Muscle Cell News 2.11 April 3, 2017 | |
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TOP STORYScientists aimed to develop a new technical platform to rapidly characterize cell-autonomous gene function in postnatal murine cardiac myocytes and applied it to identify genes that regulate T-tubules, a hallmark of mature cardiac myocytes. [Circ Res] Abstract | |
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PUBLICATIONS(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLSThe Histone H3K9 Methyltransferase SUV39H Links SIRT1 Repression to Myocardial Infarction The authors showed that in primary rat neonatal ventricular myocytes, ischemic or oxidative stress leads to a rapid upregulation of SUV39H, the mammalian histone H3K9 methyltransferase, paralleling sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) downregulation. [Nat Commun] Full Article YAP Promotes Myogenic Differentiation via the MEK5-ERK5 Pathway Investigators generated C2C12 stable cell lines that expressed yes-associated protein (C2C12-YAP cells) and found that ERK5 and MEK5 were activated in C2C12-YAP cells compared with control C2C12 cells. [FASEB J] Abstract Researchers described a scalable, porous large-format engineered cardiac tissue composed of human induced pluripotent stem cells derived multiple lineage cardiac cells with varied 3D geometries and cell densities developed towards the goal of scale-up for large animal pre-clinical studies. [Sci Rep] Full Article SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLSPABPN1 Gene Therapy for Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy The authors showed that the treatment of a mouse model of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy with an adeno-associated virus-based gene therapy combining complete knockdown of endogenous polyA-binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1) and its replacement by a wild-type PABPN1 substantially reduces the amount of insoluble aggregates, decreases muscle fibrosis, reverts muscle strength to the level of healthy muscles and normalizes the muscle transcriptome. [Nat Commun] Full Article Scientists assessed the impact of fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) on murine skeletal muscle differentiation by in vitro and in vivo experiments. They found that FTO expression increased during myoblasts differentiation, while the silence of FTO inhibited the differentiation; in addition, skeletal muscle development was impaired in skeletal muscle FTO-deficient mice. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article miR-127 Enhances Myogenic Cell Differentiation by Targeting S1PR3 Researchers showed that microRNA (miR)-127 is upregulated during C2C12 and satellite cell (SC) differentiation and, by establishing C2C12 cells stably expressing miR-127, demonstrated that overexpression of miR-127 in C2C12 cells enhances myogenic cell differentiation. To investigate the function of miR-127 during muscle development and regeneration in vivo, they generated miR-127 transgenic mice. These mice exhibited remarkably accelerated muscle regeneration compared with wild-type mice by promoting SC differentiation. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article Bioenergetic Impairment in Congenital Muscular Dystrophy Type 1A and Leigh Syndrome Muscle Cells Scientists have investigated the bioenergetic profile in myogenic cells from muscular dystrophy type 1A and Leigh syndrome patients. They found dysregulated expression of genes related to energy production, apoptosis and proteasome in myoblasts and myotubes. [Sci Rep] Full Article SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLSInvestigators showed that miR-155, which is significantly expressed and secreted in Krüppel-like factor 5-overexpressing vascular smooth muscle cells, is a potent regulator of endothelium barrier function through regulating endothelial targeting tight junction protein expression. [Mol Ther] Abstract TGFβ-TAZ/SRF Signaling Regulates Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation Scientists assessed the network of transcription factors involved in the induction of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) differentiation, and to determine the role of TAZ in promoting the quiescent VSMC phenotype. [FEBS J] Abstract Researchers aimed to investigate the impact of keratose (KOS) hydrogel biomaterial on cellular viability, proliferation, and differentiation of c-kit+ human cardiac stem cells (hCSCs). hCSCs were cultured on both KOS hydrogel-coated dishes and regular tissue culture dishes. Cell viability, stemness, proliferation, cellular morphology, and cardiac lineage differentiation were compared between KOS hydrogel and the blank control at different time points. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract | |
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REVIEWSCardiac Regeneration: All Work and No Repair? Structural changes in the developing heart may influence the limited regenerative capacity of the adult heart. The authors examine how the workload exerted on the adult mammalian heart may limit regenerative capability and discuss recent therapies that demonstrate beneficial effects through unloading the heart. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract Modeling human heart development and disease using pluripotent stem cells has already provided many important insights into cardiogenesis and cardiovascular disease mechanisms; however, it is important to be aware of the complexities of this model system. The authors discuss how thorough contemplation of experimental models and specialized techniques is required to provide high-quality evidence of the intricacies of both normal early development, and when this process goes awry in disease states. [Stem Cells Transl Med] Full Article Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the muscle cell research field. | |
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INDUSTRY NEWSUC San Diego Researchers Receive $3 Million Grant from California Stem Cell Agency Researchers led by Karen Christman, a bioengineering professor at the University of California San Diego, were awarded nearly $3.1 million by the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. [University of California San Diego] Press Release Audentes Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the investigational new drug application for AT132, the company’s gene therapy product candidate to treat X-linked myotubular myopathy. [Audentes Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release | |
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POLICY NEWSBrazilian Scientists Reeling as Federal Funds Slashed by Nearly Half Brazilian scientists have been left horrified by a 44% slash to the federal science budget, announced by the country’s government. This will leave the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications with its lowest budget in at least 12 years at just 2.8 billion reais, equivalent to US $898 million — a 2.2 billion reais cut from the five billion reais of funding that the government had originally proposed for 2017. [Nature News] Editorial Genetic Details of Controversial ‘Three-Parent Baby’ Revealed When a US fertility clinic revealed last year that it had created a baby boy using a controversial technique that mixes DNA from three people, scientists were quick to raise the alarm. Some objected on ethical grounds, and others questioned the scientific claims made by the clinic’s leader, physician John Zhang. [Nature News] Editorial Few U.S. Animal Inspections Are Being Posted The Donald Trump administration appears to have reversed its decision to remove from public sight the results of past government inspections of animal research facilities. But getting hold of new inspection reports is proving to be another matter. An animal welfare researcher has found that only four reports have been posted during the first quarter of 2017. [ScienceInsider] Editorial
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EVENTSNEW Gordon Research Conferences: Tissue Repair & Regeneration NEW Gordon Research Conferences: Muscle: Excitation-Contraction Coupling Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.
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JOB OPPORTUNITIESNEW Principal Investigator – Human Physiology and Experimental Medicine (University of Cambridge) Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiovascular Disease (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiovascular Research (Augusta University) Postdoctoral Fellow – Vascular Smooth Muscle (The University of Tennessee Health Science Center) Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (University of Oxford) Postdoctoral Fellow – Skeletal Muscle (University of Oregon) Postdoctoral Scholar – Stem Cell Biology and Endocrinology (Stanford University) Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Cardiovascular Research (Rutgers New Jersey Medical School) Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.
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Home Muscle Cell News Volume 2.11 | Apr 3 2017