Targeted disruption of the ATP2A1 gene encoding the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase isoform 1 (SERCA1) impairs diaphragm function and is lethal in neonatal mice

Mutations in the ATP2A1 gene, encoding isoform 1 of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA1), are one cause of Brody disease, characterized in humans by exercise-induced contraction of fast twitch (type II) skeletal muscle fibers. In an attempt to create a model for Brody disease, the mouse ATP2A1 gene was targeted to generate a SERCA1-null mutant mouse line. In contrast to humans, term SERCA1-null mice had progressive cyanosis and gasping respiration and succumbed from respiratory failure shortly after birth. The percentage of affected homozygote SERCA1(-/-) mice was consistent with predicted Mendelian inheritance. A survey of multiple organs from 10-, 15-, and 18-day embryos revealed no morphological abnormalities, but analysis of the lungs in term mice revealed diffuse congestion and epithelial hypercellularity and studies of the diaphragm muscle revealed prominent hypercontracted regions in scattered fibers and increased fiber size variability. The V(max) of Ca(2+) transport activity in mutant diaphragm and skeletal muscle was reduced by 80% compared with wild-type muscle, and the contractile response to electrical stimulation under physiological conditions was reduced dramatically in mutant diaphragm muscle. No compensatory responses were detected in analysis of mRNAs encoding other Ca(2+) handling proteins or of protein levels. Expression of ATP2A1 is largely restricted to type II fibers, which predominate in normal mouse diaphragm. The absence of SERCA1 in type II fibers, and the absence of compensatory increases in other Ca(2+) handling proteins, coupled with the marked increase in contractile function required of the diaphragm muscle to support postnatal respiration, can account for respiratory failure in term SERCA1-null mice.     

The murine Fgfrl1 receptor is essential for the development of the metanephric kidney

Fgfrl1 is a novel member of the fibroblast growth factor receptor family. Its extracellular domain resembles the four conventional Fgfrs, while its intracellular domain lacks the tyrosine kinase domain necessary for Fgf mediated signal transduction. During embryonic development Fgfrl1 is expressed in the musculoskeletal system, in the lung, the pancreas and the metanephric kidney. Targeted disruption of the Fgfrl1 gene leads to the perinatal death of the mice due to a hypoplastic diaphragm, which is unable to inflate the lungs. Here we show that Fgfrl1-/- embryos also fail to develop the metanephric kidney. While the rest of the urogenital system, including bladder, ureter and sexual organs, develops normally, a dramatic reduction of ureteric branching morphogenesis and a lack of mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition in the nephrogenic mesenchyme result in severe renal dysgenesis. The failure of nephron induction might be explained by the absence of the tubulogenic markers Wnt4, Fgf8, Pax8 and Lim1 at E12.5 of the mutant animals. We also observed a loss of Pax2 positive nephron precursor cells and an increase of apoptosis in the cortical zone of the remnant kidney. Fgfrl1 is therefore essential for mesenchymal differentiation in the early steps of nephrogenesis.     

TNF/TNFR1 signaling mediates doxorubicin-induced diaphragm weakness

Doxorubicin, a common chemotherapeutic agent, causes respiratory muscle weakness in both patients and rodents. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF), a proinflammatory cytokine that depresses diaphragm force, is elevated following doxorubicin chemotherapy. TNF-induced diaphragm weakness is mediated through TNF type 1 receptor (TNFR1). These findings lead us to hypothesize that TNF/TNFR1 signaling mediates doxorubicin-induced diaphragm muscle weakness. We tested this hypothesis by treating C57BL/6 mice with a clinical dose of doxorubicin (20 mg/kg) via intravenous injection. Three days later, we measured contractile properties of muscle fiber bundles isolated from the diaphragm. We tested the involvement of TNF/TNFR1 signaling using pharmaceutical and genetic interventions. Etanercept, a soluble TNF receptor, and TNFR1 deficiency protected against the depression in diaphragm-specific force caused by doxorubicin. Doxorubicin stimulated an increase in TNFR1 mRNA and protein (P < 0.05) in the diaphragm, along with colocalization of TNFR1 to the plasma membrane. These results suggest that doxorubicin increases diaphragm sensitivity to TNF by upregulating TNFR1, thereby causing respiratory muscle weakness.     

Examination of FGFRL1 as a candidate gene for diaphragmatic defects at chromosome 4p16.3 shows that Fgfrl1 null mice have reduced expression of Tpm3, sarcomere genes and Lrtm1 in the diaphragm

Fgfrl1 (also known as Fgfr5; OMIM 605830) homozygous null mice have thin, amuscular diaphragms and die at birth because of diaphragm hypoplasia. FGFRL1 is located at 4p16.3, and this chromosome region can be deleted in patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). We examined FGFRL1 as a candidate gene for the diaphragmatic defects associated with 4p16.3 deletions and re-sequenced this gene in 54 patients with CDH. We confirmed six known coding single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): c.209G > A (p.Pro20Pro), c.977G > A (p.Pro276Pro), c.1040T > C (p.Asp297Asp), c.1234C > A (p.Pro362Gln), c.1420G > T (p.Arg424Leu), and c.1540C > T (p.Pro464Leu), but we did not identify any gene mutations. We genotyped additional CDH patients for four of these six SNPs, including the three non-synonymous SNPs, to make a total of 200 chromosomes, and found that the allele frequency for the four SNPs, did not differ significantly between patients and normal controls (p ≥ 0.05). We then used Affymetrix Genechip^® Mouse Gene 1.0 ST arrays and found eight genes with significantly reduced expression levels in the diaphragms of Fgfrl1 homozygous null mice when compared with wildtype mice—Tpm3, Fgfrl1 (p = 0.004), Myl2, Lrtm1, Myh4, Myl3, Myh7 and Hephl1. Lrtm1 is closely related to Slit3, a protein associated with herniation of the central tendon of the diaphragm in mice. The Slit proteins are known to regulate axon branching and cell migration, and inhibition of Slit3 reduces cell motility and decreases the expression of Rac and Cdc42, two genes that are essential for myoblast fusion. Further studies to determine if Lrtm1 has a similar function to Slit3 and if reduced Fgfrl1 expression can cause diaphragm hypoplasia through a mechanism involving decreased myoblast motility and/or myoblast fusion, seem indicated.     

