Judy U. Earley

Normal myoblast fusion requires myoferlin

Muscle growth occurs during embryonic development and continues in adult life as regeneration. During embryonic muscle growth and regeneration in mature muscle, singly nucleated myoblasts fuse to each other to form myotubes. In muscle growth, singly nucleated myoblasts can also fuse to existing large, syncytial myofibers as a mechanism of increasing muscle mass without increasing myofiber number. Myoblast fusion requires the alignment and fusion of two apposed lipid bilayers. The repair of muscle plasma membrane disruptions also relies on the fusion of two apposed lipid bilayers. The protein dysferlin, the product of the Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy type 2 locus, has been shown to be necessary for efficient, calcium-sensitive, membrane resealing. We now show that the related protein myoferlin is highly expressed in myoblasts undergoing fusion, and is expressed at the site of myoblasts fusing to myotubes. Like dysferlin, we found that myoferlin binds phospholipids in a calcium-sensitive manner that requires the first C2A domain. We generated mice with a null allele of myoferlin. Myoferlin null myoblasts undergo initial fusion events, but they form large myotubes less efficiently in vitro, consistent with a defect in a later stage of myogenesis. In vivo, myoferlin null mice have smaller muscles than controls do, and myoferlin null muscle lacks large diameter myofibers. Additionally, myoferlin null muscle does not regenerate as well as wild-type muscle does, and instead displays a dystrophic phenotype. These data support a role for myoferlin in the maturation of myotubes and the formation of large myotubes that arise from the fusion of myoblasts to multinucleate myotubes.

Disruption of nesprin-1 produces an Emery Dreifuss muscular dystrophy-like phenotype in mice

Mutations in the gene encoding the inner nuclear membrane proteins lamins A and C produce cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction referred to as Emery Dreifuss muscular dystrophy. Lamins A and C participate in the LINC complex that, along with the nesprin and SUN proteins, LInk the Nucleoskeleton with the Cytoskeleton. Nesprins 1 and 2 are giant spectrin-repeat containing proteins that have large and small forms. The nesprins contain a transmembrane anchor that tethers to the nuclear membrane followed by a short domain that resides within the lumen between the inner and outer nuclear membrane. Nesprins luminal domain binds directly to SUN proteins. We generated mice where the C-terminus of nesprin-1 was deleted. This strategy produced a protein lacking the transmembrane and luminal domains that together are referred to as the KASH domain. Mice homozygous for this mutation exhibit lethality with approximately half dying at or near birth from respiratory failure. Surviving mice display hindlimb weakness and an abnormal gait. With increasing age, kyphoscoliosis, muscle pathology and cardiac conduction defects develop. The protein components of the LINC complex, including mutant nesprin-1alpha, lamin A/C and SUN2, are localized at the nuclear membrane in this model. However, the LINC components do not normally associate since coimmunoprecipitation experiments with SUN2 and nesprin reveal that mutant nesprin-1 protein no longer interacts with SUN2. These findings demonstrate the role of the LINC complex, and nesprin-1, in neuromuscular and cardiac disease.

Transplanted hematopoietic stem cells demonstrate impaired sarcoglycan expression after engraftment into cardiac and skeletal muscle

Pluripotent bone marrow-derived side population (BM-SP) stem cells have been shown to repopulate the hematopoietic system and to contribute to skeletal and cardiac muscle regeneration after transplantation. We tested BM-SP cells for their ability to regenerate heart and skeletal muscle using a model of cardiomyopathy and muscular dystrophy that lacks delta-sarcoglycan. The absence of delta-sarcoglycan produces microinfarcts in heart and skeletal muscle that should recruit regenerative stem cells. Additionally, sarcoglycan expression after transplantation should mark successful stem cell maturation into cardiac and skeletal muscle lineages. BM-SP cells from normal male mice were transplanted into female delta-sarcoglycan-null mice. We detected engraftment of donor-derived stem cells into skeletal muscle, with the majority of donor-derived cells incorporated within myofibers. In the heart, donor-derived nuclei were detected inside cardiomyocytes. Skeletal muscle myofibers containing donor-derived nuclei generally failed to express sarcoglycan, with only 2 sarcoglycan-positive fibers detected in the quadriceps muscle from all 14 mice analyzed. Moreover, all cardiomyocytes with donor-derived nuclei were sarcoglycan-negative. The absence of sarcoglycan expression in cardiomyocytes and skeletal myofibers after transplantation indicates impaired differentiation and/or maturation of bone marrow-derived stem cells. The inability of BM-SP cells to express this protein severely limits their utility for cardiac and skeletal muscle regeneration.

