Knockdown of Myostatin Expression by RNAi Enhances Muscle Growth in Transgenic Sheep

Myostatin (MSTN) has been shown to be a negative regulator of skeletal muscle development and growth. MSTN dysfunction therefore offers a strategy for promoting animal growth performance in livestock production. In this study, we investigated the possibility of using RNAi-based technology to generate transgenic sheep with a double-muscle phenotype. A shRNA expression cassette targeting sheep MSTN was used to generate stable shRNA-expressing fibroblast clones. Transgenic sheep were further produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technology. Five lambs developed to term and three live lambs were obtained. Integration of shRNA expression cassette in three live lambs was confirmed by PCR. RNase protection assay showed that the shRNAs targeting MSTN were expressed in muscle tissues of three transgenic sheep. MSTN expression was significantly inhibited in muscle tissues of transgenic sheep when compared with control sheep. Moreover, transgenic sheep showed a tendency to faster increase in body weight than control sheep. Histological analysis showed that myofiber diameter of transgenic sheep M17 were bigger than that of control sheep. Our findings demonstrate a promising approach to promoting muscle growth in livestock production.     

Sequence conservation among fish myostatin orthologues and the characterization of two additional cDNA clones from Morone saxatilis and Morone americana

Myostatin (MSTN) negatively regulates mammalian skeletal muscle growth and development by inhibiting myoblast proliferation. Mice and cattle possessing mutant MSTN alleles display a 'double muscling' phenotype characterized by extreme skeletal muscle hypertrophy and/or hyperplasia. MSTN orthologues have been previously characterized in 12 vertebrate species, including the white bass Morone chrysops. Presented herein is the identification and characterization of novel cDNA clones from two additional Morone species: saxatilis (striped bass) and americana (white perch), which were obtained by PCR amplification and subsequent TA-cloning. The predicted amino acid sequence of each cDNA clone contains a putative signal sequence, conserved cysteine residues and a RXXR proteolytic processing site. The different Morone proteins were 97-99% identical to each other and approximately 91, 81, 68 and 67% identical to the tilapia, zebrafish, mammalian and avian proteins, respectively. However, the bioactive domains, which lie downstream of each processing site, were considerably more conserved. They were 99-100% identical within the genus and were approximately 99, 95, 88 and 88% identical to the tilapia, zebrafish, mammalian and avian domains, respectively. This high level of sequence conservation among all known MSTN orthologues suggests that the structure/function relationship of each is equally well conserved among vertebrates.     

Real-time polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical localization of insulin-like growth factor-I and myostatin during development of Dicentrarchus labrax (Pisces: Osteichthyes)

The distribution of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and myostatin (MSTN) was investigated in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry. Real-time PCR indicated that IGF-I mRNA increased from the second day post-hatching and that this trend became significant from day 4. ISH confirmed a strong IGF-I mRNA expression from the first week post-hatching, with the most abundant expression being detected in the liver of larvae and adults. Real-time PCR also showed that the level of MSTN mRNA increased significantly from day 25. The expression of MSTN mRNA was higher in muscle and almost absent in other anatomical regions in both larvae and adults. Interestingly, the lateral muscle showed a quantitative differential expression of IGF-I and MSTN mRNAs in red and white muscle, depending on the developmental stage examined. IGF-I immunoreactivity was detected in developing intestine at hatching and in skeletal muscle, skin and yolk sac. MSTN immunostaining was evident in several tissues and organs in both larvae and adults. Both IGF-I and MSTN proteins were detected in the liver from day 4 post-hatching and, subsequently, in the kidney and heart muscle from day 10. Our results suggest, on the basis of a combined methodological approach, that IGF-I and MSTN are involved in the regulation of somatic growth in the sea bass. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. This research was supported by grants from the Italian Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica (MIUR) and by the University of Padua (Progetto di Ateneo).     

