Regulating a master regulator: Establishing tissue-specific gene expression in skeletal muscle

MyoD is a master regulator of the skeletal muscle gene expression program. ChIP-Seq analysis has recently revealed that MyoD binds to a large number of genomic loci in differentiating myoblasts, yet only activates transcription at a subset of these genes. Here we discuss recent data suggesting that the ability of MyoD to mediate gene expression is regulated through the function of Polycomb and Trithorax Group proteins. Based on studies of the muscle-specific myog gene, we propose a model where the transcriptional activators Mef2d and Six4 mediate recruitment of Trithorax Group proteins Ash2L/MLL2 and UTX to MyoD-bound promoters to overcome the Polycomb-mediated repression of muscle genes. Modulation of the interaction between Ash2L/MLL2 and Mef2d by the p38α MAPK signaling pathway in turns provides fine-tuning of the muscle-specific gene expression program. Thus Mef2d, Six4 and p38α MAPK function coordinately as regulators of a master regulator to mediate expression of MyoD target genes

Epigenetic regulation of muscle development

In eukaryote cells, chromatin appears in several forms and is composed of genomic DNA, protein and RNA. The protein content of chromatin is composed primarily of core histones that are packaged into nucleosomes resulting in the condensation of the DNA. Several epigenetic mechanisms regulate the stability of the nucleosomes and the protein-protein interactions that modify the transcriptional activity of the DNA. Interestingly, epigenetic control of gene expression has recently emerged as a relevant mechanism involved in the regulation of many different biological processes including that of muscle development, muscle mass maintenance, function, and phenotype in health and disease. Recent investigations have shed light into the epigenetic control of biological mechanisms that are key regulators of embryonic muscle development and postnatal myogenesis. In the present review article, we provide a summary of the contents discussed in session 08, titled "Epigenetics of muscle regeneration", during the course of the 45th European Muscle Conference, which was celebrated in Montpellier (France) in September 2016. The main theme of that session was to highlight the most recent progress on the role of epigenetics in the regulation of muscle development and regeneration. The current mini-review has been divided into two major sections. On the one hand, a brief introduction on the topic of myogenesis is offered for the non-specialized reader. On the other, a brief overview of the most relevant epigenetic players that have been shown to control muscle development and regeneration is give