PUBLICATION
Dynamic formation of microenvironments at the myotendinous junction correlates with muscle fiber morphogenesis in zebrafish
- Authors
- Snow, C.J., and Henry, C.A.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-080915-14
- Date
- 2009
- Source
- Gene expression patterns : GEP 9(1): 37-42 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Henry, Clarissa A.
- Keywords
- myofiber, morphogenesis, fibronectin, somite, myotendinous junction, MTJ, muscle, Hedgehog, zebrafish, tendon, laminin, Fak
- MeSH Terms
-
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism*
- Fibronectins/metabolism
- Dystroglycans/metabolism
- Tendons/embryology*
- Muscle, Skeletal/embryology*
- Environment
- Muscle Fibers, Fast-Twitch/physiology*
- Laminin/metabolism
- Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/metabolism
- Animals
- Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch/physiology*
- Immunoenzyme Techniques
- Morphogenesis*
- Zebrafish/embryology*
- PubMed
- 18783736 Full text @ Gene Expr. Patterns
Citation
Snow, C.J., and Henry, C.A. (2009) Dynamic formation of microenvironments at the myotendinous junction correlates with muscle fiber morphogenesis in zebrafish. Gene expression patterns : GEP. 9(1):37-42.
Abstract
Muscle development involves the specification and morphogenesis of muscle fibers that attach to tendons. After attachment, muscles and tendons then function as an integrated unit to transduce force to the skeletal system and stabilize joints. The attachment site is the myotendinous junction, or MTJ, and is the primary site of force transmission. We find that attachment of fast-twitch myofibers to the MTJ correlates with the formation of novel microenvironments within the MTJ. The expression or activation of two proteins involved in anchoring the intracellular cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix, Focal adhesion kinase (Fak) and beta-dystroglycan is up-regulated. Conversely, the extracellular matrix protein Fibronectin (Fn) is down-regulated. This degradation of Fn as fast-twitch fibers attach to the MTJ results in Fn protein defining a novel microenvironment within the MTJ adjacent to slow-twitch, but not fast-twitch, muscle. Interestingly, however, Fak, laminin, Fn and beta-dystroglycan concentrate at the MTJ in mutants that do not have slow-twitch fibers. Taken together, these data elucidate novel and dynamic microenvironments within the MTJ and indicate that MTJ morphogenesis is spatially and temporally complex.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping