Muscle Cell News Volume 5.11 | Mar 30 2020

TOP STORY

Applying Genome-Wide CRISPR-Cas9 Screens for Therapeutic Discovery in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy

Scientists performed a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen to identify genes whose loss-of-function conferred survival when DUX4 was expressed in muscle cells. Genes emerging from their screen illuminated a pathogenic link to the cellular hypoxia response, which was revealed to be the main driver of DUX4-induced cell death. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLS

A Critical Role for Estrogen-Related Receptor Signaling in Cardiac Maturation

RNA sequence analysis of pn-csERRα/γ knockdown hearts at five weeks of age combined with chromatin immunoprecipitation with deep sequencing and functional characterization conducted in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac myocytes demonstrated that estrogen-related receptor γ activated transcription of genes involved in virtually all aspects of postnatal developmental maturation. [Circ Res] Abstract

Myosin Filament-Based Regulation of the Dynamics of Contraction in Heart Muscle

Scientists used synchrotron small-angle X-ray diffraction to determine the structural dynamics of local domains of the myosin filament during contraction of heart muscle. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Full Article

TAT-Dextran-Mediated Mitochondrial Transfer Enhances Recovery from Models of Reperfusion Injury in Cultured Cardiomyocytes

Researchers report the use of transactivator of transcription dextran complexes (TAT-dextran) to enhance cellular uptake of exogenous mitochondria and improve the protective effect of mitochondrial replenishment in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes against oxidative stress. [J Cell Mol Med] Full Article

Tanshinone IIA Alleviates Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Induced Cardiomyocyte Injury via lncRNA AK003290/miR-124-5p Signaling

Investigators showed that tanshinone IIA decreased the apoptosis rate, the amount of LDH, MDA as well as ROS of cardiomyocytes. Meantime, it elevated mitochondrial membrane potential which was decreased by H/R treatment. [BMC Mol Cell Biol] Full Article

SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS

PIP3 Depletion Rescues Myoblast Fusion Defects in Human Rhabdomyosarcoma Cells

In a human rhabdomyosarcoma-derived (RD) cell line that exhibited strong blebbing dynamics and myoblast fusion defects, phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5–trisphosphate (PIP3) was constitutively abundant on the membrane during myogenesis. Targeting phosphatase and tensin homolog to the plasma membrane reduced PIP3 levels, inhibited bubbling blebs, and rescued myoblast fusion defects in RD cells. [J Cell Sci] Abstract

SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

Biomimetic Human Small Muscular Pulmonary Arteries

Investigators describe parallel biofabrication of photopatterned self-rolled biomimetic pulmonary arterial microvessels of tunable size and infrastructure. These microvessels featured anatomically accurate layering and patterning of aligned human smooth muscle cells, extracellular matrix, and endothelial cells. [Sci Adv] Full Article

Everolimus Rescues the Phenotype of Elastin Insufficiency in Patient Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Smooth muscle cells generated from induced pluripotent stem cells from five elastin insufficiency patients with severe recurrent vascular stenoses were phenotypically immature, hyperproliferative, poorly responsive to endothelin, and exerted reduced tension in 3-dimensional smooth muscle biowires. [Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol] Abstract

The Short-Chain Free Fatty Acid Receptor FFAR3 Is Expressed and Potentiates Contraction in Human Airway Smooth Muscle

Researchers detected the protein expression of free fatty acid receptors (FFAR)3 but not FFAR2 in native human airway smooth muscle and primary cultured human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells. In HASM cells, acute activation of FFAR3 with short-chain fatty acids inhibited forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation, but chronic activation did not sensitize cAMP synthesis. [Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol] Abstract

Macrophage Galectin-3 Enhances Intimal Translocation of Vascular Calcification in Diabetes Mellitus

A macrophage/vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) coculture system was constructed. VSMC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) were labeled with fluorescent probe. After pretreating macrophages with recombinant galectin-3 protein, the migration of VSMC-derived EVs and VSMC-derived calcification was more pronounced. [Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol] Abstract

Subscribe to one of our other 19 science newsletters such as Extracellular Matrix News & ESC & iPSC News.

Adverse Cardiac Effects of Cancer Therapies: Cardiotoxicity and Arrhythmia

Cardiologists have to be familiar not only with the cardiotoxicity associated with traditional cancer therapies, but even more so with an ever-increasing repertoire of therapeutics. The author reviews this information, summarizing the latest developments at the juncture of cardiology, oncology and haematology. [Nat Rev Cardiol] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the muscle cell research field.

FDA Approves Next-Generation ZOLL^® TherOx System for Widowmaker Heart Attack Patients

ZOLL^® Medical Corporation announced it has received FDA approval of the second-generation TherOx System, which provides SuperSaturated Oxygen Therapy and reduces heart muscle damage in “widowmaker” heart attack patients. [ZOLL^® Medical Corporation (BusinessWire, Inc.)] Press Release

MyoKardia Announces Mavacamten Treatment Well Tolerated and Significantly Reduced Biomarkers of Cardiac Injury and Wall Stress in Non-Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Patients

MyoKardia, Inc. announced results from the dose-ranging MAVERICK-HCM Phase II clinical trial of mavacamten for the treatment of non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. [MyoKardia, Inc.] Press Release

Tens of Thousands of Scientists Are Redeploying to Fight Coronavirus

As labs shut down around the world, researchers are finding creative ways to donate their time, supplies and expertise. [Nature News] Editorial

Universities Issue Hiring Freezes in Response to COVID-19

Numerous universities have made announcements about the suspension of hiring, including Miami University of Ohio, Wright State University, Villanova University, the University of Nevada, Reno, Indiana University, and the University of Auckland in New Zealand, which cites the travel ban affecting Chinese students as one of the main causes of its freeze. [The Scientist] Editorial

In light of COVID-19, many conferences are being cancelled or postponed. As such:

We are suspending new event postings in our newsletters and on Twitter.
We will strive to keep our current event listings updated with event status.
We encourage you to visit event sites directly for updates.

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

NEW Associate Professor – Cancer Biology (University of Cincinnati)

New Group leader – Cancer Biology (Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology)

PhD Candidate – Muscle Research (Hannover Medical School)

Researcher – Smooth Muscle Cell Genes in Cardiovascular Disease (University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Soft Tissue Biology (Mayo Clinic)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Neuromuscular Disease (Johns Hopkins Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiac Tissue Engineering and Regeneration (Duke University)

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Muscle Stem Cell Biology (State University of New York)

Assistant Specialist – Cardiovascular Medicine (University of California, Davis)

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.