ERK5 regulates muscle cell fusion through Klf transcription factors

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

In skeletal muscle differentiation, muscle-specific genes are regulated by two groups of transcription factors, the MyoD and MEF2 families, which work together to drive the differentiation process. Here, we show that ERK5 regulates muscle cell fusion through Klf transcription factors. The inhibition of ERK5 activity suppresses muscle cell fusion with minimal effects on the expression of MyoD, MEF2, and their target genes. Promoter analysis coupled to microarray assay reveals that Klf-binding motifs are highly enriched in the promoter regions of ERK5-dependent upregulated genes. Remarkably, Klf2 and Klf4 expression are also upregulated during differentiation in an ERK5-dependent manner, and knockdown of Klf2 or Klf4 specifically suppresses muscle cell fusion. Moreover, we show that Sp1 transcription factor links ERK5 to Klf2/4, and that nephronectin, a Klf transcriptional target, is involved in muscle cell fusion. Therefore, an ERK5/Sp1/Klf module plays a key role in the fusion process during skeletal muscle differentiation.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)192-205
Number of pages14
JournalDevelopmental cell
Volume20
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 15 Feb 2011
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 79751484735

Keywords

Keywords

  • Animals, Base Sequence, Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2/pharmacology, Cell Differentiation/drug effects, Cell Fusion, Cell Line, Extracellular Matrix Proteins/metabolism, Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/pharmacology, Gene Expression Profiling, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/pharmacology, Kruppel-Like Factor 4, Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors/genetics, Mice, Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 7/genetics, Molecular Sequence Data, Muscle Cells/cytology, Muscle Development/drug effects, MyoD Protein/metabolism, Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics, Signal Transduction/drug effects, Sp1 Transcription Factor/metabolism, Transcription, Genetic/drug effects, Up-Regulation/drug effects