Nesprin-1 mutations in human and murine cardiomyopathy

Mutations in LMNA, the gene encoding the nuclear membrane proteins, lamins A and C, produce cardiac and muscle disease. In the heart, these autosomal dominant LMNA mutations lead to cardiomyopathy frequently associated with cardiac conduction system disease. Herein, we describe a patient with the R374H missense variant in nesprin-1alpha, a protein that binds lamin A/C. This individual developed dilated cardiomyopathy requiring cardiac transplantation. Fibroblasts from this individual had increased expression of nesprin-1alpha and lamins A and C, indicating changes in the nuclear membrane complex. We characterized mice lacking the carboxy-terminus of nesprin-1 since this model expresses nesprin-1 without its carboxy-terminal KASH domain. These Delta/DeltaKASH mice have a normally assembled but dysfunctional nuclear membrane complex and provide a model for nesprin-1 mutations. We found that Delta/DeltaKASH mice develop cardiomyopathy with associated cardiac conduction system disease. Older mutant animals were found to have elongated P wave duration, elevated atrial and ventricular effective refractory periods indicating conduction defects in the myocardium, and reduced fractional shortening. Cardiomyocyte nuclei were found to be elongated with reduced heterochromatin in the Delta/DeltaKASH hearts. These findings mirror what has been described from lamin A/C gene mutations and reinforce the importance of an intact nuclear membrane complex for a normally functioning heart.

S100A12 in Vascular Smooth Muscle Accelerates Vascular Calcification in Apolipoprotein E–Null Mice by Activating an Osteogenic Gene Regulatory Program

Objective—The proinflammatory cytokine S100A12 is associated with coronary atherosclerotic plaque rupture. We previously generated transgenic mice with vascular smooth muscle–targeted expression of human S100A12 and found that these mice developed aortic aneurysmal dilation of the thoracic aorta. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that S100A12 expressed in vascular smooth muscle in atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E (ApoE)–null mice would accelerate atherosclerosis. Methods and Results—ApoE-null mice with or without the S100A12 transgene were analyzed. We found a 1.4-fold increase in atherosclerotic plaque size and more specifically a large increase in calcified plaque area (45% versus 7% of innominate artery plaques and 18% versus 10% of aortic root plaques) in S100A12/ApoE-null mice compared with wild-type/ApoE-null littermates. Expression of bone morphogenic protein and other osteoblastic genes was increased in aorta and cultured vascular smooth muscle, and importantly, these changes in gene expression preceded the development of vascular calcification in S100A12/ApoE-null mice. Accelerated atherosclerosis and vascular calcification were mediated, at least in part, by oxidative stress because inhibition of NADPH oxidase attenuated S100A12-mediated osteogenesis in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. S100A12 transgenic mice in the wild-type background (ApoE+/+) showed minimal vascular calcification, suggesting that S100A12 requires a proinflammatory/proatherosclerotic environment to induce osteoblastic differentiation and vascular calcification. Conclusion—Vascular smooth muscle S100A12 accelerates atherosclerosis and augments atherosclerosis-triggered osteogenesis, reminiscent of features associated with plaque instability.

Myofibrillar Mass in Rat and Rabbit Heart Muscle: CORRELATION OF MICROCHEMICAL AND STEREOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS IN NORMAL AND HYPERTROPHIC HEARTS

A sequestered fraction of myofibrillar magnesium presumably bound to thin filaments during polymerization of actin was used to determine myofibrillar mass in rat left ventricles and rabbit hearts. Myofibrillar volume was also determined by stereological measurements on electron micrographs of rat ventricles. Myofibrillar Mg (1.11 mmoles/kg dry ventricle) can be determined in glycerinated ventricle either by measuring 28Mg-inexchangeable Mg or Mg remaining after extraction with EDTA, KCl, and a nonionic detergent. These measurements, combined with the Mg content of myofibrillar suspensions similarly extracted (3.2 mmoles/kg protein), indicated that myofibrillar mass was ∼347 g myofibrillar protein/kg dry ventricle. In rabbit hearts, increases in myofibrillar Mg per unit dry weight were as follows: auricular appendage < right ventricle < left ventricle ≅ interventricular septum. After production of left ventricular hypertrophy in rats by constriction of the ascending aorta, both myofibrillar Mg and volume increased within 24 hours. After 10 or more days, myofibrillar Mg and myofibrillar volume increased proportionately more than tissue dry mass and cell volume, and the ratio of mitochondrial volume to cell volume decreased.

Impaired muscle growth and response to insulin-like growth factor 1 in dysferlin-mediated muscular dystrophy

Loss-of-function mutations in dysferlin cause muscular dystrophy, and dysferlin has been implicated in resealing membrane disruption in myofibers. Given the importance of membrane fusion in many aspects of muscle function, we studied the role of dysferlin in muscle growth. We found that dysferlin null myoblasts have a defect in myoblast-myotube fusion, resulting in smaller myotubes in culture. In vivo, dysferlin null muscle was found to have mislocalized nuclei and vacuolation. We found that myoblasts isolated from dysferlin null mice accumulate enlarged, lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2)-positive lysosomes. Dysferlin null myoblasts accumulate transferrin-488, reflecting abnormal vesicular trafficking. Additionally, dysferlin null myoblasts display abnormal trafficking of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) receptor, where the receptor is shuttled to LAMP2-positive lysosomes. We studied growth, in vivo, by infusing mice with the growth stimulant IGF1. Control IGF1-treated mice increased myofiber diameter by 30% as expected, whereas dysferlin null muscles had no response to IGF1, indicating a defect in myofiber growth. We also noted that dysferlin null fibroblasts also accumulate acidic vesicles, IGF receptor and transferrin, indicating that dysferlin is important for nonmuscle vesicular trafficking. These data implicate dysferlin in multiple membrane fusion events within the cell and suggest multiple pathways by which loss of dysferlin contributes to muscle disease.

