Role of HuR in skeletal myogenesis through coordinate regulation of muscle differentiation genes

Mol Cell Biol. 2003 Jul;23(14):4991-5004. doi: 10.1128/MCB.23.14.4991-5004.2003.

Abstract

In this report, we investigate the role of the RNA-binding protein HuR during skeletal myogenesis. At the onset of myogenesis in differentiating C2C12 myocytes and in vivo in regenerating mouse muscle, HuR cytoplasmic abundance increased dramatically, returning to a predominantly nuclear presence upon completion of myogenesis. mRNAs encoding key regulators of myogenesis-specific transcription (myogenin and MyoD) and cell cycle withdrawal (p21), bearing AU-rich regions, were found to be targets of HuR in a differentiation-dependent manner. Accordingly, mRNA half-lives were highest during differentiation, declining when differentiation was completed. Importantly, HuR-overexpressing C2C12 cells displayed increased target mRNA expression and half-life and underwent precocious differentiation. Our findings underscore a critical function for HuR during skeletal myogenesis linked to HuR's coordinate regulation of muscle differentiation genes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Surface*
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21
  • Cyclins / genetics
  • Cytoplasm / drug effects
  • Cytoplasm / genetics
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • ELAV Proteins
  • ELAV-Like Protein 1
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental*
  • Half-Life
  • Insulin / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Muscle Development / physiology*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / cytology
  • Muscle, Skeletal / physiology*
  • MyoD Protein / genetics
  • Myoblasts / physiology
  • Myogenin / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / physiology*
  • Regeneration / genetics
  • Selenium / pharmacology
  • Transferrin / pharmacology

Substances

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • Antigens, Surface
  • Cdkn1a protein, mouse
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21
  • Cyclins
  • ELAV Proteins
  • ELAV-Like Protein 1
  • ELAVL1 protein, human
  • Insulin
  • MyoD Protein
  • Myog protein, mouse
  • Myogenin
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Transferrin
  • Selenium