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New Insights into the Epigenome and microRNAs in Musculoskeletal (Patho)physiology

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 2772

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Epigenetic regulation of the musculoskeletal (MSK) system is a well-established research topic and is rapidly and continuously evolving. The physiology and pathophysiology of various organs and tissues, such as the musculoskeletal system, is controlled by the epigenome, including DNA and chromatin modifications as well as microRNAs. Alteration of this fine epigenetic balance can lead to musculoskeletal pathologies, such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, age-related sarcopenia, or muscular atrophy. Therefore, a focused research strategy is emerging for understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern the epigenetic effects on musculoskeletal health and disease.

This Special Issue invites both basic and clinical researchers to submit original research articles, reviews, and hypothesis-driven papers aiming to address significant topics, with regard to the epigenome and microRNA roles in the musculoskeletal system, such as, but not limited to:

  • New insights in studying the epigenetic control of musculoskeletal tissues in health and disease, with a special interest in the role of existing and novel microRNAs;
  • Utilization of established as well as development of new animal models and in vitro cellular systems to elucidate how epigenetic mechanisms and microRNA expression can influence the (patho)physiology of the musculoskeletal system;
  • Clinical findings and new advances in the use of epigenetic modifications and microRNA abundance as potential biomarkers in musculoskeletal disorders.

Dr. Ioannis Kanakis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • epigenetics
  • microRNAs
  • skeletal disorders
  • joint diseases
  • muscular atrophy
  • sarcopenia

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 3028 KiB  
Article
Postnatal Protein Intake as a Determinant of Skeletal Muscle Structure and Function in Mice—A Pilot Study
by Ifigeneia Giakoumaki, Natalie Pollock, Turki Aljuaid, Anthony J. Sannicandro, Moussira Alameddine, Euan Owen, Ioanna Myrtziou, Susan E. Ozanne, Ioannis Kanakis, Katarzyna Goljanek-Whysall and Aphrodite Vasilaki
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(15), 8815; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms23158815 - 08 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2386
Abstract
Sarcopenia is characterised by an age-related decrease in the number of muscle fibres and additional weakening of the remaining fibres, resulting in a reduction in muscle mass and function. Many studies associate poor maternal nutrition during gestation and/or lactation with altered skeletal muscle [...] Read more.
Sarcopenia is characterised by an age-related decrease in the number of muscle fibres and additional weakening of the remaining fibres, resulting in a reduction in muscle mass and function. Many studies associate poor maternal nutrition during gestation and/or lactation with altered skeletal muscle homeostasis in the offspring and the development of sarcopenia. The aim of this study was to determine whether the musculoskeletal physiology in offspring born to mouse dams fed a low-protein diet during pregnancy was altered and whether any physiological changes could be modulated by the nutritional protein content in early postnatal stages. Thy1-YFP female mice were fed ad libitum on either a normal (20%) or a low-protein (5%) diet. Newborn pups were cross-fostered to different lactating dams (maintained on a 20% or 5% diet) to generate three groups analysed at weaning (21 days): Normal-to-Normal (NN), Normal-to-Low (NL) and Low-to-Normal (LN). Further offspring were maintained ad libitum on the same diet as during lactation until 12 weeks of age, creating another three groups (NNN, NLL, LNN). Mice on a low protein diet postnatally (NL, NLL) exhibited a significant reduction in body and muscle weight persisting up to 12 weeks, unlike mice on a low protein diet only prenatally (LN, LNN). Muscle fibre size was reduced in mice from the NL but not LN group, showing recovery at 12 weeks of age. Muscle force was reduced in NLL mice, concomitant with changes in the NMJ site and changes in atrophy-related and myosin genes. In addition, μCT scans of mouse tibiae at 12 weeks of age revealed changes in bone mass and morphology, resulting in a higher bone mass in the NLL group than the control NNN group. Finally, changes in the expression of miR-133 in the muscle of NLL mice suggest a regulatory role for this microRNA in muscle development in response to postnatal diet changes. Overall, this data shows that a low maternal protein diet and early postnatal life low-protein intake in mice can impact skeletal muscle physiology and function in early life while postnatal low protein diet favours bone integrity in adulthood. Full article
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