c-Kit function is necessary for in vitro myogenic differentiation of bone marrow hematopoietic cells

In recent years, the differentiation of bone marrow cells (BMCs) into myocytes has been extensively investigated, but the findings remain inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to determine the conditions necessary to induce myogenic differentiation in short-term cultures of adult BMCs, and to identify the BMC subpopulation responsible for this phenomenon. We report that high-density cultures of murine hematopoietic BMCs gave rise to spontaneous beating cell clusters in the presence of vascular endothelial and fibroblast growth factors. These clusters originated from c-kit(pos) cells. The formation of the clusters could be completely blocked by adding a c-kit/tyrosine kinase inhibitor, Gleevec (imatinib mesylate; Novartis International, Basel, Switzerland, http://www.novartis.com), to the culture. Cluster formation was also blunted in BMCs from c-kit-deficient (Kit(W)/Kit(W-v)) mice. Clustered cells expressed cardiomyocyte-specific transcription factor genes Gata-4 and Nkx2.5, sarcomeric proteins beta-MHC and MLC-2v, and ANF and connexin-43. Immunostaining revealed alpha-sarcomeric actinin expression in more than 90% of clustered cells. Under electron microscopy, the clustered cells exhibited a sarcomeric myofiber arrangement and z-bands. This study defines the microenvironment required to achieve a reproducible in vitro model of beating, myogenic cell clusters. This model could be used to examine the mechanisms responsible for the postnatal myogenic differentiation of BMCs. Our results identify c-kit(pos) bone marrow hematopoietic cells as the source of the myogenic clusters.