Okadaic acid augments utrophin in myogenic cells.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a fatal childhood disease caused by mutations that abolish the expression of dystrophin in muscle. Utrophin is a paralogue of dystrophin and can functionally replace it in skeletal muscle. A potential therapeutic approach is to increase utrophin levels in muscle. One way to achieve this aim is to increase the expression of the utrophin gene at a transcriptional level via promoter activation. In this study, we have shown that utrophin A mRNA levels can be induced by okadaic acid in murine myogenic C2C12 cells. We have found that a utrophin A promoter reporter can be induced by Sp1 in C2C12 myoblasts, but not in myotubes. This activation can be enhanced by okadaic acid treatment. Our data suggest that this induction is due to Sp1 phosphorylation during myogenesis and thus, utrophin expression in muscle could be regulated by treatment with phosphatase inhibitors. Control of utrophin promoter activation could then be used to increase the expression of utrophin, and thus ameliorate the symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Rodova
Marianna
M
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
Brownback
Kyle
K
Werle
Michael J
MJ
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D032448:Myoblasts, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D019319:Okadaic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D049411:Utrophin
D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor; C483600:Utrn protein, mouse; D049411:Utrophin; D019319:Okadaic Acid; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases