Zeb1 and Tle3 are trans‐factors that differentially regulate the expression of myosin heavy chain‐embryonic and skeletal muscle differentiation

• Published in: The FASEB journal 2023-08, Vol.37 (8), p.e23074-n/a
• Main Authors: Kumar, Pankaj, Zehra, Aatifa, Saini, Masum, Mathew, Sam J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; C2C12 cells; Cell Differentiation - genetics; Co-Repressor Proteins - genetics; Contractile Proteins; ELAV-Like Protein 1; Humans; Mice; mouse; Muscle, Skeletal - embryology; myogenin; Myosin Heavy Chains - genetics; myosin heavy chain‐embryonic; regeneration; skeletal muscle; Tle3; Transcription Factors - genetics; Zeb1; Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1 - genetics
• ISSN: 0892-6638; 1530-6860; 1530-6860
• DOI: 10.1096/fj.202201698RR

Myosin heavy chain‐embryonic encoded by the Myh3 gene is a skeletal muscle‐specific contractile protein expressed during mammalian development and regeneration, essential for proper myogenic differentiation and function. It is likely that multiple trans‐factors are involved in this precise temporal regulation of Myh3 expression. We identify a 4230 bp promoter‐enhancer region that drives Myh3 transcription in vitro during C2C12 myogenic differentiation and in vivo during muscle regeneration, including sequences both upstream and downstream of the Myh3 TATA‐box that are necessary for complete Myh3 promoter activity. Using C2C12 mouse myogenic cells, we find that Zinc‐finger E‐box binding homeobox 1 (Zeb1) and Transducin‐like Enhancer of Split 3 (Tle3) proteins are crucial trans‐factors that interact and differentially regulate Myh3 expression. Loss of Zeb1 function results in earlier expression of myogenic differentiation genes and accelerated differentiation, whereas Tle3 depletion leads to reduced expression of myogenic differentiation genes and impaired differentiation. Tle3 knockdown resulted in downregulation of Zeb1, which could be mediated by increased expression of miR‐200c, a microRNA that binds to Zeb1 transcript and degrades it. Tle3 functions upstream of Zeb1 in regulating myogenic differentiation since double knockdown of Zeb1 and Tle3 resulted in effects seen upon Tle3 depletion. We identify a novel E‐box in the Myh3 distal promoter‐enhancer region, where Zeb1 binds to repress Myh3 expression. In addition to regulation of myogenic differentiation at the transcriptional level, we uncover post‐transcriptional regulation by Tle3 to regulate MyoG expression, mediated by the mRNA stabilizing Human antigen R (HuR) protein. Thus, Tle3 and Zeb1 are essential trans‐factors that differentially regulate Myh3 expression and C2C12 cell myogenic differentiation in vitro. During myogenic differentiation, the trans‐factors Zeb1, Tle3, and MyoD form transient protein complexes regulating the expression of the muscle differentiation gene Myh3 encoding the Myosin Heavy Chain‐embryonic (MyHC‐embryonic) protein. Zeb1 occupies an E‐box site on the distal promoter‐enhancer of Myh3, repressing its expression and differentiation. On the other hand, Tle3 along with MyoD activates the Myh3 promoter, resulting in increased expression of MyHC‐embryonic and enhanced muscle differentiation.