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Desmin filaments are stably associated with the outer nuclear surface in chick myoblasts

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Abstract

Eukaryotic cells have highly organized, interconnected intracellular compartments. The nuclear surface and cytoplasmic cytoskeletal filaments represent compartments involved in such an association. Intermediate filaments are the major cytoskeletal elements in this association. Desmin is a muscle-specific structural protein and one of the earliest known muscle-specific genes to be expressed during cardiac and skeletal muscle development. Desmin filaments have been shown to be associated with the nuclear surface in the myogenic cell line C2C12. Previous studies have revealed that mice lacking desmin develop imperfect muscle, exhibiting the loss of nuclear shape and positioning. In the present work, we have analyzed the association between desmin filaments and the outer nuclear surface in nuclei isolated from pectoral skeletal muscle of chick embryos and in primary chick myogenic cell cultures by using immunofluorescence microscopy, negative staining, immunogold, and transmission electron microscopy. We show that desmin filaments remain firmly attached to the outer nuclear surface after the isolation of nuclei. Furthermore, positive localization of desmin persists after gentle washing of the nuclei with high ionic strength solutions. These data suggest that desmin intermediate filaments are stably and firmly connected to the outer nuclear surface in skeletal muscles cells in vivo and in vitro.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. Howard Holtzer for kindly providing the anti-desmin antibody.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Histologia e Embriologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21949-590, Brazil

    Cláudia S. Mermelstein, Leonardo R. Andrade, Debora M. Portilho & Manoel L. Costa

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  1. Cláudia S. Mermelstein
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  2. Leonardo R. Andrade
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  3. Debora M. Portilho
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  4. Manoel L. Costa
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Correspondence to Cláudia S. Mermelstein.

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This work was funded by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Apoio à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), Fundação Universitária José Bonifácio (FUJB-UFRJ), and Programa de Apoio aos Núcleos de Excelência (Pronex), all of which are Brazilian agencies.

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Mermelstein, C.S., Andrade, L.R., Portilho, D.M. et al. Desmin filaments are stably associated with the outer nuclear surface in chick myoblasts. Cell Tissue Res 323, 351–357 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-005-0063-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-005-0063-6

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