Search

Since mdx limb muscle regeneration in vivo is accompanied by rapid myoblast proliferation and differentiation compared to normal, we tested the possibility that proliferation and differentiation were differentially regulated in normal and mdx dystrophic muscle cells. Cell cycle behavior, MyoD expression, and the effects of thyroid hormone (T3) treatment were examined in primary cultures. Using a 4-hour pulse time for bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation during S-phase, the phases of the cell cycle (early S, late S, G(2)/M, and G(0)/G(1)) were separated by 2-colour fluorescence (BrdU/PI) analysis using flow cytometry. The G(0)/G(1)-early S and the late S-G(2)/M transitions were examined under the influence of T3 in cycling normal and mdx muscle cell cultures over a 20-hour time period. Myogenesis and differentiation were assessed morphologically and by immunostaining for MyoD protein. Mdx cultures had fewer cells in G(0)/G(1) at 20 hours and more cells in early and late S-phase compared to normal cultures. T3 significantly increased the proportion of normal cells in early S-phase by 20 hours, and reduced the proportions in G(2)/M phase. Over the same time interval in parallel cultures, the proportion of MyoD+ normal cells decreased significantly. In the absence of T3, mdx cell cultures showed greater proportions of cells in S-phase than normal cultures, and similar increases in S-phase and loss of MyoD expression over time. However, mdx cultures had no change in the proportion that were MyoD+ during T3 treatment. The results confirm that T3 in primary cultures increased proliferation and prevented the de-differentiation of mdx cells to a greater degree than was typical of normal cells. The different susceptibilities to T3-related shifts between proliferation and differentiation observed in vitro support the idea that committed mdx myoblasts may be more activated and proliferative than normal myoblasts during regeneration in vivo.

Allele frequencies of Yta (YT1) and Ytb (YT2) in a series of 659 random Canadian Caucasians are comparable to those in European populations: 0.9469 and 0.0531, respectively. Inheritance of Yt phenotypes in 1,077 children in 286 selected families are in accordance with expectation on the basis of Mendelian codominance. Linkage studies exclude YT from chromosomal segments 1p36-1p22.1, 4q13-4q28, the section of chromosome 9 bounded by AB0 and AK1 and from the chromosome 19 linkage group bounded by LE and SE. Evidence is presented for a possible location of YT on the short arm of chromosome 6 distal to F13A.

Summary Odds favouring Do: PGD linkage (ž+ 3.56 at θ= 0.23) based on the average antilod are 920:20≃46:1. If Do is located on chromosome 1 it lies distal to PGD and recombination between PGD and Do occurs more frequently in male than in female meioses. Our data do not support Do:GC linkage.

Summary Data are presented which indicate that the Radin blood group antigen is governed by a locus, for the present called Rd, which is located between PGM1 and αFUC Rh, and is either very closely linked to or identical with Sc.