Immunohistochemical localization of IGF-I,IGF-II and MSTN proteins during development of triploid sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

The cellular localization of IGF-I, IGF-II and MSTN proteins was investigated during ontogenesis of triploid sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) by an immunohistochemical approach. The results were compared with those observed in diploids. IGF-I immunostaining was mainly observed in skin, skeletal muscle, intestine and gills of both diploids and triploids. From day 30 of larval life, IGF-I immunoreactivity observed in skeletal muscle, intestine, gills and kidney was stronger in triploids than in diploids. At day 30, triploids exhibited a standard length significantly higher than the one of diploids. Although IGF-II and MSTN immunoreactivity was detectable in different tissues and organs, no differences between diploids and triploids were observed. The spatial localization of IGF-I, IGF-II and MSTN proteins detected in this study is in agreement with previous findings on the distribution of these proteins in diploid larvae and fry. The highest IGF-I immunoreactivity observed in triploids suggests a possible involvement of ploidy in their growth performance.Key words: IGF-I, IGF-II, MSTN, immunohistochemistry, triploid.     

Overexpression of the dominant-negative form of myostatin results in doubling of muscle-fiber number in transgenic medaka (Oryzias latipes)

In addition to altering the phenotypes of gene-modified animals, transgenesis also has the potential to facilitate access to the various mechanisms underlying the development and functioning of specific phenotypes and genes, respectively. Myostatin (MSTN) is implicated in double-muscling when mutated in mammals, indicating that MSTN is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle formation. In order to elucidate the role of an MSTN equivalent in fish muscle formation, we created a transgenic medaka strain that expresses dominant-negative MSTN exclusively in skeletal muscle, d-rR-Tg(OlMA1–C315Y–MSTN–hrGFPII–FLAG). The transgenic fish exhibited increased production of skeletal muscle fibers at the adult stage (hyperplasia), although gross muscle mass was not altered. During embryogenesis, ectopic accumulation and misalignment of muscle fibers, possibly due to muscle-fiber hypertrophy, were observed in the transgenic medaka. Our findings suggest that MSTN function is required for regulating the appropriate growth of skeletal muscle in medaka. Unlike in mammals, MSTN loss-of-function failed to induce double-muscling in medaka, despite the highly conserved nature of MSTN function among taxa.     

Transient inactivation of myostatin induces muscle hypertrophy and overcompensatory growth in zebrafish via inactivation of the SMAD signaling pathway

Myostatin (MSTN) is the main negative regulator of muscle growth and development in vertebrates. In fish, little is known about the molecular mechanisms behind how MSTN inactivation triggers skeletal muscle enhancement, particularly regarding the signaling pathways involved in this process. Moreover, there have not been reports on the biotechnological applications of MSTN and its signal transduction. In this context, zebrafish underwent compensatory growth using fasting and refeeding trials, and MSTN activity was inactivated with dominant negative LAPD76A recombinant proteins during the refeeding period, when a rapid, compensatory muscle growth was observed. Treated fish displayed an overcompensation of growth characterized by higher muscle hypertrophy and growth performance than constantly fed, control fish. Treatment with LAPD76A recombinant proteins triggered inactivation of the SMAD signaling pathway in skeletal muscle, the main signal transduction used by MSTN to achieve its biological actions. Therefore, transient inactivation of MSTN during the compensatory growth of zebrafish led to a decrease in the SMAD signaling pathway in muscle, triggering muscle hypertrophy and finally improving growth performance, thus, zebrafish achieved an overcompensation of growth. The present study shows an attractive strategy for improving muscle growth in a fish species by mixing a classical strategy, such as compensatory growth, and a biotechnological approach, such as the use of recombinant proteins for inhibiting the biological actions of MSTN. The mix of both strategies may represent a method that could be applied in order to improve growth in commercial fish of interest for aquaculture.     

肌肉生长抑制素调控动物骨骼肌生长机制的研究进展

肌肉生成抑制素（myostatin, MSTN）在动物机体骨骼肌的增殖、分化和生长中起着重要的负调控作用。MSTN基因的过表达会阻碍骨骼肌增殖分化及生长发育,而缺失或表达降低则会导致肌肉肥大,形成双肌现象（double muscle phenomenon, DMP）。MSTN能作用于多个基因及结合多种细胞因子广泛参与生理生化、物质代谢、病理调控等过程,在动物机体生长发育过程中扮演着重要的角色。本文将从MSTN基因的历史渊源、基因定位、时空表达特性、部分相关作用机制等方面进行论述,旨在对MSTN调控动物骨骼肌生长部分机制作梳理,以期为后期研究提供理论依据。     

Mutations in the Myostatin gene leading to hypermuscularity in mammals: indications for a similar mechanism in fish?

The transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily encodes secreted factors that are important in regulating embryonic development and tissue homeostatis in adults. Myostatin (MSTN, encoded by MSTN) or 'growth and differentiation factor 8', a member of this superfamily, is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth and is highly conserved among animal species. In 1997, a mutation associated with the so-called double-muscling phenotype in cattle was found in the MSTN gene. During the years following the discovery of the first MSTN mutation, other mutations were found in cattle and other mammalian species, and MSTN became one of the most thoroughly studied genes in animals. The aim of this review is mainly to describe the functional mutations located in the MSTN genes of several mammalian species, leading to double muscling in these animals. Furthermore, in light of the increasing importance of fish genetics, the possibility of functional mutations in piscine MSTN with a similar effect as in mammals, and a genetic model for MSTN research in fish, will also be discussed.     

Myostatin三维结构模建及分子进化分析

Myostatin(MST)为肌肉生长负调节因子,其功能受抑制可导致肌肉量增加.对MST核酸序列进行序列比对,构建进化树;采用同源模建方法首次模建MST成熟肽生物活性二聚体的四级结构,并预测MST与其受体ActRIIB的相互作用模式.进化树将肌肉生长抑制素基因(MSTN)分成4个亚家族:哺乳动物MSTN,鸟类MSTN以及鱼类MSTN 1和2.MST受纯化选择作用,在不同物种的直系同源基因具有较高的刚源性,其中哺乳动物、鸟类MST C端活性肽氨基酸序列高度保守.表明哺乳动物、鸟类MST的结构、功能类似,且信号传导路径可能一致;而鱼类MST的调控机制可能存在较大差异.MST结构及其表面静电势和疏水氨基酸分布表明静电力和疏水相互作用在MST与其受体结合过程中可能起到十分重要的作用.     

Myostatin knockdown and its effect on myogenic gene expression program in stably transfected goat myoblasts

Myostatin, a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass, is a proven candidate to modulate skeletal muscle mass through targeted gene knockdown approach. Here, we report myostatin (MSTN) knockdown in goat myoblasts stably expressing small hairpin RNA (shRNAs) against MSTN gene through lentivirus vector-mediated integration. We observed 72% (p?=?0.003) and 54% (p?=?0.022) downregulation of MSTN expression with sh2 shRNA compared to empty vector control and untransduced myoblasts, respectively. The knockdown of MSTN expression was accompanied with concomitant downregulation of myogenic regulatory factor MYOD (77%, p?=?0.001), MYOG (94%, p?=?0.000), and MYF5 (36%, p?=?0.000), cell cycle regulator p21 (62%, p?=?0.000), MSTN receptor ACVR2B (23%, p?=?0.061), MSTN antagonist follistatin (81%, p?=?0.000), and downstream signaling mediators SMAD2 (20%, p?=?0.060) and SMAD3 (49%, p?=?0.006). However, the expression of MYF6 was upregulated by 14% compared to control lentivirus-transduced myoblasts (p?=?0.354) and 79% compared to untransduced myoblasts (p?=?0.018) in sh2 shRNA-transduced goat myoblasts cells. Although, MSTN knockdown led to sustained cell proliferation of myoblasts, the myoblasts fusion was suppressed in both MSTN knocked down and control lentivirus-transduced myoblasts. The expression of interferon response gene OAS1 was significantly upregulated in control lentivirus (10.86-fold; p?=?0.000)- and sh2 (1.71-fold; p?=?0.002)-integrated myoblasts compared to untransduced myoblasts. Our study demonstrates stable knockdown of MSTN in goat myoblasts cells and its potential for use in generation of transgenic goat by somatic cell nuclear transfer.     

AMPK activation by AICAR inhibits myogenic differentiation and myostatin expression in Cattle

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates metabolism in skeletal muscle, and myostatin (MSTN) negatively regulates skeletal muscle development and growth. In the present study, AMPK activation and the relationship between AMPK and MSTN during myogenic differentiation were investigated in cultures derived from bovine skeletal muscle. Myoblasts capable of forming myotubes were obtained from bovine skeletal muscle and treated with AICAR to activate AMPK, resulting in suppressed myotube formation. AICAR treatment significantly reduced the expression of MSTN mRNA during myogenic differentiation. Combined treatment with AICAR and MSTN suppressed myotube formation to a greater extent than AICAR alone. SB431542, an inhibitor of MSTN signaling, promoted myotube formation during myogenic differentiation. However, simultaneous treatment with AICAR blocked this effect of SB431542. Therefore, AMPK activation inhibits myogenic differentiation but may suppress MSTN expression to balance muscle development.     

Myostatin-deficient medaka exhibit a double-muscling phenotype with hyperplasia and hypertrophy, which occur sequentially during post-hatch development

Myostatin (MSTN) functions as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass. In mammals, MSTN-deficient animals result in an increase of skeletal muscle mass with both hyperplasia and hypertrophy. A MSTN gene is highly conserved within the fish species, allowing speculation that MSTN-deficient fish could exhibit a double-muscled phenotype. Some strategies for blocking or knocking down MSTN in adult fish have been already performed; however, these fish show either only hyperplastic or hypertrophic growth in muscle fiber. Therefore, the role of MSTN in fish myogenesis during post-hatch growth remains unclear. To address this question, we have made MSTN-deficient medaka (mstnC315Y) by using the targeting induced local lesions in a genome method. mstnC315Y can reproduce and have the same survival period as WT medaka. Growth rates of WT and mstnC315Y were measured at juvenile (1–2 wk post-hatching), post-juvenile (3–7 wk post-hatching) and adult (8–16 wk post-hatching) stages. In addition, effects of MSTN on skeletal muscle differentiation were investigated at histological and molecular levels at each developmental stage. As a result, mstnC315Y show a significant increase in body weight from the post-juvenile to adult stage. Hyper-morphogenesis of skeletal muscle in mstnC315Y was accomplished due to hyperplastic growth from post-juvenile to early adult stage, followed by hypertrophic growth in the adult stage. Myf-5 and MyoD were up-regulated in mstnC315Y at the hyperplastic growth phase, while myogenin was highly expressed in mstnC315Y at the hypertrophic growth phase. These indicated that MSTN in medaka plays a dual role for muscle fiber development. In conclusion, MSTN in medaka regulates the number and size of muscle fiber in a temporally-controlled manner during posthatch growth.     

High-level soluble expression of bioactive porcine myostatin propeptide in E. coli

Myostatin (MSTN) is a potent negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass. The activity of MSTN is suppressed by MSTN propeptide (MSTNPro), the N-terminal part of unprocessed MSTN that is cleaved off during posttranslational MSTN processing. Easy availability of MSTNPro would help to investigate the potential of the protein as an agent to enhance muscle growth in agricultural animal species. Thus, this study was designed to produce bioactive wild-type porcine MSTN propeptide (pMSTNProW) and its mutated form at the BMP-1/TLD proteolytic cleavage site (pMSTNProM) in Escherichia coli. The pMSTNProW and pMSTNProM genes were separately cloned into pMAL-c5X vector downstream of the maltose-binding protein (MBP) gene and were transformed and expressed in soluble forms in E. coli. For each milliliter of cell culture, about 40 μg of soluble MBP-pMSTNProW and MBP-pMSTNProM proteins were purified by amylose resin affinity chromatography. Further purification by anion exchange chromatography of the affinity-purified fractions yielded about 10 μg/mL culture of MBP-pMSTNProW and MBP-pMSTNProM proteins. Factor Xa protease cleaved the fusion partner MBP from MBP-pMSTNPro proteins, and approximately 4.2 μg of pMSTNProW and pMSTNProM proteins were purified per milliliter of culture. MBP-pMSTNProM was resistant to digestion by BMP-1 metalloproteinase, while MBP-pMSTNProW was cleaved into two fragments by BMP-1. Both MBP-pMSTNProW and MBP-pMSTNProM demonstrated their MSTN binding affinities in a pulldown assay. In an in vitro gene reporter assay, both proteins inhibited MSTN bioactivity without a significant difference in their inhibitory capacities, indicating that the cell culture-based gene reporter assay has limitation in detecting the true in vivo biological potencies of mutant forms of MSTNPro proteins at the BMP-1/TLD cleavage site. Current results show that a high-level production of bioactive porcine MSTNpro is possible in E. coli, and it remains to be investigated whether the administration of the MSTNpro can improve skeletal muscle growth in pigs via suppression of MSTN activity in vivo.     

