Journal: Endocrinology

Article Title: Msx Homeobox Genes Act Downstream of BMP2 to Regulate Endometrial Decidualization in Mice and in Humans

doi: 10.1210/en.2019-00131

Figure Lengend Snippet: Msx2 is a downstream target of BMP2 signaling in the uterus during decidualization. (A) The primary cultures of mouse endometrial stromal cells (MESCs) were transduced with adenovirus expressing GFP or BMP2. The cells were lysed at different time points, as indicated. Total RNA was isolated, and real-time PCR was performed to analyze the levels of Msx2. The relative levels of gene expression were determined by setting the expression level of the GFP-treated sample at 24 h to 1.0 (n = 3). Rplp0, encoding a ribosomal protein, was used to normalize the level of RNA. *P < 0.05. (B) The nucleotide positions of the SBEs on the Msx2 promoter were analyzed by ChIP. (C) Mouse stromal cells were treated with E + P or E, P, and BMP2 (E + P + BMP2) for 90 min. ChIP, using the Smad4 antibody, was performed, as described in “Materials and Methods.” Chromatin enrichment was quantified by real-time PCR using primers flanking the potential SBE in the Msx2 promoter and also a negative control region in the ORF of Msx2. Enrichments were normalized to 1% of input DNA. The experiment was repeated twice, and representative data are shown.

Article Snippet: The next day, the cells were either treated with E + P or E + P + BMP2 (recombinant human BMP2; R&D Systems; 355-BM-010) for 90 minutes.

Techniques: Transduction, Expressing, Isolation, Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Gene Expression, Negative Control

Journal: Endocrinology

Article Title: Msx Homeobox Genes Act Downstream of BMP2 to Regulate Endometrial Decidualization in Mice and in Humans

doi: 10.1210/en.2019-00131

Figure Lengend Snippet: MSX1 and MSX2 mediate BMP2-induced HESC decidualization. The primary cultures of HESCs were established as described in “Materials and Methods.” The cells were transduced with adenovirus expressing GFP or BMP2. The cells were lysed at different time points as indicated. Total RNA was isolated, and real-time PCR was performed to analyze the levels of MSX1 and MSX2. The relative levels of gene expression were determined by setting the expression level on day 0 of the GFP-treated sample at 1.0. RPLP0, encoding a ribosomal protein, was used to normalize the level of RNA. Data were collected from three independent clinical samples, which were subjected to the same experimental conditions. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.005.

Article Snippet: The next day, the cells were either treated with E + P or E + P + BMP2 (recombinant human BMP2; R&D Systems; 355-BM-010) for 90 minutes.

Techniques: Transduction, Expressing, Isolation, Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Gene Expression

Journal: American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism

Article Title: Myostatin propeptide mutation of the hypermuscular Compact mice decreases the formation of myostatin and improves insulin sensitivity.

doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00216.2016

Figure Lengend Snippet: Fig. 3. Myostatin level in skeletal muscle of Compact, congenic wild-type, and BALB/c mice. M. gastrocnemius protein extracts were subjected to SDS-PAGE and blotted with anti-myostatin or anti-propeptide antibody. Represen- tative images are shown. Note the presence of mature myostatin dimer and myostatin propeptide in Compact sam- ples. Mouse recombinant myostatin was used as a positive control, and muscle homogenates of myostatin knockout (KO) mice served as a negative control. Differences in glycosylation may cause altered electrophoretic mobility. Bar diagrams show the quantification of the results. Data are reported as means SE; n 5 Compact, 5 congenic wild-type, and 6 BALB/c mice. *P 0.05; **P 0.01; ***P 0.001.

Article Snippet: Mouse recombinant myostatin (788-G8; R&D Systems) was used as a positive control.

