal Muscle by β-Endorphin

Abstract: Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was extracted in a high-saline medium from gastrocnemius muscles of rat embryos and young rats aged 14 days'gestation to 40 days post partum. The molecular forms of the enzyme were separated by low-salt precipitation, followed by velocity sedimentation. During gestation, all molecular forms increased in activity, particularly the 16 S (A₁₂) form. During the first 2 weeks of life, there was a large increase in the activity of soluble AChE (G forms), whilst the activity of insoluble AChE (A forms) was reduced. Denervation of the muscle reversed the change in the relative proportions of the molecular forms. The embryonic pattern of activities of AChE forms persisted in cultures of myotubes obtained at 20 days'gestation and maintained in the absence of spinal cord. When myotubes were maintained in medium previously conditioned by developing spinal cord explants, 16 S AChE declined while the soluble (4 and 6 S) forms increased in activity in a manner resembling that seen in early postnatal muscles in vivo . β-Endorphin (β-EP) immunoreactivity was detected in the spinal cord-conditioned medium and was identified by HPLC and ion-exchange chromatography as β-EP-(l–31) plus its shortened and N -acetylated forms. Cultivation of myotubes in the presence of synthetic camel β-EP resulted in a reversible change in the pattern of AChE forms which was similar to that seen with spinal cord-conditioned medium. These studies provide evidence for the neuroregulation of AChE A and G forms in immature skeletal muscle. A major candidate for this role is β-EP, produced and released by developing spinal cord.     

Expression of adult fast pattern of acetylcholinesterase molecular forms by mouse satellite cells in culture

The pattern of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) molecular forms, obtained by sucrose gradient sedimentation, was studied at different in vitro developmental stages of myogenic cells isolated from adult mouse skeletal muscle. Only the globular forms were present in rapidly dividing satellite cells during the first days in culture. After myotube formation, a pattern similar to that described in mammalian fast-twitch skeletal muscle was observed. This pattern did not change during the following period in culture (up to 1 month) nor could it be modified by co-culturing with spinal cord motoneurons or by addition of brain-derived extracts. The internal-external localization of AChE molecular forms has been determined by the use of echothiophate iodide, a membrane-impermeant irreversible inhibitor of AChE. Echothiophate-treated cultures showed about 40% of both asymmetric and globular forms localized on the sarcolemma, with their active sites oriented outward. Analysis of culture medium from untreated cultures revealed the presence of both asymmetric and globular forms. When the same analysis was repeated on cultures of myoblasts derived from 16-day-old mouse embryos, the pattern of AChE forms was different. The myotubes derived from these cells exhibit a very small proportion of asymmetric form, which was not released into the medium. This pattern was not further modified during the following days of culture, nor by co-cultures with spinal cord motoneurons or by incubations with brain-derived extracts. Thus, the myotubes derived from myoblasts express in culture a clear phenotypic difference when compared to the corresponding myotubes from satellite cells, supporting the view that these two myogenic cells are endowed with different developmental programs.     

Human myotube differentiation in vitro in different culture conditions

Human muscle cells derived from satellite cells, maintained in standard tissue culture conditions, do not differentiate as rapidly or as completely as myoblasts from other species (chicken, rat, mouse). In an attempt to improve myogenesis, we studied the effects of modifying the culture media and of coculturing muscle with nerve cells, using myoblasts grown in standard culture media as the basis for comparison. Myogenesis was measured by fusion index, creatine kinase (CK) activity; acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity (total and molecular forms); and the number of acetylcholine receptors (AChR). Modification of culture media accelerated fusion of myoblasts, but the cell density decreased and myotubes were unable to survive for long periods. In contrast, coculturing muscle with nerve cells increased both cell density and the number of myotubes. CK, AChE and AChR increased in the presence of defined media. In the nerve-muscle cocultures the increase was less marked. Manipulating culture conditions modified the molecular forms of AChE. Only a (4 + 6.5) S peak was present in control cultures, but a 10S peak appeared in defined media. The 16S form was detected only in nerve-muscle cocultures. This study shows that fusion of human myoblasts and differentiation of myotubes in tissue culture can be accelerated by removal of serum macromolecules. Further differentiation of myotubes was achieved only in the nerve-muscle cocultures.     

