Simultaneous loss of skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain IIx and IIb causes severe skeletal muscle hypoplasia in postnatal mice.

The skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain (MyHC) is a fundamental component of the sarcomere structure and muscle contraction. Two of the three adult fast MyHCs, MyHC-IIx and MyHC-IIb, are encoded by Myh1 and Myh4, respectively. However, skeletal muscle disorders have not yet been linked to these genes in humans. MyHC-IIb is barely detectable in human skeletal muscles. Thus, to characterize the molecular function of skeletal muscle MyHCs in humans, investigation of the effect of simultaneous loss of MyHC-IIb and other MyHCs on skeletal muscle in mice is essential. Here, we generated double knockout (dKO) mice with simultaneous loss of adult fast MyHCs by introducing nonsense frameshift mutations into the Myh1 and Myh4 genes. The dKO mice appeared normal after birth and until 2 weeks of age but showed severe skeletal muscle hypoplasia after 2 weeks. In 3-week-old dKO mice, increased expression of other skeletal muscle MyHCs, such as MyHC-I, MyHC-IIa, MyHC-neo, and MyHC-emb, was observed. However, these expressions were not sufficient to compensate for the loss of MyHC-IIb and MyHC-IIx. Moreover, the aberrant sarcomere structure with altered expression of sarcomere components was observed in dKO mice. Our findings imply that the simultaneous loss of MyHC-IIb and MyHC-IIx is substantially detrimental to postnatal skeletal muscle function and will contribute to elucidating the molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle wasting disorders caused by the loss of skeletal muscle MyHCs.

Proteomic Analysis Reveals Salt-Tolerant Mechanism in Soybean Applied with Plant-Derived Smoke Solution.

Salt stress of soybean is a serious problem because it reduces plant growth and seed yield. To investigate the salt-tolerant mechanism of soybean, a plant-derived smoke (PDS) solution was used. Three-day-old soybeans were subjected to PDS solution under 100 mM NaCl for 2 days, resulting in PDS solution improving soybean root growth, even under salt stress. Under the same condition, proteins were analyzed using the proteomic technique. Differential abundance proteins were associated with transport/formaldehyde catabolic process/sucrose metabolism/glutathione metabolism/cell wall organization in the biological process and membrane/Golgi in the cellular component with or without PDS solution under salt stress. Immuno-blot analysis confirmed that osmotin, alcohol dehydrogenase, and sucrose synthase increased with salt stress and decreased with additional PDS solution; however, H+ATPase showed opposite effects. Cellulose synthase and xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase increased with salt and decreased with additional PDS solution. Furthermore, glycoproteins decreased with salt stress and recovered with additional treatment. As mitochondrion-related events, the contents of ATP and gamma-aminobutyric acid increased with salt stress and recovered with additional treatment. These results suggest that PDS solution improves the soybean growth by alleviating salt stress. Additionally, the regulation of energy metabolism, protein glycosylation, and cell wall construction might be an important factor for the acquisition of salt tolerance in soybean.

Proteomic and Biochemical Approaches Elucidate the Role of Millimeter-Wave Irradiation in Wheat Growth under Flooding Stress.

Flooding impairs wheat growth and considerably affects yield productivity worldwide. On the other hand, irradiation with millimeter waves enhanced the growth of chickpea and soybean under flooding stress. In the current work, millimeter-wave irradiation notably enhanced wheat growth, even under flooding stress. To explore the protective mechanisms of millimeter-wave irradiation on wheat under flooding, quantitative proteomics was performed. According to functional categorization, proteins whose abundances were changed significantly with and without irradiation under flooding stress were correlated to glycolysis, reactive-oxygen species scavenging, cell organization, and hormonal metabolism. Immunoblot analysis confirmed that fructose-bisphosphate aldolase and ß tubulin accumulated in root and leaf under flooding; however, even in such condition, their accumulations were recovered to the control level in irradiated wheat. The abundance of ascorbate peroxidase increased in leaf under flooding and recovered to the control level in irradiated wheat. Because the abundance of auxin-related proteins changed with millimeter-wave irradiation, auxin was applied to wheat under flooding, resulting in the application of auxin improving its growth, even in such condition. These results suggest that millimeter-wave irradiation on wheat seeds improves the recovery of plant growth from flooding via the regulation of glycolysis, reactive-oxygen species scavenging, and cell organization. Additionally, millimeter-wave irradiation could promote tolerance against flooding through the regulation of auxin contents in wheat.

Morphological and Proteomic Analyses of Soybean Seedling Interaction Mechanism Affected by Fiber Crosslinked with Zinc-Oxide Nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles (NPs) enhance soybean growth; however, their precise mechanism is not clearly understood. To develop a more effective method using NPs for the enhancement of soybean growth, fiber crosslinked with zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs was prepared. The solution of ZnO NPs with 200 nm promoted soybean growth at the concentration of 10 ppm, while fibers crosslinked with ZnO NPs promoted growth at a 1 ppm concentration. Soybeans grown on fiber cross-linked with ZnO NPs had higher Zn content in their roots than those grown in ZnO NPs solution. To study the positive mechanism of fiber crosslinked with ZnO NPs on soybean growth, a proteomic technique was used. Proteins categorized in photosynthesis and secondary metabolism accumulated more in soybeans grown on fiber crosslinked with ZnO NPs than in those grown in ZnO NPs solution. Furthermore, significantly accumulated proteins, which were NADPH oxidoreductase and tubulins, were confirmed using immunoblot analysis. The abundance of NADPH oxidoreductase increased in soybean by ZnO NPs application. These results suggest that fiber crosslinked with ZnO NPs enhances soybean growth through the increase of photosynthesis and secondary metabolism. Additionally, the accumulation of NADPH oxidoreductase might relate to the effect of auxin with fiber crosslinked with ZnO NPs on soybean growth.

Proteomic and Biological Analyses Reveal the Effect on Growth under Flooding Stress of Chickpea Irradiated with Millimeter Waves.

Chickpea cultivated on marginal lands in arid and semiarid tropics is one of the food legumes, and its growth is reduced by flooding stress. Millimeter-wave irradiation has influences on organisms, and it improves the growth of plants such as soybean. To reveal the dynamic effects of millimeter-wave irradiation on chickpea under flooding, gel- and label-free proteomic analysis was conducted. Millimeter-wave irradiation improved chickpea growth and its tolerance to flooding stress. According to functional categorization, oppositely changed proteins were correlated with photosynthesis, fermentation, and protein degradation. Immunoblot analysis confirmed that RuBisCO activase and large subunits decreased in leaves under flooding; however, they are recovered in irradiated chickpea even if it was in this condition. The activity and accumulation of alcohol dehydrogenase increased in roots under flooding; however, this followed the same pattern. Cell death was significantly increased and decreased by flooding on unirradiated and irradiated chickpeas, respectively. These findings suggest that irradiation with millimeter waves on chickpea seeds improves the recovery of plant growth through regulation of photosynthesis in leaves and fermentation in roots. Furthermore, millimeter-wave irradiation might promote chickpea tolerance under flooding via the regulation of cell death.

Myogenin promoter-associated lncRNA Myoparr is essential for myogenic differentiation.

Promoter-associated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate the expression of adjacent genes; however, precise roles of these lncRNAs in skeletal muscle remain largely unknown. Here, we characterize a promoter-associated lncRNA, Myoparr, in myogenic differentiation and muscle disorders. Myoparr is expressed from the promoter region of the mouse and human myogenin gene, one of the key myogenic transcription factors. We show that Myoparr is essential both for the specification of myoblasts by activating neighboring myogenin expression and for myoblast cell cycle withdrawal by activating myogenic microRNA expression. Mechanistically, Myoparr interacts with Ddx17, a transcriptional coactivator of MyoD, and regulates the association between Ddx17 and the histone acetyltransferase PCAF Myoparr also promotes skeletal muscle atrophy caused by denervation, and knockdown of Myoparr rescues muscle wasting in mice. Our findings demonstrate that Myoparr is a novel key regulator of muscle development and suggest that Myoparr is a potential therapeutic target for neurogenic atrophy in humans.

