PAX3-FOXO1 dictates myogenic reprogramming and rhabdomyosarcoma identity in endothelial progenitors.

Fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma (FP-RMS) driven by the expression of the PAX3-FOXO1 (P3F) fusion oncoprotein is an aggressive subtype of pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma. FP-RMS histologically resembles developing muscle yet occurs throughout the body in areas devoid of skeletal muscle highlighting that FP-RMS is not derived from an exclusively myogenic cell of origin. Here we demonstrate that P3F reprograms mouse and human endothelial progenitors to FP-RMS. We show that P3F expression in aP2-Cre expressing cells reprograms endothelial progenitors to functional myogenic stem cells capable of regenerating injured muscle fibers. Further, we describe a FP-RMS mouse model driven by P3F expression and Cdkn2a loss in endothelial cells. Additionally, we show that P3F expression in TP53-null human iPSCs blocks endothelial-directed differentiation and guides cells to become myogenic cells that form FP-RMS tumors in immunocompromised mice. Together these findings demonstrate that FP-RMS can originate from aberrant development of non-myogenic cells driven by P3F.

Synthetic essentiality between PTEN and core dependency factor PAX7 dictates rhabdomyosarcoma identity.

PTEN promoter hypermethylation is nearly universal and PTEN copy number loss occurs in ~25% of fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma (FN-RMS). Here we show Pten deletion in a mouse model of FN-RMS results in less differentiated tumors more closely resembling human embryonal RMS. PTEN loss activated the PI3K pathway but did not increase mTOR activity. In wild-type tumors, PTEN was expressed in the nucleus suggesting loss of nuclear PTEN functions could account for these phenotypes. Pten deleted tumors had increased expression of transcription factors important in neural and skeletal muscle development including Dbx1 and Pax7. Pax7 deletion completely rescued the effects of Pten loss. Strikingly, these Pten;Pax7 deleted tumors were no longer FN-RMS but displayed smooth muscle differentiation similar to leiomyosarcoma. These data highlight how Pten loss in FN-RMS is connected to a PAX7 lineage-specific transcriptional output that creates a dependency or synthetic essentiality on the transcription factor PAX7 to maintain tumor identity.

Striated muscle gene therapy for the treatment of lipoprotein lipase deficiency.

Excessive circulating triglycerides due to reduction or loss of lipoprotein lipase activity contribute to hypertriglyceridemia and increased risk for pancreatitis. The only gene therapy treatment for lipoprotein lipase deficiency decreases pancreatitis but minimally reduces hypertriglyceridemia. Synthesized in multiple tissues including striated muscle and adipose tissue, lipoprotein lipase is trafficked to blood vessel endothelial cells where it is anchored at the plasma membrane and hydrolyzes triglycerides into free fatty acids. We conditionally knocked out lipoprotein lipase in differentiated striated muscle tissue lowering striated muscle lipoprotein lipase activity causing hypertriglyceridemia. We then crossed lipoprotein lipase striated muscle knockout mice with mice possessing a conditional avian retroviral receptor gene and injected mice with either a human lipoprotein lipase retrovirus or an mCherry control retrovirus. Post-heparin plasma lipoprotein lipase activity increased for three weeks following human lipoprotein lipase retroviral infection compared to mCherry infected mice. Human lipoprotein lipase infected mice had significantly lower blood triglycerides compared to mCherry controls and were comparable to wild-type blood triglyceride levels. Thus, targeted delivery of human lipoprotein lipase into striated muscle tissue identifies a potential therapeutic target for lipoprotein lipase deficiency.

Isolation, Culture, Functional Assays, and Immunofluorescence of Myofiber-Associated Satellite Cells.

Adult skeletal muscle stem cells, termed satellite cells, regenerate and repair the functional contractile cells in adult skeletal muscle called myofibers. Satellite cells reside in a niche between the basal lamina and sarcolemma of myofibers. Isolating single myofibers and their associated satellite cells provides a culture system that partially mimics the in vivo environment. We describe methods for isolating and culturing intact individual myofibers and their associated satellite cells from the mouse extensor digitorum longus muscle. Following dissection and isolation of individual myofibers we provide protocols for myofiber transplantation, satellite cell transfection, immune detection of satellite cell antigens, and assays to examine satellite cell self-renewal and proliferation.

Asymmetric hybridization and gene flow between Joshua trees (Agavaceae: Yucca) reflect differences in pollinator host specificity.

The angiosperms are by far the largest group of terrestrial plants. Their spectacular diversity is often attributed to specialized pollination. Obligate pollination mutualisms where both a plant and its pollinator are dependent upon one another for reproduction are thought to be prone to rapid diversification through co-evolution and pollinator isolation. However, few studies have evaluated the degree to which pollinators actually mediate reproductive isolation in these systems. Here, we examine evidence for hybridization and gene flow between two subspecies of Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia brevifolia and Yucca brevifolia jaegeriana) pollinated by two sister species of yucca moth. Previous work indicated that the pollinators differ in host specificity, and DNA sequence data suggested asymmetric introgression between the tree subspecies. Through intensive sampling in a zone of sympatry, a large number of morphologically intermediate trees were identified. These included trees with floral characters typical of Y. b. jaegeriana, but vegetative features typical of Y. b. brevifolia. The opposite combination-Y. b. brevifolia flowers with Y. b. jaegeriana vegetative morphology-never occurred. Microsatellite genotyping revealed a high frequency of genetically admixed, hybrid trees. Coalescent-based estimates of migration indicated significant gene flow between the subspecies and that the direction of gene flow matches differences in pollinator host fidelity. The data suggest that pollinator behaviour determines the magnitude and direction of gene flow between the two subspecies, but that specialized pollination alone is not sufficient to maintain species boundaries. Natural selection may be required to maintain phenotypic differences in the face of ongoing gene flow.