title: Accumulation of β-catenin by lithium chloride in porcine myoblast cultures accelerates cell differentiation.
abstract: The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway regulates cell proliferation and differentiation to determine cell fate during embryogenesis. Lithium chloride (LiCl) is known to activate canonical Wnt signaling by inhibiting glycogen synthetase kinase-3β and consequently stabilizing free cytosolic β-catenin. To understand the role of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the regulation of porcine myoblast differentiation, we studied the effects of LiCl on cultured porcine myoblasts and β-catenin expression. A supplementation of 25 mM LiCl induced myoblast differentiation into myotubes over 3 days of culture. By semi-quantitative RT-PCR analyses, levels of mRNA encoding MyoD, Myogenin, Myf5 and several Wnt-responsive genes in the cultured myoblast cells were significantly increased after LiCl treatment. Using Western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis, we found that the protein levels of β-catenin were consistently increased by LiCl. Meanwhile, phosphorylated GSK-3β at Ser9 levels were also increased as an indicator of GSK-3β inactivation. Additionally, the nuclear staining of endogenous β-catenin was also significantly increased in porcine myoblasts 48 h after LiCl treatment. These results provided additional evidence that Wnt/β-catenin is a significant pathway that regulates myogenic differentiation. An enhanced level of β-catenin plays a positive role in porcine myoblast differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, Laboratory of Animal Fat Deposition and Muscle Development, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, 22 Xinong Road, Yangling, Shaanxi Province 712100, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yingjuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jinzeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Rongxin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Huixia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Gongshe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D034421:Sus scrofa; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D018021:Lithium Chloride