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Transitin is required for the differentiation of avian QM7 myoblasts into myotubes
Author(s) -
Jalouli Maroua,
Lapierre Louis R.,
Guérette Dominique,
Blais Karine,
Lee JuAhng,
Cole Gregory J.,
Vincent Michel
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.22448
Subject(s) - myogenin , myod , myogenesis , biology , myocyte , desmin , myod protein , myogenic regulatory factors , microbiology and biotechnology , progenitor cell , transfection , cellular differentiation , quail , vimentin , cell culture , stem cell , immunology , endocrinology , genetics , immunohistochemistry , gene
Transitin is a nestin‐like intermediate filament protein co‐expressed with vimentin in the precursor cells of the myogenic and neurogenic lineages of the avian embryo. To understand its role in myogenesis, stable cell lines expressing transitin‐targeted siRNAs were derived from the quail muscle cell line QM7. When cells were cultured in differentiation medium, we found that transitin knockdown prevented myoblast fusion and myotube formation. MyoD mRNA could be detected in transitin siRNA‐transfected cells, but upregulation of myogenin and desmin expression was impaired compared to control cells. In addition, transitin siRNA cells maintain high levels of Pax7 expression suggesting that QM7 myoblasts into which transitin expression has been attenuated display a muscle progenitor cell phenotype (Pax7 + /MyoD + /myogenin − /desmin − ). These observations indicate that transitin plays an important role in the initiation of the myogenic program in avian muscle progenitor cells in acting downstream of MyoD and upstream of myogenin during the lineage progression. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Developmental Dynamics 239:3038–3047, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.