PUBLICATION

Jamb and jamc are essential for vertebrate myocyte fusion

Authors
Powell, G.T., and Wright, G.J.
ID
ZDB-PUB-120105-71
Date
2011
Source
PLoS Biology   9(12): e1001216 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Powell, Gareth, Wright, Gavin J.
Keywords
Muscle cells, Cell fusion, Embryos, Myoblasts, Muscle fibers, Vertebrates, Zebrafish, Muscle differentiation
MeSH Terms
  • Zebrafish
  • Cell Transplantation
  • Muscle, Skeletal/embryology*
  • Muscle Fibers, Fast-Twitch/cytology
  • Muscle Fibers, Fast-Twitch/physiology*
  • Junctional Adhesion Molecule B
  • Muscle Development/genetics*
  • Myoblasts/metabolism
  • Cell Fusion*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/physiology*
  • Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch/cytology
  • Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch/metabolism
  • Animals
  • Receptors, Cell Surface/genetics
  • Receptors, Cell Surface/physiology*
(all 16)
PubMed
22180726 Full text @ PLoS Biol.
Abstract
Cellular fusion is required in the development of several tissues, including skeletal muscle. In vertebrates, this process is poorly understood and lacks an in vivo-validated cell surface heterophilic receptor pair that is necessary for fusion. Identification of essential cell surface interactions between fusing cells is an important step in elucidating the molecular mechanism of cellular fusion. We show here that the zebrafish orthologues of JAM-B and JAM-C receptors are essential for fusion of myocyte precursors to form syncytial muscle fibres. Both jamb and jamc are dynamically co-expressed in developing muscles and encode receptors that physically interact. Heritable mutations in either gene prevent myocyte fusion in vivo, resulting in an overabundance of mononuclear, but otherwise overtly normal, functional fast-twitch muscle fibres. Transplantation experiments show that the Jamb and Jamc receptors must interact between neighbouring cells (in trans) for fusion to occur. We also show that jamc is ectopically expressed in prdm1a mutant slow muscle precursors, which inappropriately fuse with other myocytes, suggesting that control of myocyte fusion through regulation of jamc expression has important implications for the growth and patterning of muscles. Our discovery of a receptor-ligand pair critical for fusion in vivo has important implications for understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for myocyte fusion and its regulation in vertebrate myogenesis.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Figure Gallery (9 images)
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Allele Construct Type Affected Genomic Region
hu3319
    Point Mutation
    i104TgTransgenic Insertion
      sa37
        Point Mutation
        tp39
          Point Mutation
          1 - 4 of 4
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          Human Disease / Model
          No data available
          Sequence Targeting Reagents
          Target Reagent Reagent Type
          jam2aMO1-jam2aMRPHLNO
          jam3bMO1-jam3bMRPHLNO
          1 - 2 of 2
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          Fish
          Antibodies
          Orthology
          No data available
          Engineered Foreign Genes
          Marker Marker Type Name
          EGFPEFGEGFP
          1 - 1 of 1
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          Mapping
          No data available