Myosin heavy chain‐perinatal regulates skeletal muscle differentiation, oxidative phenotype and regeneration

Myosin heavy chain‐perinatal (MyHC‐perinatal) is one of two development‐specific myosin heavy chains expressed exclusively during skeletal muscle development and regeneration. The specific functions of MyHC‐perinatal are unclear, although mutations are known to lead to contracture syndromes such as Trismus‐pseudocamptodactyly syndrome. Here, we characterize the functions of MyHC‐perinatal during skeletal muscle differentiation and regeneration. Loss of MyHC‐perinatal function leads to enhanced differentiation characterized by increased expression of myogenic regulatory factors and differentiation index as well as reduced reserve cell numbers in vitro . Proteomic analysis revealed that loss of MyHC‐perinatal function results in a switch from oxidative to glycolytic metabolism in myofibers, suggesting a shift from slow type I to fast type IIb fiber type, also supported by reduced mitochondrial numbers. Paracrine signals mediate the effect of loss of MyHC‐perinatal function on myogenic differentiation, possibly mediated by non‐apoptotic caspase‐3 signaling along with enhanced levels of the pro‐survival apoptosis regulator Bcl2 and nuclear factor kappa‐B (NF‐κB). Knockdown of MyHC‐perinatal during muscle regeneration in vivo results in increased expression of the differentiation marker myogenin (MyoG) and impaired differentiation, evidenced by smaller myofibers, elevated fibrosis and reduction in the number of satellite cells. Thus, we find that MyHC‐perinatal is a crucial regulator of myogenic differentiation, myofiber oxidative phenotype and regeneration.