Without this protein, damaged muscle turns to fat and scar tissue
News
– University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
– A protein once thought to mainly protect chromosome ends may also be essential for keeping muscle stem cells ready to repair injuries. Researchers found that TRF2 helps these cells maintain their identity and coordinate the cycle of rest, repair, and renewal.
A protein traditionally associated with protecting chromosome ends also plays an unexpected role in helping muscle stem cells remain functional and rebuild injured tissue, according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The discovery could guide future research into muscular dystrophy treatments while also offering broader clues about cancer biology.
Details
The study, published in Science Advances, found that TRF2 does much more than shield chromosomes. Within muscle stem cells, it helps preserve the genetic instructions that define the cells and allow them to regenerate muscle after damage.
“For years, TRF2 has been viewed as a protein whose primary job is protecting the ends of chromosomes from damage or corruption,” said senior author Foteini Mourkioti, PhD, an associate professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Penn Medicine. “But rather than simply protecting DNA, TRF2 seems to be key to regenerating muscle throughout life.”
TRF2 Has an Unexpected Role in Muscle Repair
Analysis
Scientists have long known that TRF2 mainly operates at telomeres, the protective DNA caps located at the tips of chromosomes. Telomeres help keep chromosomes from deteriorating or being incorrectly identified by cells as broken pieces of DNA.
Muscle stem cells normally remain inactive until tissue is injured. They then become active, multiply, rebuild the damaged area, and produce replacement stem cells that return to a dormant state.
Laboratory experiments showed that TRF2 levels change in a carefully timed pattern as muscle stem cells move through these different stages. The amount of the protein rises and falls as the cells shift between rest, tissue repair, and self-renewal, suggesting that TRF2 helps organize the regeneration process.
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