Muscle Cell News Volume 3.31 | Sep 17 2018

TOP STORY

Sarcolipin Signaling Promotes Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Oxidative Metabolism in Skeletal Muscle

Researchers demonstrated that sarcolipin (SLN) plays a crucial role in mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism in muscle. They showed that SLN affected cytosolic Ca²⁺ transients and activated the Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and PGC1α axis to increase mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Press Release | Graphical Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLS

Sirt3 Attenuates Post-infarction Cardiac Injury via Inhibiting Mitochondrial Fission and Normalization of AMPK-Drp1 Pathways

The authors confirmed that Sirt3 repressed mitochondrial fission via normalizing AMPK-Drp1 pathways. Inhibition of AMPK activity re-activated Drp1 and thus abrogated the inhibitory effect of Sirt3 on mitochondrial fission. [Cell Signal] Abstract

LncRNA HOTAIR Functions as a Competing Endogenous RNA to Upregulate SIRT1 by Sponging miR-34a in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

Knockdown of HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) in high glucose-induced H9c2 resulted in increased oxidative injury, inflammation, and apoptosis in vitro. Scientists found HOTAIR functioned as a molecular sponge of miR-34a in H9c2 and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) was identified as a target of miR-34a. [J Cell Physiol] Abstract

The Integrated Stress Response Regulates Cell Health of Cardiac Progenitors

C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) signaling played a mechanistic role in the cell death phenotype observed in human induced pluripotent stem cell progenitors, by which depletion of CHOP prevented cell death following cellular stress by thapsigargin exposure. [Toxicol Sci] Abstract

SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS

Zinc Uptake Promotes Myoblast Differentiation via Zip7 Transporter and Activation of Akt Signaling Transduction Pathway

Investigators showed that zinc promoted myoblast proliferation, differentiation and maturation of myofibres. Depletion of zinc transporter Zip7 by RNA interference showed reduction of both PI3K/Akt signaling and a significant reduction of multinucleated myofibres and myotubes development. [Sci Rep] Full Article

PTBP1 Acts as a Dominant Repressor of the Aberrant Tissue-Specific Splicing of ISCU in Hereditary Myopathy with Lactic Acidosis

PTBP1 overexpression in hereditary myopathy with lactic acidosis patient myoblasts resulted in a substantial decrease of iron-sulfur cluster assembly (ISCU) mis-splicing while knockdown of PTBP1 resulted in a drastic increase. The effect could be observed in both patient and control myoblasts. [Mol Genet Genomic Med] Full Article

SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

PDGFBB Promotes Proliferation and Migration via Regulating miR-1181/STAT3 Axis in Human Pulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells

Researchers explored the function of miR-1181 and underlying regulatory mechanisms in platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Flow cytometry analysis suggested that miR-1181 regulated PASMCs proliferation through influencing the cell cycle transition from G0/G1 to S phase. [Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol] Abstract

Advanced Glycation End Products Accelerate Calcification in VSMCs through HIF-1α/PDK4 Activation and Suppress Glucose Metabolism

Stabilization or nuclear translocation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) increased pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) expression. PDK4 inhibition attenuated advanced glycation end products-induced vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) calcification, which was evaluated by measuring the calcium content, alkaline phosphatase activity and runt-related transcription factor 2 expression levels and by Alizarin red S staining. [Sci Rep] Full Article

The CDK 9-Cyclin T1 Complex Mediates Saturated Fatty Acid-Induced Vascular Calcification by Inducing Expression of the Transcription Factor CHOP

Selective CDK9 inhibitors and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated CDK9 knockout blocked saturated fatty acid-mediated induction of CCAAT enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) expression, whereas inhibitors of other CDK isoforms did not. [J Biol Chem] Abstract | Full Article

Phospholipase D: A New Mediator during High Phosphate-Induced Vascular Calcification Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease

Scientists observed an early increase in phospholipase D 1 (PLD1) gene and protein expression along with an increase in PLD activity in the vascular muscle cell line, during calcification induced by ascorbic acid and β-glycerophosphate. Inhibition of PLD1 by the selective inhibitor VU0155069, or the pan-PLD inhibitor, halopemide, prevented calcification. [J Cell Physiol] Abstract

