Myoblast C2C12 cells cultured in the presence of FGF2 actively proliferate and showed a differentiation-defective phenotype compared with cells cultured in low serum or in the presence of insulin. These FGF2 effects are associated with sustained activation of p44/p42-MAPK and lack of activation of AKT. Here we demonstrate that Sprouty-2, a protein involved in the negative feedback of receptor t...

The formation of the neuromuscular junction is characterized by the progressive accumulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in the postsynaptic membrane facing the nerve terminal, induced predominantly through the agrin/muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) signaling cascade. However, the cellular mechanisms linking MuSK activation to AChR clustering are still poorly understood. Here, we ...

Skeletal muscle has a major role in locomotion and muscle disorders are associated with poor regenerative efficiency. Therefore, a deeper understanding of muscle regeneration is needed to provide a new insight for new therapies. CaMKK2 plays a role in the calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase cascade; however, its role in skeletal muscle remains unknown. Here, we found that CaMKK2 expression leve...

The root of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidzumi (Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba, ARA) is a Traditional Korean Medicine and has been commonly used for weight control. Mitochondrial dysfunction appears to be a key contributor to insulin resistance, and therefore mitochondrial targeting drugs represent an important potential strategy for the treatment of insulin resistance and obesity. In this study, th...

BACKGROUND The endocrinology of skeletal muscle is highly complex and many issues about hormone action in skeletal muscle are still unresolved. Aim of the work is to improve our knowledge on the relationship between skeletal muscle and 17β-estradiol. METHODS The skeletal muscle cell line C2C12 was treated with 17β-estradiol, the oxytocin peptide and a combination of the two hormones. The mRNA...

The involvement of group VI Ca(2+)-independent PLA(2)s (iPLA(2)-VI) in in vitro ischemia [oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD)] in mouse C2C12 myotubes was investigated. OGD induced a time-dependent (0-6 h) increase in bromoenol lactone (BEL)-sensitive iPLA(2) activity, which was suppressed by specific short interfering (si)RNA knockdown of iPLA(2)-VIA. OGD was associated with an increase in iP...

We present evidence for the expression of three alpha-dystroglycan glycoforms in skeletal muscle cells, including two minor glycoforms marked by either patent or latent reactivity with the N-acetylgalactosamine-specific lectin Vicia villosa agglutinin. Both minor glycoforms co-isolated with beta-dystroglycan, but not with other dystrophin/utrophin-glycoprotein complex components, suggesting tha...

A number of studies show that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion and attendant activation of retrograde signaling induces tumor progression. We have reported previously that activation of a novel nuclear factor-Kappa B pathway is critical for the propagation of mitochondrial retrograde signaling, which induces both phenotypic and morphological changes in C2C12 myoblasts and A549 lung carcinoma...

Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-specific proteases (SENPs) that reverse protein modification by SUMO are involved in the control of numerous cellular processes, including transcription, cell division, and cancer development. However, the physiological function of SENPs in energy metabolism remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of SENP2 in fatty acid metabolism in C2C12 myotubes a...

Most breast cancer metastases in bone form osteolytic lesions, but the mechanisms of tumor-induced bone resorption and destruction are not fully understood. Although it is well recognized that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is important for breast cancer tumorigenesis, the role of this pathway in breast cancer bone metastasis is unclear. Dickkopf1 (Dkk1) is a secreted Wnt/beta-catenin antagonist. I...