Myostatin通过Smad3下调MyoD的表达来抑制骨骼肌卫星细胞的分化

Myostatin基因,是肌肉生长的负调控因子,通过下调MyoD的表达抑制骨骼肌细胞的分化,但具体机制目前尚未完全清楚。本研究以体外培养的猪骨骼肌卫星细胞为实验材料,利用RNAi 技术,以Smad3为靶基因进行干扰研究,研究干扰前后猪骨骼肌卫星细胞增殖情况的变化以及MyoD、Myostatin基因的表达规律,进一步阐述三个基因间的调控关系。结果表明,Myostatin通过下调MyoD的表达,抑制骨骼肌卫星细胞的分化,但这种抑制作用是受Smad3调节的。     

大口黑鲈MyoD cDNA的克隆和序列分析

MyoD基因是生肌调节因子MRFs家族的主要成员之一,是脊椎动物胚胎期肌肉发育的主导调控基因之一,对骨骼肌的形成和分化起主要作用。采用RT-PCR和RACE方法获得大口黑鲈MyoD基因的cDNA序列长为1 157bp,其中3'非编码区为314bp,开放阅读框长843bp,编码280个氨基酸。结构分析表明该肽链无信号肽,第1～110个氨基酸为MyoD基因的Basic区(碱性氨基酸区),第124～167个氨基酸为MyoD基因的HLH结构(螺旋环螺旋结构)。通过对比分析已知GenBank中其它脊椎动物MyoD基因发现,该基因编码的氨基酸肽链随动物由低等向高等进化有加长的趋势,且核苷酸以及推测的氨基酸同源性和动物之间的亲缘关系相一致;大口黑鲈MyoD基因的克隆为研究该基因打靶和鱼类肌肉发育调控机理奠定基础。     

Role of prostaglandins in fibroblast activation and fibrosis

Fibroblasts release prostaglandins and express a range of prostanoid receptors. However the importance of prostaglandins in fibroblast biology have not been fully explored. Our studies showed that the prostaglandin metabolite PGI₂ blocks the activation of fibroblasts, antagonising the induction of Ras/MEK/ERK signalling by TGFβ. Endogenous PGI₂ acts so as to limit the activation of fibroblasts following tissue injury. By contrast PGE₂ induced in injured tissues or disease states may promote recruitment of inflammatory cells and lead to secondary activation of fibroblasts. The effects of PGI₂ on cell signaling could be manipulated to inhibit fibrosis in patients.     

山羊MyoD基因家族多态性及与体尺性状的相关性

用PCR-SSCP技术研究了波尔山羊和徐淮山羊2个群体共147个个体MyoD基因家族中3个基因座位的单核苷酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphism, SNP)。结果表明, 在徐淮白山羊群体中, myf-5基因座发现有3种基因型AA、AB和BB, 波尔山羊均为AA型。在myf-6基因座和myoD 5′侧翼区基因座, 两个山羊群体均检测到了AA和AB型个体。对山羊myf-5、myf-6基因座, myoD 5′侧翼区基因座不同基因型与两品种山羊体尺性状相关分析表明, myf-5基因座对管围和管围指数的效应差异显著(P<0.05)。myf-6基因座对徐淮白山羊体尺性状的效应均不显著(P>0.05), 而对波尔山羊的体高和管围指数效应差异显著(P<0.05)。两个山羊品种myoD 5′侧翼区不同基因型个体的体尺性状差异均不显著。     

MyoD基因对肉牛胴体性状影响的分析

用PCR技术克隆到MyoD基因的第二内含子, 采用PCR-SSCP方法研究了3个黄牛品种(鲁西牛、晋喃牛、秦川牛)及4个杂交肉牛(夏洛莱×鲁西牛、安格斯×鲁西牛、利木赞×鲁西牛、西门塔尔×鲁西牛)群体MyoD基因的多态性, 并分析了基因位点多态性与肉牛肉质性状的相关性。实验结果,在国内首次扩增出肉牛MyoD基因的第二内含子的全部序列, 共261 bp。用SSCP方法检测到MyoD基因内含子2有A和B两个等位基因。测序结果表明该座位的多态性是由于内含子二39 bp处C-T的突变和112 bp处C→G的突变造成的。等位基因B在中国地方品种的分布频率高于引进品种的杂交牛群体。c2检验的结果表明, 在该位点的除夏洛莱和安格斯杂交牛外, 其余五个群体(晋南、鲁西、秦川、西门塔尔杂交牛和利木赞杂交牛)均处于Hardy-Weinberg不平衡状态(P>0.05)。实验群体不同基因型与肉牛的宰前活重、胴体重、净肉重、高档肉重、眼肌面积等性状的影响差异极显著或显著(P<0.01或P<0.05), 并且AA型个体均高于AB型个体。     

Promyogenic function of Integrin/FAK signaling is mediated by Cdo, Cdc42 and MyoD

The Integrin-mediated cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix is implicated in the control of proliferation, survival, migration and differentiation of myoblasts. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) mediates signals from Integrins and plays an essential role in myotube formation. Cdo forms a multiprotein complex that includes other cell adhesion molecules like Cadherins and Boc. Multiple signals emanate from such complexes, including Cdc42 and p38MAPK pathways to activate MyoD. Here we show that C2C12 myoblasts cultured in suspension or on Poly-L-Lysine (PLL), a well known Integrin-independent substratum, failed to express Cdo and MyoD, while the expression of Cadherins and Boc was unchanged. In addition, the activation of Akt and p38MAPK as well as the expression of Cdc42 was affected in these cells. Overexpression of FAK rescued MyoD and Cdo expression as well as myotube formation of C2C12 cells on PLL. Furthermore, reintroduction of Cdo induced enhanced myotube formation on PLL and increased the expression of myogenic markers. Inhibition of ROCK or overexpression of Cdc42-V12 in C2C12 cells upregulated Cdc42 and MyoD expression and rescued defective myoblast differentiation. Taken together, these data indicate that the Integrin/FAK signaling pathway is required for myoblast differentiation by regulating the expression of the promyogenic factors, Cdo, MyoD and Cdc42.