Ets1 is required for proper migration and differentiation of the cardiac neural crest

Defects in cardiac neural crest lead to congenital heart disease through failure of cardiac outflow tract and ventricular septation. In this report, we demonstrate a previously unappreciated role for the transcription factor Ets1 in the regulation of cardiac neural crest development. When bred onto a C57BL/6 genetic background, Ets1−/− mice have a nearly complete perinatal lethality. Histologic examination of Ets1−/− embryos revealed a membranous ventricular septal defect and an abnormal nodule of cartilage within the heart. Lineage-tracing experiments in Ets1−/− mice demonstrated that cells of the neural crest lineage form this cartilage nodule and do not complete their migration to the proximal aspects of the outflow tract endocardial cushions, resulting in the failure of membranous interventricular septum formation. Given previous studies demonstrating that the MEK/ERK pathway directly regulates Ets1 activity, we cultured embryonic hearts in the presence of the MEK inhibitor U0126 and found that U0126 induced intra-cardiac cartilage formation, suggesting the involvement of a MEK/ERK/Ets1 pathway in blocking chondrocyte differentiation of cardiac neural crest. Taken together, these results demonstrate that Ets1 is required to direct the proper migration and differentiation of cardiac neural crest in the formation of the interventricular septum, and therefore could play a role in the etiology of human congenital heart disease.

Myoferlin is required for insulin-like growth factor response and muscle growth.

Insulin‐like growth factor (IGF) is a potent stimulus of muscle growth. Myoferlin is a membraneassociated protein important for muscle development and regeneration. Myoferlin‐null mice have smaller muscles and defective myoblast fusion. To understand the mechanism by which myoferlin loss retards muscle growth, we found that myoferlin‐null muscle does not respond to IGF1. In vivo after IGF1 infusion, control muscle increased myofiber diameter by 25%, but myoferlin‐null muscle was unresponsive. Myoblasts cultured from myoferlin‐null muscle and treated with IGF1 αlso failed to show the expected increase in fusion to multinucleate myotubes. The IGF1 receptor colocalized with myoferlin at sites of myoblast fusion. The lack of IGF1 responsiveness in myoferlin‐null myoblasts was linked directly to IGF1 receptor mistrafficking as well as decreased IGF1 signaling. In myoferlin‐null myoblasts, the IGF1 receptor accumulated into large vesicular structures. These vesicles colocalized with a marker of late endosomes/lysosomes, LAMP2, specifying redirection from a recycling to a degradative pathway. Furthermore, ultrastructural analysis showed a marked increase in vacuoles in myoferlin‐null muscle. These data demonstrate that IGF1 receptor recycling is required for normal myogenesis and that myoferlin is a critical mediator of postnatal muscle growth mediated by IGF1.—Demonbreun, A. R., Posey, A. D., Heretis, K., Swaggart, K. A., Earley, J. U., Pytel, P., McNally, E. M. Myoferlin is required for insulin‐like growth factor response and muscle growth. FASEB J. 24, 1284–1295 (2010). www.fasebj.org

Secondary Coronary Artery Vasospasm Promotes Cardiomyopathy Progression

Genetic defects in the plasma membrane-associated sarcoglycan complex produce cardiomyopathy characterized by focal degeneration. The infarct-like pattern of cardiac degeneration has led to the hypothesis that coronary artery vasospasm underlies cardiomyopathy in this disorder. We evaluated the coronary vasculature of gamma-sarcoglycan mutant mice and found microvascular filling defects consistent with arterial vasospasm. However, the vascular smooth muscle sarcoglycan complex was intact in the coronary arteries of gamma-sarcoglycan hearts with perturbation of the sarcoglycan complex only within the adjacent myocytes. Thus, in this model, coronary artery vasospasm derives from a vascular smooth muscle-cell extrinsic process. To reduce this secondary vasospasm, we treated gamma-sarcoglycan-deficient mice with the calcium channel antagonist verapamil. Verapamil treatment eliminated evidence of vasospasm and ameliorated histological and functional evidence of cardiomyopathic progression. Echocardiography of verapamil-treated, gamma-sarcoglycan-null mice showed an improvement in left ventricular fractional shortening (44.3 +/- 13.3% treated versus 37.4 +/- 15.3% untreated), maximal velocity at the aortic outflow tract (114.9 +/- 27.9 cm/second versus 92.8 +/- 22.7 cm/second), and cardiac index (1.06 +/- 0.30 ml/minute/g versus 0.67 +/- 0.16 ml/minute/g, P < 0.05). These data indicate that secondary vasospasm contributes to the development of cardiomyopathy and is an important therapeutic target to limit cardiomyopathy progression.