Membrane glycoproteins are involved in the differentiation of the BC3H1 muscle cell line

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Isolation of Primary Murine Skeletal Muscle Microvascular Endothelial Cells
11:57

Isolation of Primary Murine Skeletal Muscle Microvascular Endothelial Cells

Published on: March 6, 2019

G Simard1, J A Connolly

  • 1Department of Anatomy, University of Toronto, Canada.

Experimental Cell Research
|November 1, 1987
PubMed

Insights

Glycoproteins on muscle cell surfaces are crucial for initiating differentiation. Inhibiting specific glycosylation pathways, like those involving high mannose structures, blocks muscle cell differentiation and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) induction.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The BC3H1 muscle cell line differentiates and expresses muscle-specific proteins when fetal bovine serum (FBS) concentration is reduced.
  • Glycoproteins are suspected to play a role in the initiation of this differentiation process.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of specific glycoproteins in the differentiation of BC3H1 muscle cells.
  • To determine which glycosylation pathways are essential for muscle cell differentiation.

Main Methods:

  • BC3H1 cells were treated with various glycosylation inhibitors (Tunicamycin, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, castanospermine, etc.) during serum reduction.
  • Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) induction was measured as an indicator of differentiation.
  • The effects of inhibitors on both induced and reversed differentiation were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Tunicamycin (TNM) and 2-deoxy-D-glucose significantly blocked (70-95%) CPK induction in a dose-dependent and reversible manner.
  • Castanospermine, a glucosidase I inhibitor, completely blocked CPK induction.
  • Other inhibitors like leupeptin, N-acetylglucosamine, 1-deoxynojirimycin, 1-deoxymannojirimycin, and swainsonine had no significant effect.

Conclusions:

  • High mannose structures on the surface of BC3H1 cells are critical for signal transduction during differentiation.
  • Complex form glycoproteins do not appear to be involved in this differentiation process.
  • These cell surface glycoproteins likely mediate cell-cell contact essential for muscle differentiation.

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