Techniques: SDS Page, Recombinant, Positive Control, Knock-Out, Negative Control, Glycoproteomics

Journal: American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism

Article Title: Myostatin propeptide mutation of the hypermuscular Compact mice decreases the formation of myostatin and improves insulin sensitivity.

doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00216.2016

Figure Lengend Snippet: Fig. 5. Glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity are improved by Compact myostatin mutation and reduced in congenic wild-type mice. Intraperitoneal (ip) glucose tolerance (A and B) and insulin sensitivity tests (C and D) of 3- to 4-mo-old (A and C) and 10-mo-old animals (B and D). Area under the curve (AUC) values are presented in bar diagrams. Data are reported as means SE. *P 0.05 and **P 0.01; n 3 Compact, 7 congenic wild-type, and 3 BALB/c mice (A), n 7 Compact, 3 congenic wild-type, and 6 BALB/c mice (B), n 3 Compact, 3 congenic wild-type, and 4 BALB/c mice (C), and n 6 Compact, 4 congenic wild-type, and 4 BALB/c mice (D).

Article Snippet: Mouse recombinant myostatin (788-G8; R&D Systems) was used as a positive control.

Techniques: Mutagenesis

Journal: Biology

Article Title: Transdifferentiation of Human Fibroblasts into Skeletal Muscle Cells: Optimization and Assembly into Engineered Tissue Constructs through Biological Ligands

doi: 10.3390/biology10060539

Figure Lengend Snippet: Determination of efficacy of C2C12 differentiation in conjunction with the exposure to ligand combinations. C2C12s were differentiated for 7 days and treated with combination ligands of GDF11 (G), TMSB4X (T), IL6 (I), and TNF-α (F) at 10 ng/mL for seven additional days. ( A ) Fusion index was calculated from total myotube nuclei vs. total nuclei ( n = 16, mean + SD). ( B ) Multinucleation of C2C12 myotubes were quantified ( n = 11, mean + SD). ( C ) Nuclear density was evaluated from nuclear count per field of 5x microscopy ( n = 4, mean + SD). ( D ) C2C12 exposed to ligand combinations were stained to express nuclear MYOD1 ( n = 6, mean + SD). ( E ) Cells were stained with Ki67, and where similarly quantified based on average total nuclear count ( n = 6, mean + SD). ( F ) ACTN2 and Ki67 immunostaining of control cells. ( G ) Cells exposed to GTF showed decreases in fusion index and myonucleation levels, although no change in nuclear density and Ki67+ expression was detected. ( H ) GTIF supplementation significantly reduced skeletal muscle differentiation parameters fusion index and multinucleation, in addition to decreasing average nuclear density. ( I ) Control C2C12s expressing nuclear MYOD1. ( J ) GTF treatment greatly reduced nuclear fusion and showed limited differentiation capacity while expressing comparable levels of nuclear MYOD1. ( K ) Exposure of C2C12s to GTIF combination significantly inhibited skeletal muscle differentiation. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Proteins utilized included recombinant human Follistatin (Fs, 669-FO-025), recombinant human Myostatin (GDF8, 788-G8-010) or Growth Differentiation factor (GDF8), recombinant human basic Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2, 233-FB-025), recombinant human GDF11 (1958-GD-010), recombinant human GDF15 (957-GD-025/CF), recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 (BMP4, 314-BP-010/CF), recombinant human BMP7 (354-BP-010), recombinant human Growth Hormone (hGH, 1067-GH-025), recombinant human Interleukin 6 (IL6, 206-IL-010), recombinant human Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α, 210-TA-005) (All R&D Systems), and Thymosin β (TOCRIS, 3390).

Techniques: Microscopy, Staining, Immunostaining, Control, Expressing

Journal: Biology

Article Title: Transdifferentiation of Human Fibroblasts into Skeletal Muscle Cells: Optimization and Assembly into Engineered Tissue Constructs through Biological Ligands

