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Method Article
Active autophagy is associated with productive muscle regeneration, which is essential for Muscle Stem Cell (MuSC) activation. Here, we provide a protocol for the in situ detection of LC3, an autophagy marker in MyoD-positive MuSCs of muscle tissue sections from control and injured mice.
Increasing evidence points to autophagy as a crucial regulatory process to preserve tissue homeostasis. It is known that autophagy is involved in skeletal muscle development and regeneration, and the autophagic process has been described in several muscular pathologies and age-related muscle disorders. A recently described block of the autophagic process that correlates with the functional exhaustion of satellite cells during muscle repair supports the notion that active autophagy is coupled with productive muscle regeneration. These data uncover the crucial role of autophagy in satellite cell activation during muscle regeneration in both normal and pathological conditions, such as muscular dystrophies. Here, we provide a protocol to monitor the autophagic process in the adult Muscle Stem Cell (MuSC) compartment during muscle regenerative conditions. This protocol describes the setup methodology to perform in situ immunofluorescence imaging of LC3, an autophagy marker, and MyoD, a myogenic lineage marker, in muscle tissue sections from control and injured mice. The methodology reported allows for monitoring the autophagic process in one specific cell compartment, the MuSC compartment, which plays a central role in orchestrating muscle regeneration.
Skeletal muscle regeneration is the result of the interaction between adult stem cells (Muscle Satellite Cells, MuSCs) and other cell types that are involved in the regenerative process. Muscle homeostasis and functionality are maintained by the combined signals arising from the muscle niche and systemic cues1,2. Throughout the lifetime, changes in the MuSC functionality, the muscle niche, and the systemic cues have been reported, leading to the decline of functional capacities in the elderly3. MuSCs are set in a niche beneath the basal lamina and, upon muscle injury, are activated to repair damaged muscles4,5. In order to ensure a productive regenerative response, it is crucial that MuSCs coordinate different processes necessary for the exit from quiescence, the self-renewal, and the proliferative expansion stage followed by the myogenic differentiation6. In the elderly and in muscular chronic diseases, all these functions are compromised, leading to altered muscle functionality2,3,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13.
Macroautophagy (referred hereafter as autophagy) is emerging as a crucial biological process essential to preserve tissue homeostasis14. The autophagic process encloses trafficking mechanisms, where portions of cytoplasm, organelles, and proteins are engulfed into vesicles that eventually are degraded via the lysosome pathway, promoting the removal of toxic molecules and the recycling of macromolecules. This provides energy-rich compounds to support cell and tissue adaptation under stress or other adverse conditions15,16. Together with its cell-survival activity, autophagy can also work as a cell-death inducer, depending upon cell tissue context (e.g., normal versus cancer tissue) and the type of stress stimulus17,18.
Recent evidence indicates that autophagy is required to maintain muscle mass and myofiber integrity19,20 and has been reported to be impaired in different muscle dystrophies21,22,23, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)24,25,26,27,28,29,30.Likewise, a progressive reduction of the autophagic process has been observed in the elderly31,32,33,34,35, after a loss of muscle mass (referred as sarcopenia)32,33,34,35,36,37, and in myofiber survival38.
A close relationship between autophagy and the regenerative potential of skeletal muscles was anticipated by a study from Wagers's laboratory, which showed that a calorie restriction enhances MuSC availability and activity39. This notion was further supported by the recent observation that the Foxo3-Notch axis activates the autophagic process during self-renewal40 and the MuSC transition from the quiescent to the proliferating state41. These data agree with the progressive reduction of basal autophagy from young to old and geriatric MuSCs, in association with the numerical and functional decline of MuSCs during ageing42.
In a recent paper, we demonstrated a close relationship between autophagy and the compensatory muscle regeneration that distinguishes the early stages of DMD progression. Accordingly, we observed a reduced autophagic flux at later stages of disease progression, when muscle regeneration is compromised and fibrotic tissue deposition occurs. Intriguingly, we showed that, in regenerating conditions, autophagy is activated in MuSCs and that modulating the autophagic process impacts MuSC activation and functionality30.
Altogether, these data highlight the urgency to explore the autophagic process in MuSCs during muscle regeneration in normal and pathological conditions and throughout the life span. Here, we provide a protocol to monitor the autophagic process in MuSCs in muscle regenerative conditions by performing in situ immunostaining for microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3), a marker of autophagy43, and MyoD, a marker of myogenic lineage, in muscle tissue sections from control and injured mice. The methodology reported allows for monitoring the autophagic process in one specific cell compartment, the MuSC, which plays a key role in orchestrating muscle regeneration.
Mice were bred and maintained according to the standard animal facility procedures, and all experimental protocols were approved by the Animal Welfare Assurance and the internal Animal Research Ethical Committee according to the Italian Ministry of Health and complied with the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
1. Muscle Injury and the In Vivo Block of Autophagic Flux
2. Muscle Tissue Sections
3. Immunostaining for LC3 and MyoD in Injured Muscle Tissue Sections
4. Confocal Microscopy Acquisition
This protocol describes an efficient in situ method to detect autophagy in MuSCs during muscle regeneration.
CTX In Vivo Treatments:
Use CTX to induce muscle damage in TA muscles and use unperturbed muscles as controls. Since autophagy is highly dynamic, block the autophagic flux by performing IP injections of CLQ (Figure 1)...
This protocol describes how to monitor autophagy in skeletal muscle stem cells during compensatory muscle regeneration. Several antibodies for the co-staining of LC3 and MyoD were tried, and the ones that work in mouse tissue sections and create successful results are listed here (see Materials Table). The permeabilization with methanol (see step 3.2.2) is highly recommended for successful staining.
The limitation of this protocol is linked to the intrinsic variability of the ...
The authors have nothing to disclose
This work was supported by NIAMS AR064873, Epigen Project PB. P01.001.019/Progetto Bandiera Epigenomica IFT to L.L.
Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
C57BL/6J | The Jackson Laboratory | 000664 | WT mice |
Cardiotoxin 1 | Latoxan | L8102 | |
Millex-VV | Merck Millipore | SLVV033RS | Syringe Filter Unit, 0.1 µm, PVDF, 33 mm, gamma sterilized |
Chloroquine diphosphate salt | Sigma-Aldrich | C6628 | Caution: Harmful if swallowed |
BD Micro-Fine + 0.5 mL | BD | 324825 | |
Tissue-Tek O.C.T. compound | Sakura Finetek | 25608-930 | |
Tissue-Tek Cryomold Intermediate | Sakura Finetek | 4566 | |
2-Methylbutane | Sigma-Aldrich | 277258 | |
Hematoxylin Solution, Harris Modified | Sigma-Aldrich | HHS32 | |
Eosin Y solution, alcoholic | Sigma-Aldrich | HT110132 | |
o-Xylene | Sigma-Aldrich | X1040 | Caution: Flammable liquid and vapour; May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways; Harmful in contact with skin; May cause respiratory irritation; Causes serious eye irritation |
Paraformaldehyde (PFA) | Sigma-Aldrich | P6148 | Caution: Flammable solid; Harmful if swallowed; Causes skin irritation; May cause an allergic skin reaction; Causes serious eye damage; May cause respiratory irritation; Suspected of causing cancer |
DPBS, no calcium, no magnesium | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 14190-094 | |
Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) | Sigma-Aldrich | A7030 | |
Glycerol | Sigma-Aldrich | G5516 | |
Eukitt - Quick-hardening mounting medium | Sigma-Aldrich | 3989 | |
AffiniPure Fab Fragment Goat Anti-Mouse IgG (H+L) | Jackson ImmunoResearch | 115-007-003 | |
LC3B Antibody | Cell signaling Technology | 2775 | |
Monoclonal mouse anti-MyoD (concentrated) clone 5.8A | DAKO - Agilent Pathology Solutions | M3512 | |
Laminin-2 (α-2-chain) monoclonal antibody | Enzo Life Sciences | 4H8-2 | |
Alexa Fluor 488 Goat Anti-Rabbit IgG (H+L) | Life technologies | A11008 | |
Alexa Fluor 594 Goat Anti-Mouse IgG (H+L) | Life technologies | A11005 | |
Alexa Fluor Goat Anti-Rat IgM Antibody | Life technologies | A21248 | |
DAPI (4',6-Diamidino-2-Phenylindole, Dihydrochloride) | Thermo Fisher Scientific | D1306 |
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