RGD Reference Report - Presence, actions, and regulation of myostatin in rat uterus and myometrial cells. - Rat Genome Database

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Presence, actions, and regulation of myostatin in rat uterus and myometrial cells.

Authors: Ciarmela, P  Wiater, E  Smith, SM  Vale, W 
Citation: Ciarmela P, etal., Endocrinology. 2009 Feb;150(2):906-14. Epub 2008 Oct 9.
RGD ID: 2303546
Pubmed: PMID:18845635   (View Abstract at PubMed)
PMCID: PMC2732292   (View Article at PubMed Central)
DOI: DOI:10.1210/en.2008-0880   (Journal Full-text)

Myostatin, a member of the TGF-beta superfamily of proteins, is known to suppress skeletal muscle mass and myocyte proliferation. The muscular component of the uterus is the myometrium, a tissue that regulates its mass in response to different physiological conditions under the influence of sex steroids. Recently, our laboratory reported effects of activin-A, another TGF-beta family member, on signalling and proliferation of rat uterine explants and human myometrial cell lines in culture. Here, we explore the expression, actions, and regulation of myostatin in uterine smooth muscle. Myostatin mRNA was demonstrated to be expressed in a myometrial cell line, pregnant human myometrial 1 cell line (PHM1). Functional assays showed that myostatin induced phosphorylation of Smad-2 and reduced proliferation of PHM1 number in a time and dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, myostatin activated smad-2 specific signalling pathways in rat uterine explants. To expand on our in vitro findings, we found that myostatin is expressed in rat uterus and determined that myostatin mRNA expression varies as a function of the phase of the estrous cycle. Uterine levels of myostatin peaked during late estrus and were the lowest at proestrus. Ovariectomy increased myostatin expression; estrogen treatment strongly decreased myostatin levels, whereas progesterone weakly decreased myostatin expression. In conclusion, myometrial cells are myostatin sensitive, myostatin mRNA levels are modulated in vivo in rats during the estrous cycle, and in response to steroid deprivation and replacement.



Gene Ontology Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View

Biological Process

  
Object SymbolSpeciesTermQualifierEvidenceWithNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
MstnRatovulation cycle process  IEP  RGD 
MstnRatresponse to estrogen  IEP  RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Mstn  (myostatin)


Additional Information