doi: 10.3390/biology10060539

Figure Lengend Snippet: Effect of ligand combination exposure on differentiation of skeletal muscle cells derived from tHFs. Cells were transduced with MYOD1 fragments and induced to express the skeletal muscle phenotype via the induction of doxycycline and SB431542 over a 7-day period. Ligand combinations of GDF11 (G), TMSB4X (T), IL6 (I), and TNF-α (F) at 10 ng/mL were introduced for an additional week, and SB and Dox administration was discontinued. Skeletal muscle cells were fixed and stained on day 14 and characterized by various differentiation and proliferation parameters from 5× microscopy. ( A ) Fusion index of tHFs was evaluated by determining the ratio of myotube nuclei vs total nuclear count ( n = 16, mean + SD). ( B ) Cellular multinucleation was quantified to assess tHF development of differentiation ( n = 22, mean + SD). ( C ) Nuclear density was similarly assessed by quantifying nuclear count per field ( n = 4, mean + SD). ( D ) Nuclear MYOD1 was quantified ( n = 6, mean + SD). ( E ) Ki67 nuclei were also assessed with a nuclear count ( n = 6, mean + SD). ( F ) Control tHF myotubes were immunostained with ACTN2 and Ki67. ( G ) IL6 and TNF-α combination demonstrated significant decrease in differentiation parameters fusion index, multinucleation, myotube length, and diameter , although Ki67+ expression had increased. ( H ) Exposure of tHFs to combined GDF11, TMSB4X, IL6, and TNF-α showed similar results, however nuclear Ki67 expression was unchanged. ( I ) Untreated tHFs with ACTN2 and MYOD1 nuclear stains. ( J ) Cells treated with IF showed a decrease in MYOD1 nuclear expression. ( K ) Additionally, GDF11, TMSB4X, and IL6 exposure yielded similar results with respect to MYOD1+. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Proteins utilized included recombinant human Follistatin (Fs, 669-FO-025), recombinant human Myostatin (GDF8, 788-G8-010) or Growth Differentiation factor (GDF8), recombinant human basic Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2, 233-FB-025), recombinant human GDF11 (1958-GD-010), recombinant human GDF15 (957-GD-025/CF), recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 (BMP4, 314-BP-010/CF), recombinant human BMP7 (354-BP-010), recombinant human Growth Hormone (hGH, 1067-GH-025), recombinant human Interleukin 6 (IL6, 206-IL-010), recombinant human Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α, 210-TA-005) (All R&D Systems), and Thymosin β (TOCRIS, 3390).

Techniques: Derivative Assay, Transduction, Staining, Microscopy, Control, Expressing

Journal: Biology

Article Title: Transdifferentiation of Human Fibroblasts into Skeletal Muscle Cells: Optimization and Assembly into Engineered Tissue Constructs through Biological Ligands

doi: 10.3390/biology10060539

Figure Lengend Snippet: Skeletal muscle tissues were engineered from a composite fibrin/Matrigel hydrogel mixture with mouse skeletal myoblasts C2C12s, and subject to 10 ng/mL biological ligands. C2C12s were encapsulated and differentiated in a fibrin-based hybrid hydrogel over a 7-day period, 10 ng/mL biological ligands GDF11, TMSB4X, IL6 or TNF-α were administered after a week of tissue plating. ( A ) Immunohistochemical staining of C2C12 skeletal muscle constructs with ACTN2 and DAPI, demonstrated high cellular density. ( B ) Skeletal myotubes increased compactness and alignment towards central pillar regions where tensile force is maximal ( C ) Structural organization of C2C12s at pillar regions appeared disrupted due to gel contraction. ( D ) Cross-striated, multinucleated skeletal muscle form condensed tissues as demonstrated with high magnification 60× confocal microscopy. ( E ) Myotube diameter (µm) was not affected by one-week exposure to 10 ng/mL ligands. ( n > 32, mean + SD). ( F ) Nuclear density of skeletal muscle C2C12s within tissue were not impacted with ligand administration. ( n = 6, mean + SD).

Article Snippet: Proteins utilized included recombinant human Follistatin (Fs, 669-FO-025), recombinant human Myostatin (GDF8, 788-G8-010) or Growth Differentiation factor (GDF8), recombinant human basic Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2, 233-FB-025), recombinant human GDF11 (1958-GD-010), recombinant human GDF15 (957-GD-025/CF), recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 (BMP4, 314-BP-010/CF), recombinant human BMP7 (354-BP-010), recombinant human Growth Hormone (hGH, 1067-GH-025), recombinant human Interleukin 6 (IL6, 206-IL-010), recombinant human Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α, 210-TA-005) (All R&D Systems), and Thymosin β (TOCRIS, 3390).

Techniques: Immunohistochemical staining, Staining, Construct, Confocal Microscopy