Project description:Autophagy is a critical process in the regulation of muscle mass, function and integrity. The molecular mechanisms regulating autophagy are complex and still partly understood. Here, we identify and characterize a novel FoxO-dependent gene, d230025d16rik which we named Mytho (Macroautophagy and YouTH Optimizer), as a regulator of autophagy and skeletal muscle integrity in vivo. Mytho is significantly up-regulated in various mouse models of skeletal muscle atrophy. Short term depletion of MYTHO in mice attenuates muscle atrophy caused by fasting, denervation, cancer cachexia and sepsis. While MYTHO overexpression is sufficient to trigger muscle atrophy, MYTHO knockdown results in a progressive increase in muscle mass associated with a sustained activation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway. Prolonged MYTHO knockdown is associated with severe myopathic features, including impaired autophagy, muscle weakness, myofiber degeneration, and extensive ultrastructural defects, such as accumulation of autophagic vacuoles and tubular aggregates. Inhibition of the mTORC1 signaling pathway in mice using rapamycin treatment attenuates the myopathic phenotype triggered by MYTHO knockdown. Skeletal muscles from human patients diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) display reduced Mytho expression, activation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway and impaired autophagy, raising the possibility that low Mytho expression might contribute to the progression of the disease. We conclude that MYTHO is a key regulator of muscle autophagy and integrity.
Project description:MYTHO: a novel regulator of skeletal muscle autophagy and integrity mRNA expression data for the mouse muscle (n=4 per group) were obtained using Affymetrix Mouse Clariom S Assay (Affymetrix, Santa Carla, CA) according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Project description:The intestinal epithelium is continuously renewed by a pool of intestinal stem cells expressing Lgr5. We show that deletion of the key autophagy gene Atg7 affects the survival of Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells. Mechanistically, this involves defective DNA repair, oxidative stress, and altered interactions with the microbiota. This study highlights the importance of autophagy in maintaining the integrity of intestinal stem cells.
Project description:Short-term MYTHO knockdown (KD) mRNA expression data for the mouse muscle (n=4 per group) were obtained using Affymetrix Mouse Clariom S Assay (Affymetrix, Santa Carla, CA) according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Project description:Developmental and homeostatic remodeling of cellular organelles is mediated by a complex process termed autophagy. The cohort of proteins that constitute the autophagy machinery function in a multistep biochemical pathway. Though components of the autophagy machinery are broadly expressed, autophagy can occur in specialized cellular contexts, and mechanisms underlying cell type-specific autophagy are poorly understood. We demonstrate that the master regulator of hematopoiesis GATA-1 directly activates transcription of genes encoding the essential autophagy component Microtubule Associated Protein 1 Light Chain 3B (LC3B) and its homologs (MAP1LC3A, GABARAP, GABARAPL1, GATE-16). In addition, GATA-1 directly activates genes involved in the biogenesis/function of lysosomes, which mediate autophagic protein turnover. We demonstrate that GATA-1 utilizes the forkhead protein FoxO3 to activate select autophagy genes. GATA-1-dependent LC3B induction is tightly coupled to accumulation of the active form of LC3B and autophagosomes, which mediate mitochondrial clearance as a critical step in erythropoiesis. These results illustrate a novel mechanism by which a master regulator of development establishes a genetic network to instigate cell type-specific autophagy. Genome-wide maps of GATA1 factor occupancy in primary human PBMC derived erythroblasts