Acetylcholinesterase and agrin: Different functions, similar expression patterns, multiple roles

Miš, Katarina; Matkovič, Urška; Pirkmajer, Sergej; Sciancalepore, Marina; Lorenzon, Paola; Marš, Tomaž; Grubič, Zoran

doi:10.1016/j.cbi.2012.10.009

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Because agrin is released into the muscle basal lamina, it might interact with other receptors or molecules, such as α-dystroglycan (Singhal & Martin, 2011), and recent studies have shown agrin affecting the maturation of the excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling apparatus (Bandi, Jevsek, Mars, et al, 2008) and membrane electrical properties by changing of Na + /K + ATPase and ion channel expression (Jurdana et al, 2009) in developing human skeletal muscle cells. Although the underlying mechanism of the transcriptional regulation of myogenic genes by agrin remains unclear, some studies have shown positive effects of agrin on myogenesis through the increased expression of myosin heavy chains in agrintreated myotubes (Ko et al, 2013;Mis et al, 2013). It has also been reported that agrin promotes contractile function (twitch and tetanus force generation) in bioengineered rodent muscle constructs (Bian & Bursac, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced skeletal muscle formation on microfluidic spun gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) fibres using surface patterning and agrin treatment

Ebrahimi

Ostrovidov

Salehi

et al. 2018

J Tissue Eng Regen Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Bioengineered functional muscle tissues are beneficial for regenerative medicine due to their treatment potential for various debilitating disorders, including myopathy and traumatic injuries. However, the contractile properties of engineered muscle constructs are lacking compared with their native counterparts. Here, we used microfluidic spinning to fabricate photocrosslinkable gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel fibres with well-defined surface morphologies for engineering muscle tissues. We examined whether the combination of topographical cues from surface micropatterning and biochemical stimulation with recombinant agrin can improve the generation of bioengineered muscle tissue. Topographical cues on micropatterned fibres promoted alignment of C2C12 myoblasts and augmented myotube formation during differentiation, as assessed by increased myotube length, aspect ratio, and the elevated mRNA expression of myogenic genes. Moreover, agrin treatment significantly increased acetylcholine receptor expression/clustering and myotube formation and upregulated dystrophin expression in differentiated C2C12 myotubes. Interestingly, the combination of topographical cues with agrin treatment further enhanced myotube maturation and functionality as shown by improved contractility under electrical stimulation. Thus, combining topographical cues and agrin treatment improved functions of engineered muscle tissue, which has potential in biorobotics, drug screening, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced skeletal muscle formation on microfluidic spun gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) fibres using surface patterning and agrin treatment

Ebrahimi

Ostrovidov

Salehi

et al. 2018

J Tissue Eng Regen Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Catalytic AChE subunits synthetized in motor neurons have different functions and must therefore be targeted to different places: targeting is obviously determined by its binding to appropriate structural subunit. Similar temporal patterns of expression of ColQ and synaptogenetic variant of agrin in motor neurons supports the possibility that tailed AChE is delivered to the same target, i.e., basal lamina in the synaptic cleft, as agrin [ 8 ].…”

Section: The Expression Of Ache During Nmj Formation In Co-culturementioning

confidence: 68%

“…Expression pattern of AChE and synaptogenetic (z8 and z19) and non-synaptogenetic (z0) agrin isoforms (for nomenclature see subchapter 4 below) in the spinal cord provides additional, albeit indirect, support for the notion that motor neurons contribute to the basal lamina-bound AChE [ 8 ]. As assessed by in situ hybridization and PCR, expression of the synaptogenetic agrin-z8 isoform and ColQ, which enables AChE binding to basal lamina of NMJ, increase in parallel after NMJ basal lamina is formed.…”

Section: The Expression Of Ache During Nmj Formation In Co-culturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Acetylcholineesterase (AChE) and agrin, a heparan sulfate proteoglycan, are important for termination of neuromuscular transmission and maintenance of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), respectively [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. In addition to these canonical roles in NMJ, AChE and agrin have alternative functions that are not related to NMJ and cholinergic transmission [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Canonical and alternative roles of AChE and agrin have been investigated using many different in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

