Muscle Cell News 2.08 March 13, 2017 | |
| |
TOP STORYThe authors utilized myoblasts isolated from facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) patients (FSHD myoblasts) to investigate the effect of estrogens on muscle properties. Their results demonstrated that estrogens counteract the differentiation impairment of FSHD myoblasts without affecting cell proliferation or survival. [J Clin Invest] Full Article | |
| |
PUBLICATIONS(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLSScientists showed that the expression of secreted frizzled-related protein Sfrp5 in the mouse identifies common progenitors for the outflow tract, left ventricle, atrium and sinus venosus but not the right ventricle. [Nat Commun] Full Article DDiT4L Promotes Autophagy and Inhibits Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy in Response to Stress Researchers found that the transcript encoding DNA damage–inducible transcript 4-like (DDiT4L) was expressed in murine models of pathological cardiac hypertrophy but not in those of physiological cardiac hypertrophy. In cardiomyocytes, DDiT4L localized to early endosomes and promoted stress-induced autophagy through a process involving mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Exposing cardiomyocytes to various types of pathological stress increased the abundance of DDiT4L, which inhibited mTORC1 but activated mTORC2 signaling. [Sci Signal] Full Article Robust and predictive cardiac disease models that faithfully recapitulate native human physiology in vitro would ideally incorporate cardiomyocyte-endothelium crosstalk. Scientists generated and characterized human cardiac microtissues in vitro that integrate both cell types in complex 3D structures. They established conditions for simultaneous differentiation of cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells from human pluripotent stem cells following initial cardiac mesoderm induction. [Development] Full Article Researchers validated the use of nanopillar electrodes for myriad further applications of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes such as cardiomyocyte maturation monitoring and electrophysiology-contractile force correlation. [Microsyst Nanoeng] Full Article SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLSLnc-Mg Is a Long Non-Coding RNA that Promotes Myogenesis The specific roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in myogenic differentiation of adult skeletal muscle stem cells and myogenesis are still largely unknown. Scientists identified a lncRNA that is specifically enriched in skeletal muscle (myogenesis-associated lncRNA, in short, lnc-mg). In mice, conditional knockout of lnc-mg in skeletal muscle results in muscle atrophy and the loss of muscular endurance during exercise. [Nat Commun] Full Article Researchers showed that deletion of Rspo1 results in global alteration of muscle regeneration kinetics following acute injury. They found that muscle progenitor cells lacking Rspo1 show delayed differentiation due to reduced activation of Wnt/β-catenin target genes. Muscle cells lacking Rspo1 have a fusion phenotype leading to larger myotubes containing supernumerary nuclei both in vitro and in vivo. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract Investigators showed that muscle-resident pre-adipocytes promote myogenic differentiation through the secretion of factors. Using proteomic and transcriptomic analyses, they identified that proliferative adipogenic lineage cells produce and secrete a key factor of the innate immune system, the complement C3. Cell culture experiments revealed that C3 promotes the differentiation of myogenic progenitors following internalization of the immune molecule. [Sci Rep] Full Article Scientists demonstrated that Tet2, a ten-eleven translocation (Tet) methylcytosine dioxygenase, exerts a role during skeletal myoblast differentiation. By using an immunostaining method, they found that the levels of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine were much higher in differentiated myotubes than in undifferentiated C2C12 myoblasts. [Sci Rep] Full Article SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLSInvestigators aimed to elucidate the effect of atractylenolide I on smooth muscle cell inflammation, proliferation and migration induced by oxidized modified low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL). They found that atractylenolide I inhibited Ox-LDL-induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) proliferation and migration in a dose-dependent manner, and decreased the production of inflammatory cytokines and the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in VSMCs. [Exp Cell Res] Abstract The authors provided the first direct evidence that a smooth muscle cells-derived collagen, collagen type XV (COL15A1), is critical during lesion pathogenesis but contrary to expectations, its loss resulted in marked attenuation rather than exacerbation of lesion pathogenesis. [Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol] Abstract | |
| |
REVIEWSSarcoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondria Communication in Cardiovascular Pathophysiology The authors summarize the evidence related to the role of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum–mitochondria communication in cardiac and vascular muscle physiology, with a focus on how perturbations contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disorders. [Nat Rev Cardiol] Abstract A Growing Role for the Hippo Signaling Pathway in the Heart Researchers review the function of canonical and non-canonical Hippo signaling in cardiomyocytes, with a particular focus on proliferation and survival, and how this impacts the stressed adult heart. [J Mol Med (Berl)] Abstract Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the muscle cell research field. | |
| |
INDUSTRY NEWSGovernment of Canada Provides Almost $5 Million for U of T Cutting-Edge Research Nineteen scholars at the University of Toronto have been awarded almost $5 million to support research in everything from using stem cells to fix injured hearts to creating an advanced laboratory to develop large astronomical telescopes. [University of Toronto] Press Release MDA Awards More than $7 Million in New Research Grants The Muscular Dystrophy Association announced the award of 29 new research and development grants totaling more than $7 million and targeted to impact the state of the science and accelerate the development of treatments for muscular dystrophy, ALS and related life-threatening diseases. [Muscular Dystrophy Association (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release | |
| |
POLICY NEWSCanada’s New Genetic Privacy Law Is Causing Huge Headaches for Justin Trudeau A vote in Canada’s Parliament to approve a genetic privacy bill is creating a self-inflicted political headache for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government—and could result in a relatively rare and unusual court case. [ScienceInsider] Editorial Physician with Drug-Industry Ties Is Trump’s FDA Pick President Donald Trump has nominated Scott Gottlieb — a conservative pundit, physician and venture capitalist — to head the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). [Nature News] Editorial
| |
EVENTSNEW Advances in Sarcomas: From Basic Science to Clinical Translation Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.
| |
JOB OPPORTUNITIESNEW Postdoctoral Scholar – Stem Cell Biology and Endocrinology (Stanford University) Postdoctoral Fellow – Cellular Mechanobiology (University of Buffalo) Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Cardiovascular Research (Rutgers New Jersey Medical School) Postdoctoral Candidate – Cardiovascular Biology and Disease (University at Buffalo) Postdoctoral Fellow – Cell and Gene Therapy for Cardiac Arrhythmias (Duke University) Postdoctoral Fellow – Genome Editing for Cardiac Muscle Regeneration (Duke University) Postdoctoral Position – In Vitro Modeling of Human Skeletal Muscle Disease (Duke University) Postdoctoral Fellow – hiPSC-Based Heart Repair (Duke University) Postdoctoral Researcher – Muscle Biology and Muscle Disease (University of Pennsylvania) Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.
| |
Have we missed an important article or publication in Muscle Cell News? Click here to submit! Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here. | |
|
Home Muscle Cell News Volume 2.08 | Mar 13 2017