Essential environmental cues from the satellite cell niche: optimizing proliferation and differentiation

• Published in: American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology 2009-06, Vol.296 (6), p.C1338-C1345
• Main Authors: Boonen, K. J. M, Rosaria-Chak, K. Y, Baaijens, F. P. T, van der Schaft, D. W. J, Post, M. J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Basement Membrane - chemistry; Basement Membrane - metabolism; Cell culture; Cell Differentiation; Cell Proliferation; Cells; Cells, Cultured; Collagen - metabolism; Collagen Type IV - metabolism; Drug Combinations; Elasticity; Laminin - metabolism; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Muscle Development; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal - metabolism; Polylysine - metabolism; Proteins; Proteoglycans - metabolism; Satellite Cells, Skeletal Muscle - metabolism; Signal Transduction; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0363-6143; 1522-1563
• DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00015.2009

1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven; and 2 Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands Submitted 12 January 2009 ; accepted in final form 24 March 2009 The use of muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) for regenerative medicine has been severely compromised by their decreased proliferative and differentiative capacity after being cultured in vitro. We hypothesized the loss of pivotal niche factors to be the cause. Therefore, we investigated the proliferative and differentiative response of passage 0 murine MPCs to varying substrate elasticities and protein coatings and found that proliferation was influenced only by elasticity, whereas differentiation was influenced by both elasticity and protein coating. A stiffness of 21 kPa optimally increased the proliferation of MPCs. Regarding differentiation, we demonstrated that fusion of MPCs into myotubes takes place regardless of elasticity. However, ongoing maturation with cross-striations and contractions occurred only on elasticities higher than 3 kPa. Furthermore, maturation was fastest on poly- D -lysine and laminin coatings. muscle progenitor cells; substrate elasticity; matrix proteins; maturation Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: M. J. Post, Dept. of Physiology, Maastricht Univ., Uns 50 3.154, PO Box 616, Maastricht 6200 MD, The Netherlands (e-mail: m.post{at}fys.unimaas.nl )