Yoshihide Ikeuchi

Effects of high pressure treatment on the proteolytic enzymes in meat

This paper describes the effects of high-pressure treatment on proteolytic enzymes in muscle, especially catheptic enzymes which influence meat tenderization, and on acid phosphatase, used as an index of disruption of lysosomal membranes. Acid phosphatase activity in the extract from pressurized muscle increased with increasing pressure applied to the muscle up to 500 MPa. Activity of cathepsin B, D and L increased up to 400 MPa, then tended to decrease at 500 MPa. Cathepsin H and aminopeptidase B decreased with the increasing pressure. Measurements of enzymic activity in the pressurized crude extract, to investigate the pressure effect on the enzymes themselves, showed that all enzymes studied in this paper lost their enzymic activity as applied pressure increased. When the pressurized extracts were subjected to the gel-filtration chromatography, a decrease in the activities of cathepsin H and aminopeptidase B and an increase in the activities of cathepsins B and L and acid phosphatase were observed. It seems that the decrease in activity of the enzymes eluted early from the column (cathepsin H and aminopeptidase B) is due to decrease in the amount of protein eluted by the pressure treatment, whereas the increase in activity of the enzymes eluted late (cathepsin B, L and acid phosphatase) is due to an increase in the amount of protein eluted. From the results, it was concluded that the pressure-induced increase in the amount of protease activity in the muscle was due to the release of the enzymes from lysosomes.

High concentrations of HGF inhibit skeletal muscle satellite cell proliferation in vitro by inducing expression of myostatin: a possible mechanism for reestablishing satellite cell quiescence in vivo

Skeletal muscle regeneration and work-induced hypertrophy rely on molecular events responsible for activation and quiescence of resident myogenic stem cells, satellite cells. Recent studies demonstrated that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) triggers activation and entry into the cell cycle in response to mechanical perturbation, and that subsequent expression of myostatin may signal a return to cell quiescence. However, mechanisms responsible for coordinating expression of myostatin after an appropriate time lag following activation and proliferation are not clear. Here we address the possible role of HGF in quiescence through its concentration-dependent negative-feedback mechanism following satellite cell activation and proliferation. When activated/proliferating satellite cell cultures were treated for 24 h beginning 48-h postplating with 10-500 ng/ml HGF, the percentage of bromodeoxyuridine-incorporating cells decreased down to a baseline level comparable to 24-h control cultures in a HGF dose-dependent manner. The high level HGF treatment did not impair the cell viability and differentiation levels, and cells could be reactivated by lowering HGF concentrations to 2.5 ng/ml, a concentration that has been shown to optimally stimulate activation of satellite cells in culture. Coaddition of antimyostatin neutralizing antibody could prevent deactivation and abolish upregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21. Myostatin mRNA expression was upregulated with high concentrations of HGF, as demonstrated by RT-PCR, and enhanced myostatin protein expression and secretion were revealed by Western blots of the cell lysates and conditioned media. These results indicate that HGF could induce satellite cell quiescence by stimulating myostatin expression. The HGF concentration required (over 10-50 ng/ml), however, is much higher than that for activation, which is initiated by rapid release of HGF from its extracellular association. Considering that HGF is produced by satellite cells and spleen and liver cells in response to muscle damage, local concentrations of HGF bathing satellite cells may reach a threshold sufficient to induce myostatin expression. This time lag may delay action of the quiescence signaling program in proliferating satellite cells during initial phases of muscle regeneration followed by induction of quiescence in a subset of cells during later phases.

Protocol for high-resolution separation of rodent myosin heavy chain isoforms in a mini-gel electrophoresis system

Skeletal muscle comprises several fiber types classified based on their contractile and metabolic properties. Skeletal muscle fiber types are classified according to their myosin heavy chain isoforms (MyHC I, IIa, IIx, and IIb). We attained good separation of MyHC isoforms in a mini-gel system by modifying a previously developed electrophoresis protocol. Increased glycerol and decreased cross-linking agent concentrations improved the separation of MyHC isoforms. Sample preparation with dithiothreitol and protease inhibitors produced clear MyHC band boundaries. This protocol included silver staining, with a linear range. The protocol provided high resolution and a highly accurate assay of rodent MyHC isoforms.

Matrix metalloproteinases are involved in mechanical stretch-induced activation of skeletal muscle satellite cells.

