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Professor Tatsumi and his research group have discovered the fundamental mechanism of age-related muscle atrophy and loss of flexibility.
＊The following sentences are translated by the automatic translation function.
POINT
- Although many changes in gene expression associated with aging changes in muscle have been reported, it has been desired to elucidate the fundamental mechanism driving these changes.
- We found that the activating factor of muscle stem cells, HGF, loses its biological activity upon nitration, and revealed that this phenomenon progresses and accumulates with aging.
- The findings are expected to be applied to the medical field, such as early diagnosis of age-related muscular atrophy in humans and pets, and to contribute to the extension of healthy life expectancy.
SUMMARY
Why does bone loss occur with age? Why does connective tissue increase (loss of muscle flexibility)? These seemingly simple questions are not easy to answer. Although there have been many reports of changes in gene expression associated with aging in muscle, the fundamental mechanisms that drive these changes have been long awaited.
An international research group led by Professor Takahiro Kogane, Associate Professor Takahiro Suzuki, Professor Masahiro Nakamura and Assistant Professor Takashi Nakajima of the Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kyushu University, and Lecturer Alaa Elgaabari of the University of Kafrelsheikh in Egypt, has now identified a novel mechanism of muscle stem cell (satellite cell, "sleeping muscle tissue stem cell") activity. )(*1) lose their biological activity upon nitration(*3) of the activating factor HGF (hepatocyte growth factor)(*4) and that this phenomenon progresses and accumulates with aging.
Activation of muscle stem cells by HGF contributes to muscle homeostasis as the first essential event for muscle hypertrophy and regeneration, and its loss of function with aging is a fundamental factor in muscle atrophy. HGF also inhibits the proliferation of fibroblasts that synthesize collagen, which also explains the increase in connective tissue. Thus, nitration and inactivation of the muscle stem cell activating factor HGF can clearly explain the aging changes in muscle.
These research results are greatly dependent on the successful generation of a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes nitrated HGF. Since this antibody is widely applicable to human, feline, canine, and other HGFs, it is expected to be applied to the medical field, such as early diagnosis of age-related muscle atrophy in humans and pets.
In addition to the conventional health science measures such as reduction of oxidative stress and moderate exercise, the development of methods to inhibit nitrosation of HGF and to remove nitro groups from nitrosated HGF (recovery of HGF function) is expected to make a significant contribution to the extension of healthy life span.
The results of this research were published in the electronic version of the journal Aging Cell (John Wiley & Sons Inc.) on November 20, 2023 (Monday) (Japan Standard Time).
Research-related inquiries
Ryuichi Tatsumi,Professor
Faculty of Agriculture,Department of Bioresource Sciences