title: Reduction in intracellular calcium levels inhibits myoblast differentiation.
abstract: In myocytes, calcium plays an important role in intracellular signaling and contraction. However, the ability of calcium to modulate the differentiation of striated muscle cells is poorly understood. To examine this issue we studied C2C12 cells, which is a myoblast cell line that differentiates in vitro. First, we observed that the L-type calcium channel blockers nifedipine and verapamil effectively inhibited electrically induced calcium transients. Next, C2C12 cells were exposed to these agents during conditions that induce myocyte differentiation. In the presence of nifedipine and verapamil, myoblasts failed to form myotubes. Dantrolene and thapsigargin, which decrease intracellular calcium by different mechanisms, also inhibited differentiation. In addition, nifedipine and verapamil inhibited the expression of myosin heavy chain and myogenin, two markers of skeletal myoblast differentiation. In contrast, levels of the transcriptional factor Myf5, which is expressed in undifferentiated myoblasts, did not decline. Calcium channel blockade also prevented the expression of a reporter driven by the skeletal muscle alpha-actin promoter. These data demonstrate that lowering intracellular calcium levels inhibits the differentiation of skeletal myoblasts into mature myotubes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Divisions of Cardiology and Endocrinology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Ryan F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Makuck
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rivkees
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003620:Dantrolene / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009132:Muscles / Q000166:cytology*; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D019284:Thapsigargin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D019284:Thapsigargin; D014700:Verapamil; D008156:Luciferases; D003620:Dantrolene; D009543:Nifedipine; D002118:Calcium