title: Myostatin induces autophagy in skeletal muscle in vitro.
abstract: Myostatin is an important regulator of muscle mass that contributes to the loss of muscle mass in a number of chronic diseases. Myostatin is known to activate the expression of components of the ubiquitin-proteosomal pathway but its effect on the autophagic pathway is not known. We therefore analysed the effect of myostatin and TGF-β on autophagy in C2C12 cells by determining the effect of these proteins on LC3 processing, autophagosome formation and autophagy gene expression. Both myostatin and TGF-β increased LC3II expression and turnover as well as autophagosome formation (marked by the formation of puncta in LC3-GFP transfected cells). Myostatin also significantly increased the expression of ATG-4B and ULK-2 mRNA while TGF-β caused a trend towards an increase in these genes. We conclude that myostatin and TGF-β increase autophagy in skeletal muscle cells.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine Section, National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Jen Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nicholas S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Hopkinson
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Kemp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D055435:Myostatin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C480860:Map1lc3b protein, mouse; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D055435:Myostatin; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; C401061:Ulk2 protein, mouse; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases