猪肌肉素基因的cDNA克隆与表达

从人肌肉素基因出发, 在dbEST数据库中进行同源性搜索, 找到七个有较高同源性的Expressed Sequence Tag(DY426490, CF787546, AJ660979, AJ664670, AJ663820, AJ680159, DN106254)。通过拼接和进一步RT-PCR实验验证, 获得猪肌肉素基因全长cDNA序列, 其全长651 bp, 开放阅读框为54~452 bp, 编码有132个氨基酸。同源性分析结果表明, 与人、小鼠和大鼠的肌肉素基因cDNA编码区(CDS)同源性分别为87.2%、77.6%和77.9%。利用克隆出的猪肌肉素cDNA, 构建表达载体pGEX-4T-1-musclin, 并在BL21大肠杆菌中成功表达和纯化了分子量为38.59 kD的融合蛋白GST-Musclin, 并运用蛋白印迹技术进行鉴定。     

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.     

生长激素释放因子在动物骨骼肌的表达

生长激素释放因子是由动物和人的下丘脑合成并分泌的多肽,具有促进生长激素合成与分泌的作用,从而提高动物生长速度。向肌肉组织注射质粒DNA,外源基因可以较稳定表达一定的时间。将含生长激素释放因子基因的表达质粒注射动物肌肉组织,可能成为一种刺激动物生长的新方法。     

Low-Affinity Ca Indicators Compared in Measurements of Skeletal Muscle Ca Transients

The low-affinity fluorescent Ca²⁺ indicators OGB-5N, Fluo-5N, fura-5N, Rhod-5N, and Mag-fluo-4 were evaluated for their ability to accurately track the kinetics of the spatially averaged free Ca²⁺ transient (Δ[Ca²⁺]) in skeletal muscle. Frog single fibers were injected with one of the above indicators and, usually, furaptra (previously shown to rapidly track Δ[Ca²⁺]). In response to an action potential, the full duration at half-maximum of the indicator's fluorescence change (ΔF) was found to be larger with OGB-5N, Fluo-5N, fura-5N, and Rhod-5N than with furaptra; thus, these indicators do not track Δ[Ca²⁺] with kinetic fidelity. In contrast, the ΔF time course of Mag-fluo-4 was identical to furaptra's; thus, Mag-fluo-4 also yields reliable kinetic information about Δ[Ca²⁺]. Mag-fluo-4's ΔF has a larger signal/noise ratio than furaptra's (for similar indicator concentrations), and should thus be more useful for tracking Δ[Ca²⁺] in small cell volumes. However, because the resting fluorescence of Mag-fluo-4 probably arises largely from indicator that is bound with Mg²⁺, the amplitude of the Mag-fluo-4 signal, and its calibration in Δ[Ca²⁺] units, is likely to be more sensitive to variations in [Mg²⁺] than furaptra's.     

Hydrogen Peroxide Elicits Constriction of Skeletal Muscle Arterioles by Activating the Arachidonic Acid Pathway

Aims

The molecular mechanisms of the vasoconstrictor responses evoked by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) have not been clearly elucidated in skeletal muscle arterioles.

Methods and Results

Changes in diameter of isolated, cannulated and pressurized gracilis muscle arterioles (GAs) of Wistar-Kyoto rats were determined under various test conditions. H₂O₂ (10–100 µM) evoked concentration-dependent constrictions in the GAs, which were inhibited by endothelium removal, or by antagonists of phospholipase A (PLA; 100 µM 7,7-dimethyl-(5Z,8Z)-eicosadienoic acid), protein kinase C (PKC; 10 µM chelerythrine), phospholipase C (PLC; 10 µM U-73122), or Src family tyrosine kinase (Src kinase; 1 µM Src Inhibitor-1). Antagonists of thromboxane A2 (TXA2; 1 µM SQ-29548) or the non-specific cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor indomethacin (10 µM) converted constrictions to dilations. The COX-1 inhibitor (SC-560, 1 µM) demonstrated a greater reduction in constriction and conversion to dilation than that of COX-2 (celecoxib, 3 µM). H₂O₂ did not elicit significant changes in arteriolar Ca²⁺ levels measured with Fura-2.

Conclusions

These data suggest that H₂O₂ activates the endothelial Src kinase/PLC/PKC/PLA pathway, ultimately leading to the synthesis and release of TXA2 by COX-1, thereby increasing the Ca²⁺ sensitivity of the vascular smooth muscle cells and eliciting constriction in rat skeletal muscle arterioles.     

Gestational Diabetes Is Characterized by Reduced Mitochondrial Protein Expression and Altered Calcium Signaling Proteins in Skeletal Muscle

The rising prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects up to 18% of pregnant women with immediate and long-term metabolic consequences for both mother and infant. Abnormal glucose uptake and lipid oxidation are hallmark features of GDM prompting us to use an exploratory proteomics approach to investigate the cellular mechanisms underlying differences in skeletal muscle metabolism between obese pregnant women with GDM (OGDM) and obese pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (ONGT). Functional validation was performed in a second cohort of obese OGDM and ONGT pregnant women. Quantitative proteomic analysis in rectus abdominus skeletal muscle tissue collected at delivery revealed reduced protein content of mitochondrial complex I (C-I) subunits (NDUFS3, NDUFV2) and altered content of proteins involved in calcium homeostasis/signaling (calcineurin A, α1-syntrophin, annexin A4) in OGDM (n = 6) vs. ONGT (n = 6). Follow-up analyses showed reduced enzymatic activity of mitochondrial complexes C-I, C-III, and C-IV (−60–75%) in the OGDM (n = 8) compared with ONGT (n = 10) subjects, though no differences were observed for mitochondrial complex protein content. Upstream regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative phosphorylation were not different between groups. However, AMPK phosphorylation was dramatically reduced by 75% in the OGDM women. These data suggest that GDM is associated with reduced skeletal muscle oxidative phosphorylation and disordered calcium homeostasis. These relationships deserve further attention as they may represent novel risk factors for development of GDM and may have implications on the effectiveness of physical activity interventions on both treatment strategies for GDM and for prevention of type 2 diabetes postpartum.     

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.     

Glucose Tolerance and Skeletal Muscle Gene Expression in Response to Alternate Day Fasting

Objective: Alternate day fasting may extend lifespan in rodents and is feasible for short periods in nonobese humans. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 3 weeks of alternate day fasting on glucose tolerance and skeletal muscle expression of genes involved in fatty acid transport/oxidation, mitochondrial biogenesis, and stress response. Research Methods and Procedures: Glucose and insulin responses to a standard meal were tested in nonobese subjects (eight men and eight women; BMI, 20 to 30 kg/m²) at baseline and after 22 days of alternate day fasting (36 hour fast). Muscle biopsies were obtained from a subset of subjects (n = 11) at baseline and on day 21 (12‐hour fast). Results: Glucose response to a meal was slightly impaired in women after 3 weeks of treatment (p < 0.01), but insulin response was unchanged. However, men had no change in glucose response and a significant reduction in insulin response (p < 0.03). There were no significant changes in the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis or fatty acid transport/oxidation, although a trend toward increased CPT1 expression was observed (p < 0.08). SIRT1 mRNA expression was increased after alternate day fasting (p = 0.01). Discussion: Alternate day fasting may adversely affect glucose tolerance in nonobese women but not in nonobese men. The gene expression results indicate that fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial biogenesis are unaffected by alternate day fasting. However, the increased expression in SIRT1 suggests that alternate day fasting may improve stress resistance, a commonly observed feature of calorie‐restricted rodents.     

猪骨骼肌快肌肌钙蛋白C2基因的cDNA克隆与表达分析

从人骨骼肌快肌肌钙蛋白C2（TNNC2）基因出发,在dbEST数据库中进行同源性搜索,找到一个有较高同源性且在猪背最长肌中表达EST（BM083186）。通过电子克隆和进一步RT-PCR实验验证,获得猪TNNC2基因全长cDNA序列,其全长843bp,开放阅读框为201～683bp,编码有160个氨基酸。同源性分析结果表明,与人、鼠的骨骼肌快肌肌钙蛋白C2基因cDNA编码区（CDS）同源性分别为93.6％、90.5％,蛋白序列同源性均为97.5%。多种组织的半定量RT-PCR研究表明,该基因在骨骼肌中表达,并且在杜洛克猪背最长肌中的表达比兰塘猪高。     

Gas Exchange, MRS and NIRS Assessment of Metabolic Transients in Skeletal Muscle

The study of the kinetics of O₂ consumption (o₂) at the onsetand offset of constant-load submaximal exercise (o₂ on- andoff-kinetics) is useful from a practical point of view (a fasteradjustment of oxidative metabolism following an increased metabolicdemand reduces the need for substrate level phosphorylation,with implications on exercise tolerance and muscle fatigue)and can give valuable insights into the regulation of oxidativemetabolism in skeletal muscle. Measurements have been carriedout both in man and in animals, at the tissue and at the wholebody level. At the tissue level, the o₂ on- and off-kineticswere determined: a) Directly, by dynamic solution of the Fickequation throughout the transients; attempts were also madeto obtain similar informations by near-infrared spectroscopy.b) Indirectly, from the kinetics of phosphocreatine hydrolysisand resynthesis, by chemical methods or by ³¹P magnetic resonancespectroscopy. At the whole body level, o₂ on- and off-kineticsare determined from breath-by-breath measurements of pulmonarygas exchange. The o₂ = f(t) function is a complex one, particularlyduring the on-transient. The so-called "phase 2" of the o₂ on-response,as well as the o₂ off-response, yield relevant metabolic informations.In muscle the o₂ on- and off-kinetics are characterized by half-times(t) of 15–20 sec. At the whole-body level, t of the o₂on-kinetics show a wider variability, related to the experimentalprotocol and to other factors. The o₂ off-phase is more constant,and its kinetic parameters appear closer to those obtained atthe tissue level. The study of the o₂ kinetics is valuable fora functional evaluation of skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism.In ordinary conditions muscle o₂ kinetics appears mainly imposedby intrinsic (metabolic) rather than extrinsic (O₂ delivery)factors.     

电穿孔介导的人对氧磷酶1基因在小鼠原代骨骼肌细胞中的转移与表达

非病毒载体介导的外源基因在哺乳动物骨骼肌细胞中的表达往往受限于基因转移效率的低下.本文利用电穿孔为基因转移方法,研究了人对氧磷酶基因（PON1）在原代培养的小鼠骨骼肌成肌细胞和成熟肌管中的转移与表达.在上述细胞中加入PON1的真核表达质粒后实施一定条件的电穿孔,通过测定不同时间点培养基与细胞裂解液中芳香酯酶活性的变化以衡量PON1的表达与分泌.结果显示,PON1在成肌细胞中表达的最佳电穿孔条件为800 V/cm, 20 ms and 50 μF;在肌管中为700 V/cm, 20 ms and 50 μF.在此条件下,细胞存活率均达75%以上,且表达的蛋白均可有效分泌.RT PCR分析同样验证了PON1 mRNA在骨骼肌细胞中的高效表达.电穿孔介导的PON1基因表达效率显著高于传统的基因转移方法如磷酸钙法和阳离子脂质体法.因此,以不同分化阶段的骨骼肌细胞为靶细胞,通过电穿孔介导外源基因表达切实可行,并可能在细胞工程与基因治疗等领域均具有潜在的应用前景.     

猪骨骼肌MyHC-Ⅱb基因上调表达的分子机制

哺乳动物骨骼肌由各种不同类型的肌纤维镶嵌而成,不同类型肌球蛋白重链的表达是造成不同类型肌纤维的主要原因.目前已知的肌球蛋白重链家族包含8种亚型,其中长白猪骨骼肌My HC-Ⅱb的表达量显著高于中国地方猪,然而造成这种差异的分子机制未见报道.本研究用荧光定量PCR证明了长白猪背最长肌中My HC-Ⅱb m RNA的表达量显著高于莱芜猪(P=0.013).删除实验结果表明,从转录起始位点上游-1024 bp删除到-187 bp之后,My HC-Ⅱb表达量显著下降,分析发现,在这段启动子区域内存在3个E-box序列;分别突变这3个E-box序列后,My HC-Ⅱb启动子驱动的荧光素酶活性显著下降(P=0.036).另外,在My HC-Ⅱb上游启动子区?1398 bp处发现一个GT的突变,所检测的64头莱芜猪在该位点全部为GG型,65头长白猪中13头为GG型,16头为TT型,36头为GT型.在C2C12细胞系中的转染实验结果显示,G突变为T之后有增加My HC-Ⅱb表达的趋势.Western blot的结果表明,转录因子Myo D在两猪种间表达差异不显著(P=0.136),而Myf-5在长白猪中的表达量极显著高于其在莱芜猪中的表达量(P=0.0036).这些数据表明,Myf-5是造成猪My HC-Ⅱb基因m RNA上调表达的重要因素之一.     

Autoradiographic Studies of Intracellular Calcium in Frog Skeletal Muscle

Autoradiographs consisting of a 1000 A thick tissue section and a 1400 A thick emulsion film have been prepared from frog toe muscles labeled with Ca⁴⁵. The muscles had been fixed with an oxalate-containing osmium solution at rest at room temperature, at rest at 4°C, during relaxation following K⁺ depolarization or after prolonged depolarization. From 6 to 39 per cent of K⁺ contracture tension was produced during fixation. The grains in the autoradiographs were always concentrated in the center 0.2 to 0.3 µ of the I band and the region of the overlapping of the thick and thin filaments. The greater the tension produced during fixation, the greater was the concentration in the A band and the smaller the concentration in the I band. Autoradiographs of two muscles fixed by freeze-substitution resembled those of muscles which produced little tension during osmium fixation. Muscles which shortened during fixation produced fewer grains. In the narrow (<2.0 µ) sarcomeres of the shortened muscles, grain density decreased with decreasing sarcomere width. A theoretical analysis of the significance of these grain distributions is proposed and discussed.     

Assessment of Calcium Sparks in Intact Skeletal Muscle Fibers

Maintaining homeostatic Ca²⁺ signaling is a fundamental physiological process in living cells. Ca²⁺ sparks are the elementary units of Ca²⁺ signaling in the striated muscle fibers that appear as highly localized Ca²⁺ release events mediated by ryanodine receptor (RyR) Ca²⁺ release channels on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane. Proper assessment of muscle Ca²⁺ sparks could provide information on the intracellular Ca²⁺ handling properties of healthy and diseased striated muscles. Although Ca²⁺ sparks events are commonly seen in resting cardiomyocytes, they are rarely observed in resting skeletal muscle fibers; thus there is a need for methods to generate and analyze sparks in skeletal muscle fibers.Detailed here is an experimental protocol for measuring Ca²⁺ sparks in isolated flexor digitorm brevis (FDB) muscle fibers using fluorescent Ca²⁺ indictors and laser scanning confocal microscopy. In this approach, isolated FDB fibers are exposed to transient hypoosmotic stress followed by a return to isotonic physiological solution. Under these conditions, a robust Ca²⁺ sparks response is detected adjacent to the sarcolemmal membrane in young healthy FDB muscle fibers. Altered Ca²⁺ sparks response is detected in dystrophic or aged skeletal muscle fibers. This approach has recently demonstrated that membrane-delimited signaling involving cross-talk between inositol (1,4,5)-triphosphate receptor (IP₃R) and RyR contributes to Ca²⁺ spark activation in skeletal muscle. In summary, our studies using osmotic stress induced Ca²⁺ sparks showed that this intracellular response reflects a muscle signaling mechanism in physiology and aging/disease states, including mouse models of muscle dystrophy (mdx mice) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS model).     

Nickel Substitution for Calcium in Excitation-Contraction Coupling of Skeletal Muscle

In 1962 Frank (22) reported that the addition of any one of a number of divalent cations, including Ni, to a Ca-free Ringer solution prevented the rapid loss of contractility seen in the absence of external Ca. To investigate further the Ni-Ca substitution, studies were made of ⁴⁵Ca and ⁶³Ni exchange during contraction and at rest using frog striated muscle. In contrast to ⁴⁵Ca, it was found that there is no increase of ⁶³Ni uptake associated with a K contracture of the sartorius muscle. The rates of loss of ⁶³Ni and ⁴⁵Ca from resting toe muscles previously bathed in the respective radioisotopes are not significantly different. Resting and action potentials, after 1 hr in a Ringer solution with Ni replacing Ca, closely resemble these potentials in normal Ca-Ringer's solution. Studies on the syneresis of isolated myofibrils indicate that Ni cannot replace Ca in activating this reaction. It is suggested that Ca is required for at least two steps in E-C coupling: one is the spread of excitation at the sarcolemma and transverse tubular system; the second is the activation of actomyosin ATPase. Conceivably Ni can substitute for Ca in the former but not in the latter.