Chromatin remodeling by the SWI/SNF complex is required to activate the transcription of myogenic-specific genes. Our work addressed the details of how SWI/SNF is recruited to myogenic regulatory regions in response to differentiation signals. Surprisingly, the muscle determination factor MyoD and the SWI/SNF subunit BAF60c form a complex on the regulatory elements of MyoD-targeted genes in myo...

We report on a general strategy for engineering dominant negative mutations that, in principle, requires neither extensive structural or functional knowledge of the targeted protein. The approach consists of fusing the lysosomal protease cathepsin B (CB) to a subunit of a multimeric protein. The CB fusion polypeptide can proteolytically digest the multimer and/or detour the multimer from its us...

When a proliferating myoblast culture is induced to differentiate by deprivation of serum in the medium, a significant proportion of cells escape from terminal differentiation, while the rest of the cells differentiate. Using C2C12 mouse myoblast cells, this heterogeneity observed upon differentiation was investigated with an emphasis on the myogenic regulatory factors. The differentiating part...

In a yeast two-hybrid screen using the full-length Akt as bait, we found that prohibitin 2 (PHB2) specifically interacts with Akt. The C terminus of Akt (amino acids 413-480) and a central region of PHB2 (amino acids 120-232) are responsible for their mutual interaction. PHB2 acts as a transcriptional repressor in cells. PHB2 interacts with both MyoD and MEF2, and represses both MyoD- and MEF2-...

Skeletal muscle comprises a heterogeneous population of fibers with important physiological differences. Fast fibers are glycolytic and fatigue rapidly. Slow fibers utilize oxidative metabolism and are fatigue resistant. Muscle diseases such as sarcopenia and atrophy selectively affect fast fibers, but the molecular mechanisms regulating fiber type-specific gene expression remain incompletely u...

Limb muscles derive from pax3 expressing precursor cells that migrate from the hypaxial somite into the developing limb bud. Once there they begin to differentiate and express muscle determination genes such as MyoD. This process is regulated by a combination of inductive or inhibitory signals including Fgf18, retinoic acid, HGF, Notch and IGFs. IGFs are well known to affect late stages of musc...

Mammalian skeletal myogenesis results in the differentiation of myoblasts to mature syncytial myotubes, a process regulated by an intricate genetic network of at least three protein families: muscle regulatory factors, E proteins, and Id proteins. MyoD, a key muscle regulatory factor, and its negative regulator Id1 have both been shown to be degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Using C2...

MyoD and Myf5 belong to the family of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors that are key operators in skeletal muscle differentiation. MyoD and Myf5 genes are selectively activated during development in a time and region-specific manner and in response to different stimuli. However, molecules that specifically regulate the expression of these two genes and the pathways involved remain to...

صخلملا Seasonal variation of zooplankton biomass has been carried out at two selected sites on Greater Zab River. Monthly samples of water were collected during period from January to December 2008. Some physico-chemical properties of water were studied including water temperature (from 8 to 30.5 C), hydrogen ion concentration (from 6.3 to 8), EC (from 255 to 821 μs.cm), turbidity (1085 NTU), d...