Myoparr-Associated and -Independent Multiple Roles of Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K during Skeletal Muscle Cell Differentiation.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) regulate cell physiology via the formation of ribonucleic-protein complexes with coding and non-coding RNAs. RBPs have multiple functions in the same cells; however, the precise mechanism through which their pleiotropic functions are determined remains unknown. In this study, we revealed the multiple inhibitory functions of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNPK) for myogenic differentiation. We first identified hnRNPK as a lncRNA Myoparr binding protein. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments showed that hnRNPK repressed the expression of myogenin at the transcriptional level. The hnRNPK-binding region of Myoparr was required to repress myogenin expression. Moreover, hnRNPK repressed the expression of a set of genes coding for aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in a Myoparr-independent manner. Mechanistically, hnRNPK regulated the eIF2α/Atf4 pathway, one branch of the intrinsic pathways of the endoplasmic reticulum sensors, in differentiating myoblasts. Thus, our findings demonstrate that hnRNPK plays lncRNA-associated and -independent multiple roles during myogenic differentiation, indicating that the analysis of lncRNA-binding proteins will be useful for elucidating both the physiological functions of lncRNAs and the multiple functions of RBPs.

An Analysis of Differentially Expressed Coding and Long Non-Coding RNAs in Multiple Models of Skeletal Muscle Atrophy.

The loss of skeletal muscle mass (muscle atrophy or wasting) caused by aging, diseases, and injury decreases quality of life, survival rates, and healthy life expectancy in humans. Although long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in skeletal muscle formation and differentiation, their precise roles in muscle atrophy remain unclear. In this study, we used RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) to examine changes in the expression of lncRNAs in four muscle atrophy conditions (denervation, casting, fasting, and cancer cachexia) in mice. We successfully identified 33 annotated lncRNAs and 18 novel lncRNAs with common expression changes in all four muscle atrophy conditions. Furthermore, an analysis of lncRNA-mRNA correlations revealed that several lncRNAs affected small molecule biosynthetic processes during muscle atrophy. These results provide novel insights into the lncRNA-mediated regulatory mechanism underlying muscle atrophy and may be useful for the identification of promising therapeutic targets.

Proteomic and Biochemical Analyses of the Mechanism of Tolerance in Mutant Soybean Responding to Flooding Stress.

To investigate the mechanism of flooding tolerance of soybean, flooding-tolerant mutants derived from gamma-ray irradiated soybean were crossed with parent cultivar Enrei for removal of other factors besides the genes related to flooding tolerance in primary generated mutant soybean. Although the growth of the wild type was significantly suppressed by flooding compared with the non-flooding condition, that of the mutant lines was better than that of the wild type even if it was treated with flooding. A two-day-old mutant line was subjected to flooding for 2 days and proteins were analyzed using a gel-free/label-free proteomic technique. Oppositely changed proteins in abundance between the wild type and mutant line under flooding stress were associated in endoplasmic reticulum according to gene-ontology categorization. Immunoblot analysis confirmed that calnexin accumulation increased in both the wild type and mutant line; however, calreticulin accumulated in only the mutant line under flooding stress. Furthermore, although glycoproteins in the wild type decreased by flooding compared with the non-flooding condition, those in the mutant line increased even if it was under flooding stress. Alcohol dehydrogenase accumulated in the wild type and mutant line; however, this enzyme activity significantly increased and mildly increased in the wild type and mutant line, respectively, under flooding stress compared with the non-flooding condition. Cell death increased and decreased in the wild type and mutant line, respectively, by flooding stress. These results suggest that the regulation of cell death through the fermentation system and glycoprotein folding might be an important factor for the acquisition of flooding tolerance in mutant soybean.

Transgenic Expression of Bmp3b in Mesenchymal Progenitors Mitigates Age-Related Muscle Mass Loss and Neuromuscular Junction Degeneration.

Skeletal muscle is a vital organ for a healthy life, but its mass and function decline with aging, resulting in a condition termed sarcopenia. The etiology of sarcopenia remains unclear. We recently demonstrated that interstitial mesenchymal progenitors are essential for homeostatic muscle maintenance, and a diminished expression of the mesenchymal-specific gene Bmp3b is associated with sarcopenia. Here, we assessed the protective function of Bmp3b against sarcopenia by generating conditional transgenic (Tg) mice that enable a forced expression of Bmp3b specifically in mesenchymal progenitors. The mice were grown until they reached the geriatric stage, and the age-related muscle phenotypes were examined. The Tg mice had significantly heavier muscles compared to control mice, and the type IIB myofiber cross-sectional areas were preserved in Tg mice. The composition of the myofiber types did not differ between the genotypes. The Tg mice showed a decreasing trend of fibrosis, but the degree of fat infiltration was as low as that in the control mice. Finally, we observed the preservation of innervated neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) in the Tg muscle in contrast to the control muscle, where the NMJ degeneration was conspicuous. Thus, our results indicate that the transgenic expression of Bmp3b in mesenchymal progenitors alleviates age-related muscle deterioration. Collectively, this study strengthens the beneficial role of mesenchymal Bmp3b against sarcopenia and suggests that preserving the youthfulness of mesenchymal progenitors may be an effective means of combating sarcopenia.

Discovery of a follistatin-derived myostatin inhibitory peptide.

Follistatin is well known as an inhibitor of transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß superfamily ligands including myostatin and activin A. Myostatin, a negative regulator of muscle growth, is a promising target with which to treat muscle atrophic diseases. Here, we focused on the N-terminal domain (ND) of follistatin (Fst) that interacts with the type I receptor binding site of myostatin. Through bioassay of synthetic ND-derived fragment peptides, we identified DF-3, a new myostatin inhibitory 14-mer peptide which effectively inhibits myostatin, but fails to inhibit activin A or TGF-ß1, in an in vitro luciferase reporter assay. Injected intramuscularly, DF-3 significantly increases skeletal muscle mass in mice and consequently, it can serve as a platform for development of muscle enhancement based on myostatin inhibition.

Post-translational modification and protein sorting to small extracellular vesicles including exosomes by ubiquitin and UBLs.

Exosomes, a type of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), are secreted membrane vesicles that are derived from various cell types, including cancer cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and immune cells via multivesicular bodies (MVBs). These sEVs contain RNAs (mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, and rRNA), lipids, DNA, proteins, and metabolites, all of which mediate cell-to-cell communication. This communication is known to be implicated in a diverse set of diseases such as cancers and their metastases and degenerative diseases. The molecular mechanisms, by which proteins are modified and sorted to sEVs, are not fully understood. Various cellular processes, including degradation, transcription, DNA repair, cell cycle, signal transduction, and autophagy, are known to be associated with ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins (UBLs). Recent studies have revealed that ubiquitin and UBLs also regulate MVBs and protein sorting to sEVs. Ubiquitin-like 3 (UBL3)/membrane-anchored Ub-fold protein (MUB) acts as a post-translational modification (PTM) factor to regulate efficient protein sorting to sEVs. In this review, we focus on the mechanism of PTM by ubiquitin and UBLs and the pathway of protein sorting into sEVs and discuss the potential biological significance of these processes.

Expression Levels of Long Non-Coding RNAs Change in Models of Altered Muscle Activity and Muscle Mass.

Skeletal muscle is a highly plastic organ that is necessary for homeostasis and health of the human body. The size of skeletal muscle changes in response to intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli. Although protein-coding RNAs including myostatin, NF-κß, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), have pivotal roles in determining the skeletal muscle mass, the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the regulation of skeletal muscle mass remains to be elucidated. Here, we performed expression profiling of nine skeletal muscle differentiation-related lncRNAs (DRR, DUM1, linc-MD1, linc-YY1, LncMyod, Neat1, Myoparr, Malat1, and SRA) and three genomic imprinting-related lncRNAs (Gtl2, H19, and IG-DMR) in mouse skeletal muscle. The expression levels of these lncRNAs were examined by quantitative RT-PCR in six skeletal muscle atrophy models (denervation, casting, tail suspension, dexamethasone-administration, cancer cachexia, and fasting) and two skeletal muscle hypertrophy models (mechanical overload and deficiency of the myostatin gene). Cluster analyses of these lncRNA expression levels were successfully used to categorize the muscle atrophy models into two sub-groups. In addition, the expression of Gtl2, IG-DMR, and DUM1 was altered along with changes in the skeletal muscle size. The overview of the expression levels of lncRNAs in multiple muscle atrophy and hypertrophy models provides a novel insight into the role of lncRNAs in determining the skeletal muscle mass.

Proteomic Analysis of Irradiation with Millimeter Waves on Soybean Growth under Flooding Conditions.

Improving soybean growth and tolerance under environmental stress is crucial for sustainable development. Millimeter waves are a radio-frequency band with a wavelength range of 1-10 mm that has dynamic effects on organisms. To investigate the potential effects of millimeter-waves irradiation on soybean seedlings, morphological and proteomic analyses were performed. Millimeter-waves irradiation improved the growth of roots/hypocotyl and the tolerance of soybean to flooding stress. Proteomic analysis indicated that the irradiated soybean seedlings recovered under oxidative stress during growth, whereas proteins related to glycolysis and ascorbate/glutathione metabolism were not affected. Immunoblot analysis confirmed the promotive effect of millimeter waves to glycolysis- and redox-related pathways under flooding conditions. Sugar metabolism was suppressed under flooding in unirradiated soybean seedlings, whereas it was activated in the irradiated ones, especially trehalose synthesis. These results suggest that millimeter-waves irradiation on soybean seeds promotes the recovery of soybean seedlings under oxidative stress, which positively regulates soybean growth through the regulation of glycolysis and redox related pathways.

Phosphoproteomics Reveals the Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites in Catharanthus roseus under Ultraviolet-B Radiation.

Ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation acts as an elicitor to enhance the production of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. To investigate the mechanisms, which lead to secondary metabolites in Catharanthus roseus under UVB radiation, a phosphoproteomic technique was used. ATP content increased in the leaves of C. roseus under UVB radiation. Phosphoproteins related to calcium such as calmodulin, calcium-dependent kinase, and heat shock proteins increased. Phosphoproteins related to protein synthesis/modification/degradation and signaling intensively changed. Metabolomic analysis indicated that the metabolites classified with pentoses, aromatic amino acids, and phenylpropanoids accumulated under UVB radiation. Phosphoproteomic and immunoblot analyses indicated that proteins related to glycolysis and the reactive-oxygen species scavenging system were changed under UVB radiation. These results suggest that UVB radiation activates the calcium-related pathway and reactive-oxygen species scavenging system in C. roseus. These changes lead to the upregulation of proteins, which are responsible for the redox reactions in secondary metabolism and are important for the accumulation of secondary metabolites in C. roseus under UVB radiation.

Proteomic Analysis of the Effect of Inorganic and Organic Chemicals on Silver Nanoparticles in Wheat.

Production and utilization of nanoparticles (NPs) are increasing due to their positive and stimulating effects on biological systems. Silver (Ag) NPs improve seed germination, photosynthetic efficiency, plant growth, and antimicrobial activities. In this study, the effects of chemo-blended Ag NPs on wheat were investigated using the gel-free/label-free proteomic technique. Morphological analysis revealed that chemo-blended Ag NPs resulted in the increase of shoot length, shoot fresh weight, root length, and root fresh weight. Proteomic analysis indicated that proteins related to photosynthesis and protein synthesis were increased, while glycolysis, signaling, and cell wall related proteins were decreased. Proteins related to redox and mitochondrial electron transport chain were also decreased. Glycolysis associated proteins such as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase increased as well as decreased, while phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase was decreased. Antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase were promoted in response to the chemo-blended Ag NPs. These results suggested that chemo-blended Ag NPs promoted plant growth and development through regulation of energy metabolism by suppression of glycolysis. Number of grains/spike, 100-grains weight, and yield of wheat were stimulated with chemo-blended Ag NPs. Morphological study of next generational wheat plants depicted normal growth, and no toxic effects were observed. Therefore, morphological, proteomic, yield, and next generation results revealed that chemo-blended Ag NPs may promote plant growth and development through alteration in plant metabolism.

Molecular Responses of Maize Shoot to a Plant Derived Smoke Solution.

Plant-derived smoke has effects on plant growth. To find the molecular mechanism of plant-derived smoke on maize, a gel-free/label-free proteomic technique was used. The length of root and shoot were increased in maize by plant-derived smoke. Proteomic analysis revealed that 2000 ppm plant-derived smoke changed the abundance of 69 proteins in 4-days old maize shoot. Proteins in cytoplasm, chloroplast, and cell membrane were altered by plant-derived smoke. Catalytic, signaling, and nucleotide binding proteins were changed. Proteins related to sucrose synthase, nucleotides, signaling, and glutathione were significantly increased; however, cell wall, lipids, photosynthetic, and amino acid degradations related proteins were decreased. Based on proteomic and immunoblot analyses, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) was decreased; however, RuBisCO activase was not changed by plant-derived smoke in maize shoot. Ascorbate peroxidase was not affected; however, peroxiredoxin was decreased by plant-derived smoke. Furthermore, the results from enzyme-activity and mRNA-expression analyses confirmed regulation of ascorbate peroxidase and the peroxiredoxinin reactive oxygen scavenging system. These results suggest that increases in sucrose synthase, nucleotides, signaling, and glutathione related proteins combined with regulation of reactive oxygen species and their scavenging system in response to plant-derived smoke may improve maize growth.

Promethazine Hydrochloride Inhibits Ectopic Fat Cell Formation in Skeletal Muscle.

Fatty degeneration of skeletal muscle leads to muscle weakness and loss of function. Preventing fatty degeneration in skeletal muscle is important, but no drug has been used clinically. In this study, we performed drug repositioning using human platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα)-positive mesenchymal progenitors that have been proved to be an origin of ectopic adipocytes in skeletal muscle. We found that promethazine hydrochloride (PH) inhibits adipogenesis in a dose-dependent manner without cell toxicity. PH inhibited expression of adipogenic markers and also suppressed phosphorylation of cAMP response-element binding protein, which was reported to be a primary regulator of adipogenesis. We established a mouse model of tendon rupture with intramuscular fat deposition and confirmed that emerged ectopic adipocytes are derived from PDGFRα+ cells using lineage tracing mice. When these injured mice were treated with PH, formation of ectopic adipocytes was suppressed significantly. Our results show that PH inhibits PDGFRα+ mesenchymal progenitor-dependent ectopic adipogenesis in skeletal muscle and suggest that treatment with PH can be a promising approach to prevent fatty degeneration of skeletal muscle.

Pro-Insulin-Like Growth Factor-II Ameliorates Age-Related Inefficient Regenerative Response by Orchestrating Self-Reinforcement Mechanism of Muscle Regeneration.

Sarcopenia, age-related muscle weakness, increases the frequency of falls and fractures in elderly people, which can trigger severe muscle injury. Rapid and successful recovery from muscle injury is essential not to cause further frailty and loss of independence. In fact, we showed insufficient muscle regeneration in aged mice. Although the number of satellite cells, muscle stem cells, decreases with age, the remaining satellite cells maintain the myogenic capacity equivalent to young mice. Transplantation of young green fluorescent protein (GFP)-Tg mice-derived satellite cells into young and aged mice revealed that age-related deterioration of the muscle environment contributes to the decline in regenerative capacity of satellite cells. Thus, extrinsic changes rather than intrinsic changes in satellite cells appear to be a major determinant of inefficient muscle regeneration with age. Comprehensive protein expression analysis identified a decrease in insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) level in regenerating muscle of aged mice. We found that pro- and big-IGF-II but not mature IGF-II specifically express during muscle regeneration and the expressions are not only delayed but also decreased in absolute quantity with age. Supplementation of pro-IGF-II in aged mice ameliorated the inefficient regenerative response by promoting proliferation of satellite cells, angiogenesis, and suppressing adipogenic differentiation of platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)α(+) mesenchymal progenitors. We further revealed that pro-IGF-II but not mature IGF-II specifically inhibits the pathological adipogenesis of PDGFRα(+) cells. Together, these results uncovered a distinctive pro-IGF-II-mediated self-reinforcement mechanism of muscle regeneration and suggest that supplementation of pro-IGF-II could be one of the most effective therapeutic approaches for muscle injury in elderly people.

Aging and sarcopenia.

Aging is inevitable for all living things. The average life span of Japanese women is over 86 years, and that of Japanese men exceeds 80 years. However, many people cannot live without help and care from other people for nearly ten years. Musculoskeletal system such as muscles, bones and joints is also affected by aging. Atrophy of skeletal muscle by aging impairs physical activity. Sarcopenia means muscle loss and is a condition characterized by low skeletal muscle mass and low muscle strength in older people. Physical activity is also affected. Sarcopenia is related with physical disability, poor quality of life and lethality. Sar- copenia is becoming one of major problems not only in Japan but also in many developed countries.