In Vitro Innervation as an Experimental Model to Study the Expression and Functions of Acetylcholinesterase and Agrin in Human Skeletal Muscle

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and agrin, a heparan-sulfate proteoglycan, reside in the basal lamina of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and play key roles in cholinergic transmission and synaptogenesis. Unlike most NMJ components, AChE and agrin are expressed in skeletal muscle and α-motor neurons. AChE and agrin are also expressed in various other types of cells, where they have important alternative functions that are not related to their classical roles in NMJ. In this review, we first focus on co-cultures of embryonic rat spinal cord explants with human skeletal muscle cells as an experimental model to study functional innervation in vitro. We describe how this heterologous rat-human model, which enables experimentation on highly developed contracting human myotubes, offers unique opportunities for AChE and agrin research. We then highlight innovative approaches that were used to address salient questions regarding expression and alternative functions of AChE and agrin in developing human skeletal muscle. Results obtained in co-cultures are compared with those obtained in other models in the context of general advances in the field of AChE and agrin neurobiology.

show abstract

“…Newly formed (i.e., recovering) NMJs have been shown to have the capacity for endplate potentials; however, contraction of myofibers is not achieved [ 28 ], that is, the NMJ did not perform its original function, despite the completion of nerve regeneration and sufficient contact between myofibers and neurons. Moreover, original reconstructed NMJ has been shown to exhibit incomplete function, and the reconstruction of NMJ function (i.e., the impulse) still requires the auxiliary function of nerve and muscle signaling molecules [ 29 - 32 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of electroacupuncture on recovery of the electrophysiological properties of the rabbit gastrocnemius after contusion: an in vivo animal study

Liu

Wang

Luo

et al. 2015

BMC Complement Altern Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundOur preliminary studies indicated that electroacupuncture (EA) at the ST36 and Ashi acupoints could promote regeneration of the rabbit gastrocnemius (GM) by improving microcirculation perfusion, promoting the recovery of myofiber structures, and inhibiting excessive fibrosis. However, the effects of EA on recovery of the electrophysiological properties of the GM after contusion are not yet clear. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of EA at the Zusanli (ST36) and Ashi acupoints with regard to recovery of the electrophysiological properties of the rabbit GM after contusion.MethodsForty-five rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: normal, contusion, and EA. After an acute GM contusion was produced (in rabbits in the contusion and EA groups), rabbits in the EA group were treated with electrostimulation at the ST36 and Ashi acupoints with 0.4 mA (2 Hz) for 15 min. The contusion group received no EA treatment. At different time points (7, 14, and 28 days) after contusion, we performed surface electromyography (EMG) and measured the nerve conduction velocity (NCV) of the GM and the GM branch of the tibial nerve. We also examined acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and Agrin expression in the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) via immunohistochemistry.ResultsCompared with the contusion group, the EMG amplitude and NCV in rabbits in the EA group were significantly higher at all time points after contusion. AchE and Agrin expression in the EA group were significantly higher than those in the contusion group.ConclusionsOur results showed that EA at the ST36 and Ashi acupoints effectively promoted recovery of the electrophysiological properties of the rabbit GM after contusion. The effects of EA were realized by promotion of the regeneration of myofibers and nerve fibers, as well as acceleration of NMJ reconstruction by upregulation of AchE and Agrin expression in the motor endplate area.

show abstract

Acetylcholinesterase and agrin: Different functions, similar expression patterns, multiple roles

Cited by 7 publications

References 36 publications

Enhanced skeletal muscle formation on microfluidic spun gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) fibres using surface patterning and agrin treatment

Enhanced skeletal muscle formation on microfluidic spun gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) fibres using surface patterning and agrin treatment

In Vitro Innervation as an Experimental Model to Study the Expression and Functions of Acetylcholinesterase and Agrin in Human Skeletal Muscle

Effects of electroacupuncture on recovery of the electrophysiological properties of the rabbit gastrocnemius after contusion: an in vivo animal study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About