Muscle Cell News 2.18 May 29, 2017 | |
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TOP STORYInvestigators found that sedentary but not active humans display an age-related decline in the mitochondrial protein, optic atrophy 1 (OPA1), that is associated with muscle loss. In adult mice, acute, muscle-specific deletion of Opa1 induced a precocious senescence phenotype and premature death. The ablation of Opa1 lead to ER stress, which signals via the unfolded protein response and FoxOs, inducing a catabolic program of muscle loss and systemic aging. [Cell Metab] Full Article | Graphical Abstract | |
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PUBLICATIONS(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLSNoonan syndrome patients with kinase-activating RAF1 alleles typically develop pathological left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), which has been reproduced in Raf1L613V/+ knock-in mice. Using inducible Raf1L613V expression, researchers showed that LVH resulted from the interplay of cardiac cell types. [Nat Commun] Full Article Corticotropin Releasing Hormone Receptor 2 Exacerbates Chronic Cardiac Dysfunction Scientists showed that corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 2 (Crhr2) is a G protein–coupled receptor highly expressed in cardiomyocytes and continuous infusion of the Crhr2 agonist, urocortin 2, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction in mice. [J Exp Med] Full Article Circadian Networks in Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes Investigators demonstrated that while undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells do not possess an intrinsic functional clock, oscillatory expression of known core clock genes emerges spontaneously during directed cardiac differentiation. They identified a set of clock-controlled output genes that contain an oscillatory network of stress-related transcripts. [EMBO Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLSMiR-29b Contributes to Multiple Types of Muscle Atrophy Scientists showed that microRNA (miR)-29b promotes skeletal muscle atrophy in response to different atrophic stimuli in cells and in mouse models. miR-29b promoted atrophy of myotubes differentiated from C2C12 or primary myoblasts, and conversely, its inhibition attenuated atrophy induced by dexamethasone, TNF-α and H2O2 treatment. [Nat Commun] Full Article Nesprin 1α2 Is Essential for Mouse Postnatal Viability and Nuclear Positioning in Skeletal Muscle The authors generated a series of nesprin 1 mutant mice. They showed that the actin-binding domains of nesprin 1 were dispensable, whereas nesprin 1α2, which lacks actin-binding domains, was crucial for postnatal viability, nuclear positioning, and skeletal muscle function. [J Cell Biol] Full Article Local Cryotherapy Minimally Impacts the Metabolome and Transcriptome of Human Skeletal Muscle Researchers sought to determine how a clinically-relevant dose of cryotherapy would impact the transcriptome and metabolome of skeletal muscle. Two hours after cryotherapy, muscle biopsies were obtained to analyze changes in the transcriptome, metabolome, and activation of p38 MAPK, ERK1/2, Akt, and p70S6K proteins. No changes were detected in the transcriptome between control and cooled muscles. [Sci Rep] Full Article SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLSScientists hypothesized that different expression levels of protein disulfide isomerase trigger completely opposite cell fates among the different vascular smooth muscle cell subtypes. Mouse veins were grafted into carotid arteries of non-diabetic and diabetic mice for eight weeks; the grafted veins underwent simultaneous increases in proliferation and apoptosis, which triggered vein graft arterializations in non-diabetic or atherosclerosis in diabetic mice. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article Investigators determined the roles of FAM3B in the regulation of vascular smooth muscle cells physiology, especially under the hyperglycemic condition. They found that FAM3B expression was induced by hyperglycemia both in vivo and in vitro. [Sci Rep] Full Article The authors investigated the molecular mechanism by which statins decrease advanced glycation endproduct (AGE)-induced cell proliferation and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration. Their results suggest statin-induced activation of an ERK5-dependent Nrf2 pathway reduces VSMC proliferation and migration induced by AGEs. [PLoS One] Full Article | |
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REVIEWSDirect Reprogramming of Fibroblasts into Cardiomyocytes Scientists summarize and compare the major progress in directed cardiac reprogramming including transcription factors and miRNAs, especially the small molecules. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article Cardiac Telomere Length in Heart Development, Function, and Disease The authors focus on studies that have measured telomeres in heart cells and critically assesses the relationship between cardiac telomere length and heart function. [Physiol Genomics] Abstract Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the muscle cell research field. | |
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INDUSTRY NEWSReza Moridi, Ontario’s Minister of Research, Innovation and Science announced that the Institute is funding five collaborative, cross-disciplinary and inter-institutional Translational Research Initiatives with a total of $24 million over the next two years. [Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR)] Press Release EpicGenetics Expands to Canada with First Definitive Diagnostic Blood Test for Fibromyalgia EpicGenetics announced that the FM/a® Test for fibromyalgia is now available in Canada. With this announcement, patients will now be eligible to participate in research efforts that will evaluate genetic markers for fibromyalgia. [EpicGenetics (Business Wire, Inc.)] Press Release FDA Grants Fast Track Designation for Celyad’s Ischemic Heart Failure Therapy, C-Cure® The FDA granted Fast Track designation for reduction in mortality, hospitalization and improvement of quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure secondary to ischemic cardiomyopathy with baseline left ventricular end-diastolic volumes between 200 and 370 ml as a Fast Track Development Program. [Celyad] Press Release | |
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POLICY NEWSNIH Scales Back Plan to Curb Support for Big Labs after Hearing Concerns Faced with a barrage of criticism, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has scaled back a plan to cap its support for individual labs in order to free up funds for more scientists. The changes did not appease scientists who gave NIH a tongue-lashing at a meeting of NIH’s Council of Councils. [ScienceInsider] Editorial House Science Panel Joins Trump in Questioning Research Overhead Payments A hearing on how the U.S. government defrays the cost of doing federally funded research on college campuses might put most people to sleep. But when budgets are tight, the billions of dollars being spent each year on so-called overhead become an irresistible target for lawmakers. [ScienceInsider] Editorial How NSF Cut 11% from Its Budget Donald Trump planned to include an 11% cut to National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) $7.4 billion budget in his first full spending request to Congress. The news—which was publicly unveiled as part of the president’s $4.1 trillion budget for 2018—sent Jim Olds, who leads the biology directorate at the NSF, and the heads of NSF’s other six research and education programs scrambling to erase big chunks of their portfolios without sacrificing NSF’s ability to fund the best new ideas. [ScienceInsider] Editorial
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EVENTSNEW Gordon Research Conferences: Collagen Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.
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JOB OPPORTUNITIESNEW Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Muscular Dystrophy (University of Melbourne) NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Diabetes and Heart Disease (University Health Network) NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Physiology and Cell Biology (University of Nevada, Reno) NEW Research Fellow – Cardiovascular Diseases (Mayo Clinic) Postdoctoral Position(s) – Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells (Inserm) Postdoctoral Associate – Genetics of Muscular Dystrophy (University of Florida College of Medicine) Postdoctoral/ Graduate Student Positions – Neuromuscular Diseases (University of Alberta) PhD Studentship – Experimental Genetic Cardiology (Oslo University Hospital) 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 2.18 | May 29 2017