When skeletal muscle is stretched or injured, myogenic satellite cells are activated to enter the cell cycle. This process depends on nitric oxide (NO) production, release of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) from the extracellular matrix, and presentation of HGF to the c‐met receptor. Experiments reported herein provide new evidence that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in the NO‐dependent release of HGF in vitro. When rat satellite cells were treated with 10 ng/ml recombinant tissue inhibitor‐1 of MMPs (TIMP‐1) and subjected to treatments that induce activation in vitro, i.e., sodium nitroprusside (SNP) of an NO donor or mechanical cyclic stretch, the activation response was inhibited. In addition, conditioned medium generated by cultures treated with TIMP‐1 plus SNP or mechanical stretch failed to activate cultured satellite cells and did not contain HGF. Moreover, NOx assay demonstrated that TIMP‐1 does not impair NO synthase activity of stretched satellite cell cultures. Therefore, results from these experiments provide strong evidence that MMPs mediate HGF release from the matrix and that this step in the pathway is downstream from NO synthesis. Muscle Nerve, 2006

Deficiency in APOBEC2 Leads to a Shift in Muscle Fiber Type, Diminished Body Mass, and Myopathy

The apoB RNA-editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like (APOBEC) family of proteins includes APOBEC1, APOBEC3, and activation-induced deaminase, all of which are zinc-dependent cytidine deaminases active on polynucleotides and involved in RNA editing or DNA mutation. In contrast, the biochemical and physiological functions of APOBEC2, a muscle-specific member of the family, are unknown, although it has been speculated, like APOBEC1, to be an RNA-editing enzyme. Here, we show that, although expressed widely in striated muscle (with levels peaking late during myoblast differentiation), APOBEC2 is preferentially associated with slow-twitch muscle, with its abundance being considerably greater in soleus compared with gastrocnemius muscle and, within soleus muscle, in slow as opposed to fast muscle fibers. Its abundance also decreases following muscle denervation. We further show that APOBEC2-deficient mice harbor a markedly increased ratio of slow to fast fibers in soleus muscle and exhibit an ∼15–20% reduction in body mass from birth onwards, with elderly mutant animals revealing clear histological evidence of a mild myopathy. Thus, APOBEC2 is essential for normal muscle development and maintenance of fiber-type ratios; although its molecular function remains to be identified, biochemical analyses do not especially argue for any role in RNA editing.

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 mediates stretch-induced activation of skeletal muscle satellite cells in a nitric oxide-dependent manner.

When skeletal muscle is stretched or injured, myogenic satellite cells are activated to enter the cell cycle. This process depends on nitric oxide (NO) production, release of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) from the extracellular matrix, and presentation of HGF to the c-met receptor. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a large family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases, mediate HGF release from the matrix and this step in the pathway is downstream from NO synthesis [Yamada, M., Tatsumi, R., Kikuiri, T., Okamoto, S., Nonoshita, S., Mizunoya, W., et al. (2006). Matrix metalloproteinases are involved in mechanical stretch-induced activation of skeletal muscle satellite cells. Muscle Nerve, 34, 313-319]. Experiments reported herein provide evidence that MMP2 may be involved in the NO-dependent release of HGF in vitro. Whole lysate analyses of satellite cells demonstrated the presence of MMP2 mRNA and the protein. When rat satellite cells were treated with 30 microM sodium nitroprusside a NO donor or mechanical cyclic stretch for 2h period, inactive proMMP2 (72 kDa) was converted into 52-kDa form and this processing was abolished by adding a NO synthase inhibitor l-NAME (10 microM) to the stretch culture. The 52-kDa species was also generated by treatment of the recombinant MMP2 protein with 1 microM NOC-7 that can spontaneously release NO under physiological conditions without any cofactor, and its activating activity was demonstrated by applying the NOC-7-treated MMP2 to satellite cell culture. HGF release was detected in NOC-7-MMP2-conditioned media by western blotting; very little HGF was found in media that were generated from cultures receiving NOC-7-treated MMP2 (10 ng/ml) plus 250 ng/ml tissue inhibitor-1 of metalloproteinases. Therefore, results from these experiments provide evidence that NO-activated MMP2 may cause release of HGF from the extracellular matrix of satellite cells and contribute to satellite cell activation.