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Angiogenic lncRNAs: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Ischaemic Heart Disease

The authors summarize the classification and functions of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and their roles in regulating angiogenesis and in ischaemic heart disease, in the context of an overview of therapeutic angiogenesis in clinical trials. [Life Sci] Abstract

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Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Announces FDA Fast Track Designation for Praliciguat for the Treatment of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF)

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. FDA has granted Fast Track Designation for praliciguat for the treatment of patients with heart failure with HFpEF. Praliciguat is an investigational, orally administered soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator currently in Phase II clinical trials. [Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

CellAegis Announces Completion of Patient Enrollment in First North American Study for Innovative Heart Attack Therapy Using autoRIC^®

CellAegis Devices Inc. announced completion of patient enrollment in a large scale, investigator sponsored study to evaluate the clinical and economic benefits of remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) therapy in the treatment of patients presenting with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction heart attacks, as delivered by CellAegis’ autoRIC^® device. [CellAegis Devices] Press Release

Retrotope Announces the Initiation of Expanded Access (Compassionate Use) Trial of RT001 in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Retrotope announced that it has supplied its drug RT001 for the initiation of an expanded access (EA) trial to treat patients with ALS. This EA program in ALS, requested by renowned investigators at major medical centers, is expected to enroll a few patients at each site and is intended to provide information to guide the design of future randomized placebo-controlled trials. [Retrotope Inc. (GlobeNewswire, Inc.)] Press Release

PathMaker Neurosystems Announces Initiation of Landmark European Clinical Trial Evaluating MyoRegulato^™ for Non-Invasive Treatment of Spasticity

PathMaker Neurosystems Inc. announced that it has initiated and successfully enrolled the first patient in its European clinical trial to evaluate MyoRegulator^™ for the non-invasive treatment of spasticity secondary to stroke. [PathMaker Neurosystems Inc.] Press Release

Evidence-Based Medicine Group in Turmoil after Expulsion of Co-Founder

A bitter dispute with one of its co-founders has plunged Cochrane, an international network of scientists promoting evidence-based medicine, into a crisis on the eve of an international gathering that marks its 25^th anniversary. A narrow majority of the organization’s Governing Board apparently decided to end the Cochrane membership of Peter Gøtzsche, director of the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen and a member of the board himself, for causing “disrepute” to the organization. Four other board members then resigned in protest. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NIH Set to Strengthen Its Sexual-Harassment Policies

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) is remaking how it handles allegations of harassment by its employees. The agency will soon introduce a centralized system for reporting harassment by NIH scientists, director Francis Collins said. [Nature News] Editorial

NEJM Doubles Down on Refusal to Retract Article Dartmouth Says Is Plagiarized

The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is again refusing to retract an article co-authored by one of the country’s leading health policy scholars even after the researcher resigned his position following a misconduct finding. [STAT News] Editorial

Ten Years after the Economic Crash, R&D Funding Is Better Than Ever

The funding by businesses dipped after the crash, offset in some regions by rises in government funding. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW 7^th Annual International Symposium on Regenerative Rehabilitation
October 11-13, 2018
Seattle, Washington, United States

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Vascular Smooth Muscle & Endothelial Cell Ion Channel Research (The University of Tennessee Health Science Center)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiac Regeneration & Heart Failure (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Molecular & Genomic Regulation of Cell Specification (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Faculty Positions – Cardiovascular Research (Nationwide Children’s Hospital Research Institute)

Tenure-Track Faculty Positions – Therapeutic Cells Research & Cardiovascular Research (Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiovascular Biology (Weill Cornell Medicine)

Postdoctoral Position – Vascular Smooth Muscle Research (University of Tennessee Health Science Center)

Postdoctoral Fellows – Cardiac & Skeletal Muscle Research (Duke University)

Scientist – Cardiovascular Research (University of Iowas Hospital and Clinics)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering (Stanford University)

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