The FgfrL1 receptor is required for development of slow muscle fibers

FgfrL1, which interacts with Fgf ligands and heparin, is a member of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (Fgfr) family. FgfrL1-deficient mice show two significant alterations when compared to wildtype mice: They die at birth due to a malformed diaphragm and they lack metanephric kidneys. Utilizing gene arrays, qPCR and in situ hybridization we show here that the diaphragm of FgfrL1 knockout animals lacks any slow muscle fibers at E18.5 as indicated by the absence of slow fiber markers Myh7, Myl2 and Myl3. Similar lesions are also found in other skeletal muscles that contain a high proportion of slow fibers at birth, such as the extraocular muscles. In contrast to the slow fibers, fast fibers do not appear to be affected as shown by expression of fast fiber markers Myh3, Myh8, Myl1 and MylPF. At early developmental stages (E10.5, E15.5), FgfrL1-deficient animals express slow fiber genes at normal levels. The loss of slow fibers cannot be attributed to the lack of kidneys, since Wnt4 knockout mice, which also lack metanephric kidneys, show normal expression of Myh7, Myl2 and Myl3. Thus, FgfrL1 is specifically required for embryonic development of slow muscle fibers.     

Mef2s are required for thick filament formation in nascent muscle fibres

During skeletal muscle differentiation, the actomyosin motor is assembled into myofibrils, multiprotein machines that generate and transmit force to cell ends. How expression of muscle proteins is coordinated to build the myofibril is unknown. Here we show that zebrafish Mef2d and Mef2c proteins are required redundantly for assembly of myosin-containing thick filaments in nascent muscle fibres, but not for the earlier steps of skeletal muscle fibre differentiation, elongation, fusion or thin filament gene expression. mef2d mRNA and protein is present in myoblasts, whereas mef2c expression commences in muscle fibres. Knockdown of both Mef2s with antisense morpholino oligonucleotides or in mutant fish blocks muscle function and prevents sarcomere assembly. Cell transplantation and heat-shock-driven rescue reveal a cell-autonomous requirement for Mef2 within fibres. In nascent fibres, Mef2 drives expression of genes encoding thick, but not thin, filament proteins. Among genes analysed, myosin heavy and light chains and myosin-binding protein C require Mef2 for normal expression, whereas actin, tropomyosin and troponin do not. Our findings show that Mef2 controls skeletal muscle formation after terminal differentiation and define a new maturation step in vertebrate skeletal muscle development at which thick filament gene expression is controlled.     

Rescue of the cardiac defect in ErbB2 mutant mice reveals essential roles of ErbB2 in peripheral nervous system development.

ErbB2 receptor tyrosine kinase plays a role in neuregulin signaling and is expressed in the developing nervous system. We genetically rescued the cardiac defect of erbB2 null mutant embryos, which otherwise died at E11. These rescued erbB2 mutant mice die at birth and display a severe loss of both motor and sensory neurons. Motor and sensory axons are severely defasciculated and aberrantly projected within their final target tissues. Schwann cells are completely absent in the peripheral nerves. Schwann cell precursors are present within the DRG and proliferate normally, but their ability to migrate is decreased. Acetylcholine receptors cluster within the central band of the mutant diaphragm muscle. However, these clusters are dispersed and morphologically different from those in control muscle. Our results reveal an important role for erbB2 during normal peripheral nervous system development.     

Fatal bilateral chylothorax in mice lacking the integrin alpha9beta1

Members of the integrin family of adhesion receptors mediate both cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and have been shown to play vital roles in embryonic development, wound healing, metastasis, and other biological processes. The integrin alpha9beta1 is a receptor for the extracellular matrix proteins osteopontin and tenacsin C and the cell surface immunoglobulin vascular cell adhesion molecule-1. This receptor is widely expressed in smooth muscle, hepatocytes, and some epithelia. To examine the in vivo function of alpha9beta1, we have generated mice lacking expression of the alpha9 subunit. Mice homozygous for a null mutation in the alpha9 subunit gene appear normal at birth but develop respiratory failure and die between 6 and 12 days of age. The respiratory failure is caused by an accumulation of large volumes of pleural fluid which is rich in triglyceride, cholesterol, and lymphocytes. alpha9(-/-) mice also develop edema and lymphocytic infiltration in the chest wall that appears to originate around lymphatics. alpha9 protein is transiently expressed in the developing thoracic duct at embryonic day 14, but expression is rapidly lost during later stages of development. Our results suggest that the alpha9 integrin is required for the normal development of the lymphatic system, including the thoracic duct, and that alpha9 deficiency could be one cause of congenital chylothorax.