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Single cell sequencing maps skeletal muscle cellular diversity as disease severity increases in dystrophic mouse models.

ABSTRACT: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by out-of-frame mutations in the DMD gene resulting in the absence of a functional dystrophin protein, leading to a devastating and progressive lethal muscle-wasting disease. Little is known about cellular heterogeneity as disease severity increases. Advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) enabled us to explore skeletal muscle-resident cell populations in healthy, dystrophic, and severely dystrophic mouse models. We found increased frequencies of activated fibroblasts, fibro-adipogenic progenitor cells, and pro-inflammatory macrophages in dystrophic gastrocnemius muscles and an upregulation of extracellular matrix genes on endothelial cells in dystrophic and severely dystrophic muscles. We observed a pronounced risk of clotting, especially in the severely dystrophic mice with increased expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in endothelial cells, indicating endothelial cell impairment as disease severity increases. This work extends our understanding of the severe nature of DMD which should be considered when developing single or combinatorial approaches for DMD.

SUBMITTER: Saleh KK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9646951 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Single cell sequencing maps skeletal muscle cellular diversity as disease severity increases in dystrophic mouse models.

Saleh Kholoud K KK Xi Haibin H Switzler Corey C Skuratovsky Emily E Romero Matthew A MA Chien Peggie P Gibbs Devin D Gane Lily L Hicks Michael R MR Spencer Melissa J MJ Pyle April D AD

iScience 20221021 11

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by out-of-frame mutations in the DMD gene resulting in the absence of a functional dystrophin protein, leading to a devastating and progressive lethal muscle-wasting disease. Little is known about cellular heterogeneity as disease severity increases. Advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) enabled us to explore skeletal muscle-resident cell populations in healthy, dystrophic, and severely dystrophic mouse models. We found increased frequenci ...[more]

PMID: 36388984

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Project description:BackgroundGrowth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) is a member of the transforming growth factor β superfamily. The GDF11 propeptide, which is derived from the GDF11 precursor protein, blocks the activity of GDF11 and its homolog, myostatin, which are both potent inhibitors of muscle growth. Thus, treatment with GDF11 propeptide may be a potential therapeutic strategy for diseases associated with muscle atrophy like sarcopenia and the muscular dystrophies. Here, we evaluate the impact of GDF11 propeptide-Fc (GDF11PRO-Fc) gene delivery on skeletal muscle in normal and dystrophic adult mice.MethodsA pull-down assay was used to obtain physical confirmation of a protein-protein interaction between GDF11PRO-Fc and GDF11 or myostatin. Next, differentiated C2C12 myotubes were treated with AAV6-GDF11PRO-Fc and challenged with GDF11 or myostatin to determine if GDF11PRO-Fc could block GDF11/myostatin-induced myotube atrophy. Localized expression of GDF11PRO-Fc was evaluated via a unilateral intramuscular injection of AAV9-GDF11PRO-Fc into the hindlimb of C57BL/6J mice. In mdx mice, intravenous injection of AAV9-GDF11PRO-Fc was used to achieve systemic expression. The impact of GDF11PRO-Fc on muscle mass, function, and pathological features were assessed.ResultsGDF11PRO-Fc was observed to bind both GDF11 and myostatin. In C2C12 myotubes, expression of GDF11PRO-Fc was able to mitigate GDF11/myostatin-induced atrophy. Following intramuscular injection in C57BL/6J mice, increased grip strength and localized muscle hypertrophy were observed in the injected hindlimb after 10 weeks. In mdx mice, systemic expression of GDF11PRO-Fc resulted in skeletal muscle hypertrophy without a significant change in cardiac mass after 12 weeks. In addition, grip strength and rotarod latency time were improved. Intramuscular fibrosis was also reduced in treated mdx mice; however, there was no change seen in central nucleation, membrane permeability to serum IgG or serum creatine kinase levels.ConclusionsGDF11PRO-Fc induces skeletal muscle hypertrophy and improvements in muscle strength via inhibition of GDF11/myostatin signaling. However, GDF11PRO-Fc does not significantly improve the dystrophic pathology in mdx mice.

Project description:There is substantial evidence indicating that disruption of Ca(2+) homeostasis and activation of cytosolic proteases play a key role in the pathogenesis and progression of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). However, the exact nature of the Ca(2+) deregulation and the Ca(2+) signaling pathways that are altered in dystrophic muscles have not yet been resolved. Here we examined the contribution of the store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) for the pathogenesis of DMD. RT-PCR and Western blot found that the expression level of Orai1, the pore-forming unit of SOCE, was significantly elevated in the dystrophic muscles, while parallel increases in SOCE activity and SR Ca(2+) storage were detected in adult mdx muscles using Fura-2 fluorescence measurements. High-efficient shRNA probes against Orai1 were delivered into the flexor digitorum brevis muscle in live mice and knockdown of Orai1 eliminated the differences in SOCE activity and SR Ca(2+) storage between the mdx and wild type muscle fibers. SOCE activity was repressed by intraperitoneal injection of BTP-2, an Orai1 inhibitor, and cytosolic calpain1 activity in single muscle fibers was measured by a membrane-permeable calpain substrate. We found that BTP-2 injection for 2 weeks significantly reduced the cytosolic calpain1 activity in mdx muscle fibers. Additionally, ultrastructural changes were observed by EM as an increase in the number of triad junctions was identified in dystrophic muscles. Compensatory changes in protein levels of SERCA1, TRP and NCX3 appeared in the mdx muscles, suggesting that comprehensive adaptations occur following altered Ca(2+) homeostasis in mdx muscles. Our data indicates that upregulation of the Orai1-mediated SOCE pathway and an overloaded SR Ca(2+) store contributes to the disrupted Ca(2+) homeostasis in mdx muscles and is linked to elevated proteolytic activity, suggesting that targeting Orai1 activity may be a promising therapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of muscular dystrophy.

Dataset Information

Single cell sequencing maps skeletal muscle cellular diversity as disease severity increases in dystrophic mouse models.

Publications

Single cell sequencing maps skeletal muscle cellular diversity as disease severity increases in dystrophic mouse models.

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