Evaluation of Interferon Response Induced by Anti-Myostatin shRNA Constructs in Goat (Capra hircus) Fetal Fibroblasts by Quantitative Real TIME-Polymerase Chain Reaction

RNAi is an evolutionary conserved, highly efficient, and cost effective technique of gene silencing. It holds considerable promise and success has been achieved both in vitro and in vivo experiments. However, it is not devoid of undesirable side effects as dsRNA can trigger the immune response and can also cause non-specific off-target gene silencing. In the present study, silencing of myostatin gene, a negative regulator of myogenesis, was evaluated in caprine fetal fibroblasts using three different shRNA constructs. Out of these three constructs, two constructs sh1 and sh2 showed, 72% and 50% reduction (p?相似文献   

军曹鱼肌生成抑制素基因的克隆与序列分析

肌生成抑制素(Myostation,MSTN)是一种骨骼肌生长的负调控因子,其生物功能主要是抑制骨骼肌的生长。肌生成抑制素的活性降低或丧失,可使肌肉与其他组织的比例大大提高,因此在动物育种和医疗上有很大的潜在应用价值。目前包括鱼类在内的20多种脊椎动物的MSTN cDNA已经得到克隆和测序。本实验依据已知的鱼MSTN cDNA的保守区域设计一对特异引物,利用PCR技术分别从军曹鱼基因组中扩增出一个约1000bp的特异片段和300bp片段,所得目的片段回收纯化,将其酶切产物连接到pMDl8-T克隆载体上,转化入JM109感受态细胞中,挑取阳性克隆进行转化子鉴定,其质粒测序结果与文献报道的一致,证明成功地克隆了军曹鱼肌生成抑制素基因。     

Phylogenetic analysis of the myostatin gene sub-family and the differential expression of a novel member in zebrafish

The myostatin (MSTN)-null phenotype in mammals is characterized by extreme gains in skeletal muscle mass or "double muscling" as the cytokine negatively regulates skeletal muscle growth. Recent attempts, however, to reproduce a comparable phenotype in zebrafish have failed. Several aspects of MSTN biology in the fishes differ significantly from those in mammals and at least two distinct paralogs have been identified in some species, which possibly suggests functional divergence between the different vertebrate classes or between fish paralogs. We therefore conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the entire MSTN gene sub-family. Maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, and bootstrap analyses indicated a monophyletic distribution of all MSTN genes with two distinct fish clades: MSTN-1 and -2. These analyses further indicated that all Salmonid genes described are actually MSTN-1 orthologs and that additional MSTN-2 paralogs may be present in most, if not all, teleosts. An additional zebrafish homolog was identified by BLAST searches of the zebrafish Hierarchical Tets Generation System database and was subsequently cloned. Comparative sequence analysis of both genes (zebrafish MSTN (zfMSTN)-1 and -2) revealed many differences, primarily within the latency-associated peptide regions, but also within the bioactive domains. The 2-kb promoter region of zfMSTN-2 contained many putative cis regulatory elements that are active during myogenesis, but are lacking in the zfMSTN-1 promoter. In fact, zfMSTN-2 expression was limited to the early stages of somitogenesis, whereas zfMSTN-1 was expressed throughout embryogenesis. These data suggest that zfMSTN-2 may be more closely associated with skeletal muscle growth and development. They also resolve the previous ambiguity in classification of fish MSTN genes.