QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

First published online 15 December 2004
doi: 10.1242/jcs.01553

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jcs.01553v1 118/1/27    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Araya, R. Articles by Sáez, J. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Araya, R. Articles by Sáez, J. C.

Expression of connexins during differentiation and regeneration of skeletal muscle: functional relevance of connexin43

Roberto Araya^1,*,, Dominik Eckardt², Stephan Maxeiner², Olaf Krüger², Martin Theis^2,, Klaus Willecke² and Juan C. Sáez¹

¹ Departamento de Fisiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
² Institut für Genetik, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: ra2174{at}columbia.edu)

Accepted 21 September 2004

The molecular mechanisms regulating skeletal muscle regeneration and differentiation are not well understood. We analyzed the expression of connexins (Cxs) 40, 43 and 45 in normal and regenerating tibialis anterior muscle and in primary cultures of differentiating myoblasts in adult and newborn mice, respectively. Cxs 45 and 43, but not 40, were strongly expressed in normal muscle and their expression was upregulated during regeneration. Furthermore, the functional role of Cx43 during differentiation and regeneration was examined after induced deletion of Cx43 in transgenic mice. In vivo, the inducible deletion of Cx43 delayed the formation of myofibers and prolonged the expression of myogenin during regeneration. In primary cultures of satellite cell-derived myoblasts, induced deletion of Cx43 led to decreased expression of myogenin and MyoD, dye coupling, creatine kinase activity and myoblast fusion. Thus, the expression of Cx45 and Cx43 is upregulated during skeletal muscle regeneration and Cx43 is required for normal myogenesis in vitro and adult muscle regeneration in vivo.

Key words: Connexins, Myoblasts, Myogenesis, Regeneration

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Anderson, H. Catoe, and R. Werner MIR-206 regulates connexin43 expression during skeletal muscle development Nucleic Acids Res., November 6, 2006; 34(20): 5863 - 5871. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y.-H. Choi, C. Stamm, P. E. Hammer, K. F. Kwaku, J. J. Marler, I. Friehs, M. Jones, C. M. Rader, N. Roy, M.-T. Eddy, et al. Cardiac Conduction through Engineered Tissue Am. J. Pathol., July 1, 2006; 169(1): 72 - 85. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]