Zebrafish genetic model of neuromuscular degeneration associated with Atrogin-1 expression

TL;DR

Scientists created a zebrafish model called 'atrofish' to study muscle aging and sarcopenia, which could help develop new treatments for age-related muscle loss.

Contribution

A novel zebrafish model of accelerated muscle atrophy and neuromuscular degeneration using Atrogin-1 expression.

Findings

Atrogin-1 expression in zebrafish skeletal muscle causes muscle atrophy and locomotion dysfunction.

Muscle degeneration correlates with reduced neuromuscular junctions and spinal neurons.

Adult atrofish show impaired regenerative capacity, similar to aged mammals.

Abstract

The degenerative loss of muscle associated with aging leading to muscular atrophy is called sarcopenia. Currently, practicing regular physical exercise is the only efficient way to delay sarcopenia onset. Identification of therapeutic targets to alleviate the symptoms of aging requires in vivo model organisms of accelerated muscle degeneration and atrophy. The zebrafish undergoes aging, with hallmarks including mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere shortening, and accumulation of senescent cells. However, zebrafish age slowly, and no specific zebrafish models of accelerated muscle atrophy associated with molecular events of aging are currently available. We have developed a new genetic tool to efficiently accelerate muscle-fiber degeneration and muscle-tissue atrophy in zebrafish larvae and adults. We used a gain-of-function strategy with a molecule that has been shown to be necessary and sufficient to induce muscle atrophy and a sarcopenia phenotype in mammals: Atrogin-1 (also named Fbxo32). We report the generation, validation, and characterization of a zebrafish genetic model of accelerated neuromuscular atrophy, the atrofish. We demonstrated that Atrogin-1 expression specifically in skeletal muscle tissue induces a muscle atrophic phenotype associated with locomotion dysfunction in both larvae and adult fish. We identified degradation of the myosin light chain as an event occurring prior to muscle-fiber degeneration. Biological processes associated with muscle aging such as proteolysis, inflammation, stress response, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, and apoptosis are upregulated in the atrofish. Surprisingly, we observed a strong correlation between muscle-fiber degeneration and reduced numbers of neuromuscular junctions in the peripheral nervous system, as well as neuronal cell bodies in the spinal cord, suggesting that muscle atrophy could underly a neurodegenerative phenotype in the central nervous system. Finally, while atrofish larvae can recover locomotive functions, adult atrofish have impaired regenerative capacities, as is observed in mammals during muscle aging. In the future, the atrofish could serve as a platform for testing molecules aimed at treating or alleviating the symptoms of muscle aging, thereby opening new therapeutic avenues in the fight against sarcopenia.

As people grow older, muscles become weaker and dysfunctional, making everyday activities challenging. The gradual loss of muscle strength and mass is called sarcopenia, the age associated muscle atrophy, leading to frailty and increased risk of mortality. Today, the best way to slow the onset of sarcopenia is through regular physical exercise, but scientists are actively searching for new treatments that could one day help millions of people to live a longer healthy life.

To reach this goal we have modeled age associated muscle atrophy in zebrafish, an animal model sharing many genetic and physiological similarities with humans. In this study, we report the development, validation and functional characterization of a new zebrafish genetic model of muscle atrophy, the “atrofish” By expressing a molecule called Atrogin-1, already known to trigger muscle wasting in mammals, we found that this model of muscle aging develops muscle degeneration and swimming dysfunction early in life, but also show problems in their neurons and nerve connections in the central and peripheral nervous system respectively. This zebrafish genetic model could help uncover new ways to fight muscle aging and sarcopenia to keep people moving and healthy late in life.

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