Considerable understanding of mammalian myogenesis has been obtained through the recapitulation of this process in both primary mouse (Mus musculus) myoblast cultures and the well-described mouse-derived cell line, C2C125. Beginning in the 1950s6, these cultures have led to much advancement in the understanding of the murinemyogenic program and, by extension, myogenesis in other vertebrates. Additionally, single cell myofiber explant techniques have increased out understanding of interactions between satellite cells and surrounding myofibers7-9.Cell cultures are particularly attractive for investigations of myogenesis due to the short time from precursor to differentiated cell10, relative ease of transfection for RNAi11-14, transgenic15,16 and overexpression studies14,17,18 , in vitro expansion followed by in vivo transplantation18-20, and even comparison of myogenic precursor cells and their regulating agents across taxa21,22. While differences due to the artificial environment of the culture system have been described5,23 , these in vitro systems have proven to be indispensible to our dissection of the intricate program governing the formation of multinucleated, terminally differentiated myofibersfrom mononucleated proliferative progenitor cells known as myosatellite cells (MSCs) among the mammals.
Outside of the class Mammalia, however, the conservation and/or divergence of mechanisms controlling myogenesis are poorly understood, largely due to the difficulty in culturing myogenic precursor cells (MPCs) and myoblasts from various taxa. Indeed, primary myoblast cultures have only been described in three birds24-26, one reptile27, a few amphibians28-30, and some fishes1,3,4,31-33. Continuous myogenic cell lines from vertebrates other than rodents34-36are even more rare, with the only non-mammalian myogenic cell line being derived from Japanese quail (Cortunix japonica), QM737. Despite many attempts at immortalization, a teleost myogenic cell line remains elusive and a protocol for efficient transfection of these cells was only published this year15. Thus, clear and well-optimized protocols for culturing primary MPCs and myoblasts from a variety of vertebrates are very much needed to not only further expand our knowledge of the evolution of the myogenic program, but to employ the power of comparative physiology to make breakthroughs in the treatment of human skeletal muscle diseases and disorders.
While the literature contains many reports of MPC/myoblast isolation38-49, it is common for authors to describe the protocols for such isolations in brief, often incomplete, formats. Further, the most instructive protocols reported have been developed for mice50-53, and some of these rely on antibody selection54,55 or fluorescence transgenes56,57, making these protocols unusable or impractical inmost non-rodent species utilized by muscle biologists. With little known about piscine, amphibian, and reptile myogenesis, a detailed and thorough protocol, described with audiovisual guidance and with demonstrated efficiency in distantly related species, would be most helpful to the field.
First described by Powell and colleagues in 198958, the following protocol was initially developed to isolate MPCs and myoblasts from salmonid fishes (namely, rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar) and some larger cyprinids (i.e. goldfish, Carassiusauratusauratus). In 2000, Fauconneau and Paboeuf optimized a primary myoblast culture for rainbow trout59, and minoroptimizations made that protocol utilizable in several smaller minnows of the Danioninae clade (zebrafish, Danio rerio, and giant danio, Devario aequipinnatus)32 due to the many genetic tools available for zebrafish work and thus its close relatives. Teleost fish are attractive organisms for study due to their divergent growth strategy (at least in most species). Large salmonids, like most fishes, grow indeterminately, with growth potential unfettered by an asymptote at maturity, even in old age60-62. Unlike zebrafish, large danionins such as the giant danio63 and moustached danio display growth potentials typical of teleost fish, making their direct juxtaposition an ideal platform for understanding whether MPC cell fate choice plays a role in skeletal muscle hyperplasia versus hypertrophy.
Likewise, we have demonstrated that this protocol can be used with mice and axolotls, with relatively high cell yield and viability indices. Urodele salamanders, such as the Mexican axolotl (Ambystomamexicanum),possess the remarkable ability to regenerate tissues, including entire limbs and tails64-66. This characteristic makes these amphibians interesting models of skeletal muscle wasting and aging. Using the protocol described below, a similar approach can be undertaken as has been done in many fish species, providing an even wider comparative context for such studies. As many truly comparative biologists appreciate, the most meaningful advances in basic biology and translational biomedicine can be made when data are analyzed within the widest spectrum (here, the entire vertebrate lineage).