Cellular Localization of the Molecular Forms of Acetylcholinesterase in Primary Cultures of Rat Sympathetic Neurons and Analysis of the Secreted Enzyme

The secretion and cellular localization of the molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were studied in primary cultures of rat sympathetic neurons. When cultured under conditions favoring a noradrenergic phenotype, these neurons synthesized and secreted large quantities of the tetrameric G4, and the dodecameric A12 forms, and minor amounts of the G1 and G2 forms. When these neurons adopted the cholinergic phenotype, i.e., in the presence of muscle-conditioned medium, the development of the cellular A12 form was completely inhibited. These neurons secreted only globular, mainly G4, AChE. Both cellular and secreted A12 AChE in adrenergic cultures aggregated at an ionic strength similar to that of the culture medium, raising the hypothesis that this form was associated with a polyanionic component of basal lamina. In noradrenergic neurons, 60-80% of the catalytic sites were exposed at the cell surface. In particular, 80% of G4 form, but only 60% of the A12 form, was external, demonstrating for the A12 form a sizeable intracellular pool. The hydrophobic character of the molecular forms was studied in relation to their cellular localization. As in muscle cells, most of the G4 form was membrane-bound. Whereas 76% of the cell surface A12 form was solubilized in the aqueous phase by high salt concentrations, only 50% of the intracellular A12 form was solubilized under these conditions. The rest of intracellular A12 could be solubilized by detergents and was thus either membrane-bound or entrapped in vesicles originating from, e.g., the Golgi apparatus.     

Limiting Role of Protein Disulfide Isomerase in the Expression of Collagen-tailed Acetylcholinesterase Forms in Muscle

The expression of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in skeletal muscle is regulated by muscle activity; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. We show here that the expression of the synaptic collagen-tailed AChE form (ColQ-AChE) in quail muscle cultures can be regulated by muscle activity post-translationally. Inhibition of thiol oxidoreductase activity decreases expression of all active AChE forms. Likewise, primary quail myotubes transfected with protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) short hairpin RNAs showed a significant decrease of both the intracellular pool of all collagen-tailed AChE forms and cell surface AChE clusters. Conversely, overexpression of PDI, endoplasmic reticulum protein 72, or calnexin in muscle cells enhanced expression of all collagen-tailed AChE forms. Overexpression of PDI had the most dramatic effect with a 100% increase in the intracellular ColQ-AChE pool and cell surface enzyme activity. Moreover, the levels of PDI are regulated by muscle activity and correlate with the levels of ColQ-AChE and AChE tetramers. Finally, we demonstrate that PDI interacts directly with AChE intracellularly. These results show that collagen-tailed AChE form levels induced by muscle activity can be regulated by molecular chaperones and suggest that newly synthesized exportable proteins may compete for chaperone assistance during the folding process.     

Acetylcholinesterase in Cocultures of Rat Myotubes and Spinal Cord Neurons: Effects of Collagenase and cis-Hydroxyproline on Molecular Forms, Intra- and Extracellular Distribution, and Formation of Patches at Neuromuscular Contacts

Cultures of rat myotubes from 18-day-old embryos produce both globular (G) and asymmetric (A) forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE; EC 3.1.1.7), mostly G1, G4, and A12 and a small proportion of A8. We show that all forms are partly intracellular and partly exposed to the extracellular medium; the A forms and their intra- and extracellular distribution are not modified when myotubes are grown in the presence of spinal cord neurons. In these cocultures, however, AChE patches may be detected immunohistochemically at sites of neuromuscular contacts. These patches represent a very minor proportion of AChE activity. We found that collagenase removes AChE patches but not the acetylcholine receptor clusters with which they coincide. This digestion specifically decreases the level of the A12 form. cis-Hydroxyproline, an inhibitor of collagen synthesis, reduces the level of G1 and blocks the synthesis of A forms.     

Cellular and Secreted Forms of Acetylcholinesterase in Mouse Muscle Cultures

When grown in primary cell culture in the absence of neurons, muscle cells from a variety of species synthesize several forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), including the collagen-tailed A12 form. A12 AChE has been the subject of much study because it is thought to be a major functional enzyme form normally found in the basal lamina at the neuromuscular junction. In this paper, we show that muscle fibers derived from mouse embryos and neonates are also able to synthesize substantial percentages of their AChE as the A12 form when grown in vitro. This synthesis is modulated by a process associated with spontaneous muscle contractile activity since both total enzyme levels and the proportion of A12 AChE expressed on the cell surface are decreased when the cells are grown in the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin, which blocks muscle contraction. On the other hand, when the cells are treated with veratridine, which opens sodium channels, thereby mimicking one aspect of muscle contraction, their AChE levels are comparable to those of untreated cells. Although smaller in magnitude, these changes are similar to those seen in rat muscle cultures. A novel feature of mouse muscle cultures, not seen in those from rat and chick, is the presence of a secreted enzyme form that sediments in the same position as the cellular A12 form (when separated on sucrose density gradients containing high salt) and is also collagenase sensitive.     

Developmental regulation of 16S acetylcholinesterase and acetylcholine receptors in a mouse muscle cell line

We have studied the appearance, distribution and regulation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in a mouse skeletal muscle cell line (C2), that was originally isolated and described by Yaffe & Saxel [54]. In culture, cells from this line form spontaneously contracting myotubes, with overshooting action potentials that are TTX-sensitive. After fusion of myoblasts into myotubes, there was a dramatic increase in the amount of both AChE and AChR. Three forms of AChE, distinguished by their sedimentation on sucrose gradients, were synthesized: 4-6S, 10S, and 16S. The 4-6S and 10S forms appeared 1 day after the cells began to fuse, whereas the 16S form appeared only 2 days after fusion began. Maximal levels of the 16S AChE form (25-30% of the total) were obtained by reducing the concentration of horse serum in the fusion medium. Prevention of myoblast fusion by reducing the calcium levels in the medium decreased the total AChE by 70%, and only the 4-6S form was synthesized. Blocking spontaneous contractile activity of the myotubes by tetrodotoxin (TTX) led to a 50% reduction in all three esterase forms. Thus, the 16S, or endplate form of AChE is not specifically regulated by electrical or contractile activity in the C2 cell line. After fusion the number of AChRs increased rapidly for 3-4 days and then stabilized. Receptor clusters, ranging from 10-30 micron in length, appeared 1 day after myoblast fusion began. When cells were grown in medium containing reduced Ca2+, the total number of AChRs was decreased by 20-50%. Reduction of Ca2+ after myotubes and AChR clusters had formed resulted in dispersal of AChR clusters. Inhibition of muscle contractions with TTX did not affect the number of AChRs or their distribution.     

Unusual organization of desmin intermediate filaments in muscular dysgenesis and TTX-treated myotubes

Cytoskeletal intermediate filaments were studied in muscular dysgenesis (mdg) and tetrodotoxin-treated inactive mouse embryo muscle cultures during myofibrillogenesis. Both muscular dysgenesis and tetrodotoxin-treated muscles are characterized in vitro by a total lack of contractile activity and an abnormal development of myofibrils. We studied the organization of the microtubule and intermediate filament networks with immunofluorescence, using anti-tubulin, anti-vimentin, and anti-desmin antibodies during normal and mdg/mdg myogenesis in vitro. Mdg/mdg myotubes present a heterogeneous microtubule network with scattered areas of decreased microtubule density. At the myoblast stage, cells expressed both vimentin and desmin. After fusion only desmin expression is revealed. In mutant myotubes the desmin network remains in a diffuse position and does not reorganize itself transversely, as it does during normal myogenesis. The absence of a mature organization of the desmin network in mdg/mdg myotubes is accompanied by a lack of organization of myofibrils. The role of muscle activity in the organization of myofibrils and desmin filaments was tested in two ways: (i) mdg/mdg myotubes were rendered active by coculturing with normal spinal cord cells, and (ii) normal myotubes were treated with tetrodotoxin (TTX) to suppress contractions. Mdg/mdg innervated myotubes showed cross-striated myofibrils, whereas desmin filaments remained diffuse. TTX-treated myotubes possessed disorganized myofibrils and a very unusual pattern of distribution of desmin: intensively stained desmin aggregates were superimposed upon the diffuse network. We conclude, on the basis of these results, that myofibrillar organization does not directly involve intermediate filaments but does need contractile activity.     

