This time, the fact that the proteolytic system, which is a proteolytic system, is essential for the maintenance of satellite cells is that Dr. Yasuo Kitajima, a research fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Professor Ryoichi Nagatomi, Professor Masashi Aoki, and Assistant Professor Naoki Suzuki of Tohoku University Graduate School. It became clear in the joint research of.

　Normally, in healthy cells, new proteins are produced while unnecessary proteins are destroyed, and the mechanism of degradation of unnecessary proteins is called the proteasome.Since the disruption of the proteasome has been shown to lead to various diseases, this study focused on the relationship between satellite cells and proteasome-induced proteolysis.

　First, when mice lacking the protein Rpt3 that constitutes the proteasome were created, satellite cells decreased in about 2 weeks, and muscle regeneration did not proceed normally.As a result of analysis using cultured cells, it was found that the deficiency of Rpt3 suppresses the proliferation and muscle differentiation of satellite cells and induces cell death.At this time, it was found that the protein p53, which has been reported to be involved in cell proliferation, was excessively activated, and p53 is involved in the dysfunction of satellite cells caused by the suppression of the proteolytic system. It became clear.

　This result, which clarified a part of the mechanism for keeping muscle stem cells normal, is expected to be applied to stem cell research and regenerative medicine in the future.

Paper information:[Stem Cell Reports] The Ubiquitin-Proteasome System Is Indispensable for the Maintenance of Muscle Stem Cells (PDF)