Establishment of a human skeletal muscle-derived cell line: biochemical, cellular and electrophysiological characterization

Biochem J. 2013 Oct 15;455(2):169-77. doi: 10.1042/BJ20130698.

Abstract

Excitation-contraction coupling is the physiological mechanism occurring in muscle cells whereby an electrical signal sensed by the dihydropyridine receptor located on the transverse tubules is transformed into a chemical gradient (Ca2+ increase) by activation of the ryanodine receptor located on the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. In the present study, we characterized for the first time the excitation-contraction coupling machinery of an immortalized human skeletal muscle cell line. Intracellular Ca2+ measurements showed a normal response to pharmacological activation of the ryanodine receptor, whereas 3D-SIM (super-resolution structured illumination microscopy) revealed a low level of structural organization of ryanodine receptors and dihydropyridine receptors. Interestingly, the expression levels of several transcripts of proteins involved in Ca2+ homoeostasis and differentiation indicate that the cell line has a phenotype closer to that of slow-twitch than fast-twitch muscles. These results point to the potential application of such human muscle-derived cell lines to the study of neuromuscular disorders; in addition, they may serve as a platform for the development of therapeutic strategies aimed at correcting defects in Ca2+ homoeostasis due to mutations in genes involved in Ca2+ regulation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Calcium Channels, L-Type / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Electrophysiological Phenomena
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Muscle Contraction
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism*
  • Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel / metabolism
  • Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / metabolism
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Calcium Channels, L-Type
  • Muscle Proteins
  • Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel
  • Calcium