Difference in the expression of asymmetric acetylcholinesterase molecular forms during myogenesis in early avian dermomyotomes and limb buds in ovo and in vitro

The A12 (asymmetric) form of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is generally considered to be synthesized in leg muscle tissues by myotubes under neural influence, but not by myoblasts. We have examined the expression of the different molecular forms of AChE in explants of developing limb buds and dermomyotomes (the myogenic part of the somites) obtained from 3-day-old chick and quail embryos, either directly after removal or during in vitro culture. We describe a muscular differentiation of both territories in vitro, leading to the formation of myotubes which are morphologically similar to the class of early muscle cells described by Bonner and Hauschka (1974). In vivo the A12 form is present in quail dermomyotomes which are almost entirely composed of mononucleated poorly differentiated cells; in contrast, it is absent from similar cells in chick dermomyotomes and from limb buds in both species. This shows that in the case of quail embryos the appearance of the A12 form precedes the fusion of myoblasts into myotubes. In both species, dermomyotome explants express asymmetric and globular forms of the enzyme during muscular differentiation in vitro, whereas limb buds synthesize only globular forms. After surgical removal of neural tube and/or neural crest at 2 days in ovo, the biosynthesis of the A forms in quail dermomyotomes is not suppressed and is consequently not dependent upon prior connection of the dermomyotomes to central neurons or upon the presence of autonomic precursors. Since limb bud muscle cells derive from somites our results raise questions concerning the differentiation of migrating somitic cells in this territory where a neural influence appears necessary to induce the biosynthesis of asymmetric AChE forms.     

Molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase in Xenopus muscle

Xenopus adult muscle, whole Xenopus embryos, and cultured embryonic myocytes together contain five acetylcholinesterase forms which can be resolved by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. These are identified as the collagenase-sensitive asymmetric forms A12 and A8, and the globular forms G4, G2, and G1. Asymmetric forms rise in whole embryos during the period of neuromuscular synapse formation, but their rise is not prevented by tricaine methanesulfonate, which abolishes motor activity. Aneural myocyte cultures synthesize primarily asymmetric acetylcholinesterase, much of which is extracellular. Prior nerve contact is not required for its expression. The proportion of asymmetric forms is neither decreased by tetrodotoxin, nor enhanced by veratridine and aconitine. We conclude that muscle activity does not modulate the expression of asymmetric acetylcholinesterase in Xenopus.     

Acetylcholinesterase in singly and multiply innervated muscles of normal and dystrophic chickens. II. Effects of denervation.

Neural regulation of mature normal fast twitch muscle of the chicken suppresses high activity, extrajunctional localization, and isozyme forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) characteristic of embryonic, denervated and dystrophic muscle. Normal adult slow tonic muscle ofthe chicken retains intermediate levels of activity and embryonic isozyme forms but not extrajunctional activity; it is not affected by muscular dystrophy. The hypothesis that neural regulation of the AChE system is lacking in slow tonic muscle and thus not affected by dystrophy was tested by denervating the fast twitch posterior latissimus dorsi and slow tonic anterior latissimus dorsi muscles of normal and dystrophic chickens. Extrajunctional AChE activity and embryonic isozyme forms increased, then declined, in both muscles. The results suggest that ocntrol of AChE is qualitatively similar in slow tonic and fast twitch muscle of the chicken.     

Muscular differentiation of chicken myotubes in a simple defined synthetic culture medium and in serum supplemented media: Expression of the molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase

We attempted to cultivate muscle cells from chick embryos in a serum-free, defined medium similar to that proposed by Bottenstein and Sato (1979) for the growth and differentiation of a murine neuronal cell-line. (1) We found that muscle cells from the legs of 11-day old chick embryos can be cultivated in a medium containing the different components indicated by Bottenstein and Sato, with 2 g/l bovine serum albumin, without serum or chick embryo extract. Myoblasts attached to the gelatin-coated dishes without any addition of attachment factors. They differentiated into myotubes in a similar manner as in classical serum supplemented media. (2) The level of cellular AchE activity was comparable in cultures grown in the presence of fetal calf serum (FCS), of horse serum (HS) and in the defined medium. The percentage of A₁₂ form was however higher in the defined medium (25–30%) than in FCS supplemented medium (about 5–6%). In HS supplemented medium the A₁₂ form was not detectable, partly because horse serum contains immunoglobulins which bind chicken AChE. The addition of defined medium components to FCS medium cultures did not lead to an increase of A₁₂. In contrast, the addition of a small amount (1%) of fetal calf serum to DM cultures reduced the level of A₁₂ in a drastic manner. FCS components therefore seem to repress the biosynthesis of A₁₂ AChE, or increase its degradation. (3) We estimated intracellular and extracellular compartments of AChE. The ratio of endocellular to ectocellular AChE decreased with the age of the cultures. The G₁ form was intracellular at all stages analyzed, but the other molecular forms were located in both cellular compartment, in different proportion: A₁₂ and G₄ seemed to be located preferentially in the external compartment, whereas G₂ was preferentially intracellular. (4) Muscle cultures grown in the defined medium and in the presence of serum secreted globular forms of AChE in a similar manner.     

