Estrogen Regulates Estrogen Receptors and Antioxidant Gene Expression in Mouse Skeletal Muscle

Background

Estrogens are associated with the loss of skeletal muscle strength in women with age. Ovarian hormone removal by ovariectomy in mice leads to a loss of muscle strength, which is reversed with 17β-estradiol replacement. Aging is also associated with an increase in antioxidant stress, and estrogens can improve antioxidant status via their interaction with estrogen receptors (ER) to regulate antioxidant gene expression. The purpose of this study was to determine if ER and antioxidant gene expression in skeletal muscle are responsive to changes in circulating estradiol, and if ERs regulate antioxidant gene expression in this tissue.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Adult C57BL/6 mice underwent ovariectomies or sham surgeries to remove circulating estrogens. These mice were implanted with placebo or 17β-estradiol pellets acutely or chronically. A separate experiment examined mice that received weekly injections of Faslodex to chronically block ERs. Skeletal muscles were analyzed for expression of ER genes and proteins and antioxidant genes. ERα was the most abundant, followed by Gper and ERβ in both soleus and EDL muscles. The loss of estrogens through ovariectomy induced ERα gene and protein expression in the soleus, EDL, and TA muscles at both the acute and chronic time points. Gpx3 mRNA was also induced both acutely and chronically in all 3 muscles in mice receiving 17β-estradiol. When ERs were blocked using Faslodex, Gpx3 mRNA was downregulated in the soleus muscle, but not the EDL and TA muscles.

Conclusions/Significance

These data suggest that Gpx3 and ERα gene expression are sensitive to circulating estrogens in skeletal muscle. ERs may regulate Gpx3 gene expression in the soleus muscle, but skeletal muscle regulation of Gpx3 via ERs is dependent upon muscle type. Further work is needed to determine the indirect effects of estrogen and ERα on Gpx3 expression in skeletal muscle, and their importance in the aging process.     

大鼠心肌发育相关基因在心肌梗死后的表达变化

探讨大鼠急性心肌梗死后与心肌发育相关基因的表达变化 .通过结扎大鼠冠状动脉左前降支建立急性心肌梗死模型 ,利用逆转录聚合酶链式反应 (RT PCR)和Northern印迹技术分别检测GATA4、Nkx2 5BMP2和Wnt11基因在心肌梗死后不同时间的表达变化趋势 .结果显示 ,在正常心肌中 ,与心肌发育相关的基因GATA4、Nkx2 5和BMP2有较强的表达 ,而Wnt11基础表达较低 .心肌梗死后 ,GATA4、Nkx2 5和BMP2表达下降 ,7d后有所恢复 ;Wnt11的表达在心肌梗死后呈上升趋势 ,至梗死 7d达到高峰 .结果提示 ,心肌发育相关基因的表达在心肌梗死后有明显改变 ,并发现启动心肌发育的关键信号分子———Wnt11基因表达上调 ,为心肌损伤后细胞分化机制的研究提供线索     

Selenium Regulates Gene Expression of Selenoprotein W in Chicken Skeletal Muscle System

Selenoprotein W (SelW) is abundantly expressed in skeletal muscles of mammals and necessary for the metabolism of skeletal muscles. However, its expression pattern in skeletal muscle system of birds is still uncovered. Herein, to investigate the distribution of SelW mRNA in chicken skeletal muscle system and its response to different selenium (Se) status, 1-day-old chickens were exposed to various concentrations of Se as sodium selenite in the feed for 35 days. In addition, myoblasts were treated with different concentrations of Se in the medium for 72 h. Then the levels of SelW mRNA in skeletal muscles (wing muscle, pectoral muscle, thigh muscle) and myoblasts were determined on days 1, 15, 25, and 35 and at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. The results showed that SelW was detected in all these muscle components and it increased both along with the growth of organism and the differentiation process of myoblasts. The thigh muscle is more responsive to Se intake than the other two skeletal muscle tissues while the optimal Se supplementation for SelW mRNA expression in chicken myoblasts was 10⁻⁷ M. In summary, Se plays important roles in the development of chicken skeletal muscles. To effect optimal SelW gene expression, Se must be provided in the diet and the media in adequate amounts and neither at excessive nor deficient levels.     

G0/G1 Switch Gene 2 Regulates Cardiac Lipolysis

The anabolism and catabolism of myocardial triacylglycerol (TAG) stores are important processes for normal cardiac function. TAG synthesis detoxifies and stockpiles fatty acids to prevent lipotoxicity, whereas TAG hydrolysis (lipolysis) remobilizes fatty acids from endogenous storage pools as energy substrates, signaling molecules, or precursors for complex lipids. This study focused on the role of G₀/G₁ switch 2 (G0S2) protein, which was previously shown to inhibit the principal TAG hydrolase adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), in the regulation of cardiac lipolysis. Using wild-type and mutant mice, we show the following: (i) G0S2 is expressed in the heart and regulated by the nutritional status with highest expression levels after re-feeding. (ii) Cardiac-specific overexpression of G0S2 inhibits cardiac lipolysis by direct protein-protein interaction with ATGL. This leads to severe cardiac steatosis. The steatotic hearts caused by G0S2 overexpression are less prone to fibrotic remodeling or cardiac dysfunction than hearts with a lipolytic defect due to ATGL deficiency. (iii) Conversely to the phenotype of transgenic mice, G0S2 deficiency results in a de-repression of cardiac lipolysis and decreased cardiac TAG content. We conclude that G0S2 acts as a potent ATGL inhibitor in the heart modulating cardiac substrate utilization by regulating cardiac lipolysis.     

TERF1 Regulates Nuclear Gene Expression Through Chloroplast Retrograde Signals

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - Ethylene is an important phytohormone that regulates many important biological processes in plant. ERF (ethylene response factor) proteins are key...     

Cardiac Restricted Overexpression of Membrane Type-1 Matrix Metalloproteinase Causes Adverse Myocardial Remodeling following Myocardial Infarction

The membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is a unique member of the MMP family, but induction patterns and consequences of MT1-MMP overexpression (MT1-MMPexp), in a left ventricular (LV) remodeling process such as myocardial infarction (MI), have not been explored. MT1-MMP promoter activity (murine luciferase reporter) increased 20-fold at 3 days and 50-fold at 14 days post-MI. MI was then induced in mice with cardiac restricted MT1-MMPexp (n = 58) and wild type (WT, n = 60). Post-MI survival was reduced (67% versus 46%, p < 0.05), and LV ejection fraction was lower in the post-MI MT1-MMPexp mice compared with WT (41 ± 2 versus 32 ± 2%,p < 0.05). In the post-MI MT1-MMPexp mice, LV myocardial MMP activity, as assessed by radiotracer uptake, and MT1-MMP-specific proteolytic activity using a specific fluorogenic assay were both increased by 2-fold. LV collagen content was increased by nearly 2-fold in the post-MI MT1-MMPexp compared with WT. Using a validated fluorogenic construct, it was discovered that MT1-MMP proteolytically processed the pro-fibrotic molecule, latency-associated transforming growth factor-1 binding protein (LTBP-1), and MT1-MMP-specific LTBP-1 proteolytic activity was increased by 4-fold in the post-MI MT1-MMPexp group. Early and persistent MT1-MMP promoter activity occurred post-MI, and increased myocardial MT1-MMP levels resulted in poor survival, worsening of LV function, and significant fibrosis. A molecular mechanism for the adverse LV matrix remodeling with MT1-MMP induction is increased processing of pro-fibrotic signaling molecules. Thus, a proteolytically diverse portfolio exists for MT1-MMP within the myocardium and likely plays a mechanistic role in adverse LV remodeling.     

Activation of Cardiac Stem Cells in Myocardial Infarction

The development of heart failure caused by acute myocardial infarction is accompanied by massive necrotic death of cardiomyocytes in lesion areas and subsequent pathological myocardial remodeling. Traditionally, the possibility of heart reparation has been considered to be severely limited or absent in the postnatal period. Endogenous cardiac stem cells with a regenerative potential have recently been described, but the mechanisms of activation of these cells remain poorly understood. The aim of our work was to obtain cardiac stem cells from the ischemic area of the myocardium and compare their functional properties with stem cells isolated from the healthy area of the myocardium. RT-PCR was used to quantify the gene expression in cardiac stem cells. In addition, differentiated cells were stained for specific markers using immunocytochemical method. Cardiac stem cells originating from the infarction area had a higher proliferative potential and a greater propensity to migrate in comparison to the cells originated from a healthy myocardial area. The expression level of several specific markers of cardiogenic, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation upon induction of corresponding differentiation was higher in the cells from the infarction area than in cells from the healthy myocardium. We conclude that myocardial ischemia activates the internal regenerative potential of cardiac stem cells.     

The Fibrillin-1 RGD Integrin Binding Site Regulates Gene Expression and Cell Function through microRNAs

Fibrillins are the major components of microfibrils in the extracellular matrix of elastic and non-elastic tissues. Fibrillin-1 contains one evolutionarily conserved RGD sequence that mediates cell–matrix interactions through cell-surface integrins. Here, we present a novel paradigm how extracellular fibrillin-1 controls cellular function through integrin-mediated microRNA regulation. Comparative mRNA studies by global microarray analysis identified growth factor activity, actin binding and integrin binding as the most important functional groups that are regulated upon fibrillin-1 binding to dermal fibroblasts. Many of these mRNAs are targets of miRNAs that were identified when RNA from the fibrillin-1-ligated fibroblasts was analyzed by a miRNA microarray. The expression profile was specific to fibrillin-1 since interaction with fibronectin displayed a partially distinct profile. The importance of selected miRNAs for the regulation of the identified mRNAs was suggested by bioinformatics prediction and the interactions between miRNAs and mRNAs were experimentally validated. Functionally, we show that miR-503 controls p-Smad2-dependent TGF-β signaling, and that miR-612 and miR-3185 are involved in the focal adhesion formation regulated by fibrillin-1. In conclusion, we demonstrate that fibrillin-1 interaction with fibroblasts regulates miRNA expression profiles which in turn control critical cell functions.     

白细胞介素-1通过JNK信号通路调控Schlafen2基因的表达

目的：在多效生长因子（Ptn）基因稳定沉默的小鼠胚胎成纤维细胞Ptn-siRNA B/MEF241中,研究白细胞介素-1（IL-1）调控Schlafen2（Slfn2）基因表达的机制。方法：应用Northernblot检测Ptn沉默细胞Ptn-siRNAB/MEF241处于不同生长密度时Slfn2基因的表达变化,以确定Ptn沉默细胞中Slfn2基因的表达是否受到某种分泌性细胞因子的调控;用不同浓度的IL-1α中和抗体及IL-1受体拮抗剂处理Ptn沉默细胞,通过Northern blot检测细胞内Slfn2表达的抑制情况;用不同浓度的IL-1α中和抗体及IL-1受体拮抗剂处理Ptn沉默细胞不同时间,通过Western blot检测细胞中JNK磷酸化水平;Northern blot检测SP600125（JNK/MAPK通路抑制剂）对Ptn沉默细胞中Slfn2基因表达的影响。结果：Ptn沉默细胞中Slfn2基因的表达水平同细胞密度相关;用中和抗体和受体拮抗剂阻断IL-1通路,Slfn2表达受到显著抑制;IL-1受到抑制会影响JNK通路的活化;阻断JNK通路,Slfn2的表达受到显著抑制。结论：IL-1可以通过JNK通路诱导Slfn2的表达。