Delineating v-Src downstream effector pathways in transformed myoblasts (original) (raw)

v-Src inhibits myogenic differentiation by interfering with the regulatory network of muscle-specific transcriptional activators at multiple levels

Oncogene, 2003

The conversion of skeletal myoblasts to terminally differentiated myocytes is negatively controlled by several growth factors and oncoproteins. In this study, we have investigated the molecular mechanisms by which v-Src, a prototypic tyrosine kinase, perturbs myogenesis in primary avian myoblasts and in established murine C2C12 satellite cells. We determined the expression levels of the cell cycle regulators pRb, cyclin D1 and D3 and cyclindependent kinase inhibitors p21 and p27 in v-Srctransformed myoblasts and found that, in contrast to myogenin, they are normally modulated by differentiative cues, implying that v-Src affects myogenesis independent of cell proliferation. We then examined the levels of expression, DNA-binding ability and transcription-activation potentials of myogenic regulatory factors in transformed myoblasts and in myotubes after reactivation of a temperature-sensitive allele of v-Src. Our results reveal two distinct potential modes of repression targeted to myogenic factors. On the one hand, we show that v-Src reversibly inhibits the expression of MyoD and myogenin in C2C12 cells and of myogenin in quail myoblasts. Remarkably, these loci become resistant to activation of the kinase in the postmitotic compartment. On the other hand, we demonstrate that v-Src efficiently inhibits muscle gene expression by repressing the transcriptional activity of myogenic factors without affecting MyoD DNAbinding activity. Indeed, forced expression of MyoD and myogenin allows terminal differentiation of transformed myoblasts. Finally, we found that ectopic expression of the coactivator p300 restores transcription from extrachromosomal muscle-specific promoters.

Remodeling of cytoskeleton and triads following activation of v-Src tyrosine kinase in quail myotubes

Journal of cell science, 1996

To study the cellular signals underlying the regulatory mechanisms involved in maintenance of sarcomeric integrity, we have used quail skeletal muscle cells that reach a high degree of structural maturation in vitro, and also express a temperature-sensitive mutant of the v-Src tyrosine kinase that allows the control of differentiation in a reversible manner. By immunofluorescence and electron microscopy we show that v-Src activity in myotubes leads to an extensive cellular remodeling which affects components of the sarcomeres, the cytoskeleton network and the triad junctions. We have previously shown that activation of v-Src causes a selective dismantling of the I-Z-I segments coupled to the formation of aggregates of sarcomeric actin, alpha-actinin and vinculin, called actin bodies. We now show that intermediate filaments do not participate in the formation of actin bodies, while talin, a component of costameres, does. The I-Z-I segments are completely dismantled within 24 hours of...

Maintenance of the differentiated state in skeletal muscle: activation of v-Src disrupts sarcomeres in quail myotubes

The Journal of Cell Biology, 1995

We have used quail skeletal myotubes expressing a temperature-sensitive allele of the v-src oncogene to address the issue of the homeostasis of sarcomeric myofibrils in differentiated muscle cells. Reactivation of the v-Src tyrosine kinase by shifting the cultures to the permissive temperature leads within minutes to the formation of F-actin-containing bodies (ABs), that originate in the ventral region of the myotubes and increase in number concomitantly with the dismantling of the I-Z-I complex of the sarcomeres. This process is detailed by confocal and electron microscopy. Indirect immunofluorescence reveals that ABs contain muscle-specific protein isoforms associated with the I-Z-I complexes and vinculin, a component of the cytoskeletal network. Anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies label proteins in ABs and Z-discs. Evidence is presented indicating that this phenomenon specifically depends on the persistent activation of v-Src, Please address all correspondence to S. Alem~, lstituto di Biologia Cellulare, CNR, Viale Marx 43, 00137 Rome, Italy, Tel.: 39 6 86 090 356. Fax: 39 6 8273287.

Distinct Effects of Rac1 on Differentiation of Primary Avian Myoblasts

Molecular Biology of the Cell, 1999

Rho family GTPases have been implicated in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in response to extracellular cues and in the transduction of signals from the membrane to the nucleus. Their role in development and cell differentiation, however, is little understood. Here we show that the transient expression of constitutively active Rac1 and Cdc42 in unestablished avian myoblasts is sufficient to cause inhibition of myogenin expression and block of the transition to the myocyte compartment, whereas activated RhoA affects myogenic differentiation only marginally. Activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) appears not to be essential for block of differentiation because, although Rac1 and Cdc42 GTPases modestly activate JNK in quail myoblasts, a Rac1 mutant defective for JNK activation can still inhibit myogenic differentiation. Stable expression of active Rac1, attained by infection with a recombinant retrovirus, is permissive for terminal differentiation, but the resulting myotubes accumulate severely reduced levels of muscle-specific proteins. This inhibition is the consequence of posttranscriptional events and suggests the presence of a novel level of regulation of myogenesis. We also show that myotubes expressing constitutively active Rac1 fail to assemble ordered sarcomeres. Conversely, a dominant-negative Rac1 variant accelerates sarcomere maturation and inhibits v-Src-induced selective disassembly of I-Z-I complexes. Collectively, our findings provide a role for Rac1 during skeletal muscle differentiation and strongly suggest that Rac1 is required downstream of v-Src in the signaling pathways responsible for the dismantling of tissue-specific supramolecular structures.

Genetic analysis of p38 MAP kinases in myogenesis: fundamental role of p38α in abrogating myoblast proliferation

The EMBO Journal, 2007

The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway plays a critical role in skeletal muscle differentiation. However, the relative contribution of the four p38 MAPKs (p38a, p38b, p38c and p38d) to this process is unknown. Here we show that myoblasts lacking p38a, but not those lacking p38b or p38d, are unable to differentiate and form multinucleated myotubes, whereas p38c-deficient myoblasts exhibit an attenuated fusion capacity. The defective myogenesis in the absence of p38a is caused by delayed cell-cycle exit and continuous proliferation in differentiation-promoting conditions. Indeed, activation of JNK/cJun was enhanced in p38a-deficient myoblasts leading to increased cyclin D1 transcription, whereas inhibition of JNK activity rescued the proliferation phenotype. Thus, p38a controls myogenesis by antagonizing the activation of the JNK proliferation-promoting pathway, before its direct effect on muscle differentiation-specific gene transcription. More importantly, in agreement with the defective myogenesis of cultured p38a D/D myoblasts, neonatal muscle deficient in p38a shows cellular hyperproliferation and delayed maturation. This study provides novel evidence of a fundamental role of p38a in muscle formation in vitro and in vivo.

Myogenic differentiation requires signalling through both phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and p38 MAP kinase

Cellular Signalling, 2000

Activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) or of Akt induces myoblast differentiation. Activation of p38 MAP kinase also triggers myogenic differentiation. The current paper shows that PI 3-kinase and p38 MAP kinase signalling are activated by two separate pathways during myogenic differentiation; both are required for muscle differentiation. p38-induced myogenic differentiation can be inhibited by the PI 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 without affecting p38 activity. Similarly, a constitutively active form of Akt, myristylated c-Akt (Myr-Akt), induces myogenic differentiation that is inhibited by the p38 inhibitor SB203580. An analysis of the two forms of p38, p38 and p38b, shows that the activity of both is required for myogenic differentiation. These data suggest that PI 3-kinase and p38 signalling are essential and parallel pathways for myogenic differentiation. They may either affect different downstream targets required for myogenesis or they may converge on shared targets that require input from both signalling pathways. D

Interaction with normal cells suppresses the transformed phenotype of v-myc-transformed quail muscle cells

Cell, 1989

We have analyzed mixed cultures of normal mammalian fibroblastic cells and transformed quail myoblasts to investigate whether the presence of an excess of normal cells could suppress the phenotype of transformed quail cells. In such mixed cultures, only v-myc-transformed cells were growth-arrested, whereas v-src-transformed myoblasts were essentially unaffected. Growth arrest appeared to reflect reversion from the transformed state, including re-expression of the myogenic differentiation program. The v-myctransformed myoblasts were phenotypically corrected also by differentiating normal quail myoblasts, giving rise to hybrid myotubes containing nuclei from both cell types. The differential behavior of transformed cells closely paralleled the efficiency with which they established metabolic cooperation with adjacent normal cells. Our results indicate that unrestrained proliferation associated with transformation is responsible for v-myc-induced block of myogenic differentiation.

Autophosphorylation is required for high kinase activity and efficient transformation ability of proteins encoded by host range alleles of v-src

Journal of virology, 1994

pp60v-src is a nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase that can transform both chicken and rodent fibroblasts. The src homology 2 (SH2) domain of this protein serves a critical role in the regulation of protein tyrosine kinase activity. The host range proteins pp60v-src-L, which contains a deletion of a highly conserved residue (Phe-172) in the SH2 domain, and pp60v-src-PPP, which contains a change from a Leu to a Phe at amino acid 186 in the SH2 domain, transform chicken but not rat cells and have slightly reduced kinase activity measured in vitro. The data presented here show that these altered proteins require autophosphorylation on Tyr-416 for high kinase activity and transforming ability. In the absence of autophosphorylation, there is a further decrease of at least threefold in in vitro kinase activity relative to the phosphorylated host range parental protein, no morphological transformation, a reduction in anchorage independent growth, and no disruption of the actin cytoskeleton...