Vitellogenin synthesis by the fat body of the mosquito Aedes aegypti: evidence of transcriptional control

The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity of cultures from 11-day-old chick embryo muscle cells was studied for up to 4 weeks in vitro. AChE activity was found in mononucleated cells and multinucleated myotubes. The activity increased greatly after fusion. Maximum AChE levels were reached after 7–10 days of incubation and tended to decline thereafter. Multiple forms of AChE found in embryo muscle in situ were present in cultures before and after fusion. Selective inhibitors and substrates were used to show that AChE was released by the cells into their medium. Within a 2-day period the AChE that accumulated in the medium averaged over 6 times that remaining in the cells. Release of AChE from the cells was inhibited by cycloheximide, and AChE levels in cells and medium were much reduced when differentiation was inhibited by bromodeoxyuridine. Little AChE was present in subcultures of fibroblasts from muscle cultures. Acetyl-β-methylcholine and, to a lesser degree, choline itself, prevented the decrease in AChE levels of 2- to 3-week-old muscle cultures.     

Action of veratridine on acetylcholinesterase in cultures of rat muscle cells

Studies on cultures of embryonic rat muscle cells have suggested that the presence of collagen-tailed forms may be correlated with spontaneous contractile activity: these forms disappear in the presence of tetrodotoxin which blocks the sodium channels involved in the propagation of action potentials. The effect of veratridine, a drug which maintains the sodium channels in the open state, was studied. It is shown here that in young cultures veratridine provoked a dramatic increase in total acetylcholinesterase activity and changed the distribution of the molecular forms of the enzyme, increasing the proportion and absolute amount of the A12 form. In order to elucidate the mechanism of action of this drug, the effects of various ions, ionophores, or other agents that modify the ionic permeabilities of membranes were also investigated.     

Presynaptic or postsynaptic origin of acetylcholinesterase at neuromuscular junctions? An immunological study in heterologous nerve-muscle cultures

Numerous studies have shown that the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) is inserted in the plasma membrane of the muscle fiber, and that it is focalized at the site of neuromuscular junctions, as an effect of neural influence. In contrast, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) may be presynaptic or anchored in the basal lamina, as well as postsynaptic at neuromuscular junctions. We investigated the origin of the junctional enzyme, particularly the collagen-tailed asymmetric A12 forms, by studying the AChE contents of heterologous rat and chicken neuromuscular cocultures by immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. We found that the overall content of AChE, in the neuromuscular cocultures, including the A12 form, was essentially identical to the sum of the contents of separate myotube and motoneuron cultures. The sedimentation coefficients of the rat and chicken asymmetric forms are sufficiently different to clearly differentiate these enzymes in sucrose gradients: 16 S for rat, 20 S for chicken A12 AChE. Sedimentation analyses of AChE in cocultures thus showed that the A12 form was of muscular origin. In the case of aneural cultures of myotubes, histochemical staining of AChE activity or immunohistochemical staining with specific antibodies showed only very scarce, faint concentrations of enzyme. Some patches of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) were, however, visible in these cultures. Neuromuscular contacts are readily established in cocultures of myotubes with embryonic motoneurons from spinal cords. In the presence of motoneurons, the myotubes presented a larger number of AChR patches. The most remarkable feature of neuromuscular cocultures was the presence of numerous intense AChE patches which always coincided with AChR clusters. By specifically staining nerve terminals with tetanus toxin, we could show an excellent correlation between neuromuscular contacts and the presence of AChE-AChR patches. We found that the AChE patches in heterologous cocultures could be stained exclusively by the anti-myotube AChE antiserum. The focalized enzyme is therefore exclusively, or very predominantly, provided by the myotube.