Meat tenderization by proteolytic enzymes after osmotic dehydration

The treatment of proteolytic enzymes is one of the popular methods for meat tenderization. In this case, it is very important how to introduce the enzymes into the meat cut. This paper describes meat tenderization by dipping the meat cut in a solution containing proteolytic enzymes after contact-osmotic dehydration. After the dehydration of each piece of meat from culled cow for 18 h by contact-dehydration sheet, each sample was dipped for 3 h in a solution containing papain or proteinases from Aspergillus traditionally used for soysauce production in Japan. It was stored at 3∼4°C for 24, 48 and 168 h, and subjected to texture measurement, sensory evaluations, biochemical analysis and histological observations. The penetration efficiency of the enzyme solution (of around 80%) after the contact-osmotic dehydration seemed to be sufficient. A marked decrease in hardness by texture measurements was observed in the meats treated with proteolytic enzymes and higher sensory scores for tenderness were observed in the meats treated with enzymes as compared with the untreated meat. The papain-treated meat received the highest score in tenderness, but the scores given to juiciness and taste were lower than that of the control. The rapid increases of the fragmentation of myofibrils from the enzyme-treated meat were observed at first 24 h of storage as compared with that of the control. Remarkable degradation of myosin molecule in the myofibrils from the enzyme-treated meats was observed on SDS-PAGE profiles. Considerable degradation of myofibrilar structure especially due to proteolytic removal of Z-lines, was observed among the myofibrils from enzyme-treated meats by electronmicroscopy. The remarkable deformation and disruption of honeycomb-like structure of endomysium were also observed in the meats treated with enzymes. From these results, it was shown that treatment after osmotic dehydration, was effective in tenderizing.

Possible implication of satellite cells in regenerative motoneuritogenesis: HGF upregulates neural chemorepellent Sema3A during myogenic differentiation

Regenerative coordination and remodeling of the intramuscular motoneuron network and neuromuscular connections are critical for restoring skeletal muscle function and physiological properties. The regulatory mechanisms of such coordination remain unclear, although both attractive and repulsive axon guidance molecules may be involved in the signaling pathway. Here we show that expression of a neural secreted chemorepellent semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) is remarkably upregulated in satellite cells of resident myogenic stem cells that are positioned beneath the basal lamina of mature muscle fibers, when treated with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), established as an essential cue in muscle fiber growth and regeneration. When satellite cells were treated with HGF in primary cultures of cells or muscle fibers, Sema3A message and protein were upregulated as revealed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunochemical studies. Other growth factors had no inductive effect except for a slight effect of epidermal growth factor treatment. Sema3A upregulation was HGF dose dependent with a maximum (about 7- to 8-fold units relative to the control) at 10-25 ng/ml and occurred exclusively at the early-differentiation stage, as characterized by the level of myogenin expression and proliferation (bromodeoxyuridine incorporation) of the cells. Neutralizing antibody to the HGF-specific receptor, c-met, did not abolish the HGF response, indicating that c-met may not mediate the Sema3A expression signaling. Finally, in vivo Sema3A was upregulated in the differentiation phase of satellite cells isolated from muscle regenerating following crush injury. Overall, the data highlight a heretofore unexplored and active role for satellite cells as a key source of Sema3A expression triggered by HGF, hence suggesting that regenerative activity toward motor innervation may importantly reside in satellite cells and could be a crucial contributor during postnatal myogenesis.

Levels of calpain and calpastatin in meat subjected to high pressure

The levels of μ-, m-calpain and calpastatin were assayed in pressurized rabbit muscle. The crude calpain level from the pressurized muscle at 100 MPa was almost the same with that of control. Above 100 MPa, the level of calpain decreased rapidly with increased pressure. At 300 MPa, the calpain level was almost inactivated. When the crude extract was pressurized, the calpain level followed the same tendency as that in the pressurized muscle. When the extracts from control or pressurized muscle were subjected to DEAE-Sephacel column chromatography, μ- and m-calpains and calpastatin lost their activity with increasing pressure, but the degree of loss was different for each. Calpains resisted changes in pressurization at 200 MPa and were inactivated over 200 MPa. Inactivation of calpastatin at 100 MPa was faster than that of calpains. From the results, it was concluded that calpain levels remained in muscle pressurized up to 200 MPa, whereas calpastatin levels were decreased by the pressurization. Thus the total activities of calpains in pressurized muscle appear to have been increased by the pressure treatment and this may result in tenderization of meat.

Effects of high-pressure treatment on the ultrastructure and thermal behaviour of beef intramuscular collagen

Effects of high-pressure treatment on the ultrastructure and thermal behaviour of beef intramuscular collagen were investigated to clarify the pressure effects on background toughness attributed to the presence of connective tissue in the muscle. No significant differences in the ultrastructure, electrophoretic pattern, thermal solubility and thermogram of differential scanning calorimetric analysis of the intramuscular collagen were observed among the control (untreated) and pressurized muscles. From the results, it is suggested that the pressurization has no significant effects on the connective tissue and the pressure-induced tenderization of meat could probably be caused only by the improvement of actomyosin toughness attributed to the myofibrillar proteins.