title: Cooperative control of striated muscle mass and metabolism by MuRF1 and MuRF2.
abstract: The muscle-specific RING finger proteins MuRF1 and MuRF2 have been proposed to regulate protein degradation and gene expression in muscle tissues. We have tested the in vivo roles of MuRF1 and MuRF2 for muscle metabolism by using knockout (KO) mouse models. Single MuRF1 and MuRF2 KO mice are healthy and have normal muscles. Double knockout (dKO) mice obtained by the inactivation of all four MuRF1 and MuRF2 alleles developed extreme cardiac and milder skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Muscle hypertrophy in dKO mice was maintained throughout the murine life span and was associated with chronically activated muscle protein synthesis. During ageing (months 4-18), skeletal muscle mass remained stable, whereas body fat content did not increase in dKO mice as compared with wild-type controls. Other catabolic factors such as MAFbox/atrogin1 were expressed at normal levels and did not respond to or prevent muscle hypertrophy in dKO mice. Thus, combined inhibition of MuRF1/MuRF2 could provide a potent strategy to stimulate striated muscles anabolically and to protect muscles from sarcopenia during ageing.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.forename: Stephanie H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lerche
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Labeit
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Back
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Labeit
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002347:Carps / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060850:LIM-Homeodomain Proteins; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D032342:Muscle Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D054792:Muscle, Striated / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011485:Protein Binding; D000071456:Sequestosome-1 Protein; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; C491382:Fhl2 protein, mouse; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D060850:LIM-Homeodomain Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D000071456:Sequestosome-1 Protein; C101343:Sqstm1 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins; C502755:muscle RING finger 2 protein, mouse; C499084:Trim63 protein, mouse; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases