title: Partial induction of the myogenic program in noncommitted adult stem cells.
abstract: The ability of multipotent adult stem cells (MASCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to acquire certain biochemical and functional properties of differentiated cells in response to various inductive cues has raised hopes to utilize such cells for therapeutic purposes. It is of particular importance to define precisely the differentiation status of induced MASCs and MSCs, and to determine the signaling pathways that control their differentiation. The identification of such signals might help to expand and enhance specific differentiation pathways to allow the formation of fully functional muscle cells from undetermined stem cells. Here, we have analyzed the ability of MASCs to contribute to the formation of muscle syncytia. We also investigated the intracellular signaling cascades that were initiated by Wnt molecules in a murine bone marrow-derived MASC population. We found that the partial recapitulation of the myogenic program depends on Wnt-mediated signaling via beta-catenin and protein kinase C, but not protein kinase A (PKA). Our experiments indicate that Wnt-mediated signaling via beta-catenin and protein kinase C (PKC) does not suffice to promote cell-autonomous differentiation of MASCs, but leads to acquisition of some properties of muscle cells that allow Wnt-induced cells to fuse to preexisting myotubes.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Fikru Belema
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Bedada
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Braun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002459:Cell Fusion; D002460:Cell Line; D019070:Cell Lineage; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx; D024510:Muscle Development; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology; D018008:Myogenin / Q000378:metabolism; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D010641:Phenotype; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016189:Dystrophin; D018008:Myogenin; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases