AGRIN-DEFICIENT MYOTUBE RETAINS ITS ACETYLCHOLINE-RECEPTOR AGGREGATION ABILITY WHEN CHALLENGED WITH AGRIN

Agrin is a synapse-organizing molecule that mediates the nerve-induced aggregation of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) and other postsynaptic components at the developing and regenerating vertebrate neuromuscula r junctions. At the neuromuscular junction, three different cell types can express agrin, i.e., neuron, muscle, and Schwann cell. Several li nes of evidence suggested that neuron-derived agrin is the AChR-aggreg ating factor, but the possible roles of muscle-derived agrin in the fo rmation of AChR aggregate are not known. By using the recombinant DNA method, a clonal stable C2C12 cell line transfected with antisense agr in cDNA was created. RNA dot blot and western blot analysis indicated that the expression of agrin in the transfected cell was abolished by DNA transfection. When the agrin-deficient C2C12 cells were induced to form myotubes and subsequently cocultured with agrin cDNA transfected fibroblasts, AChR aggregates were formed in the cocultures. In additi on, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) aggregates in agrin-deficient myotubes were also induced by exogenous agrin and the AChE aggregates were col ocalized with the AChR aggregates. The agrin-deficient myotubes could also respond to neuron-induced AChR aggregation after coculturing with neuroblastoma cells. Thus, the agrin-deficient myotubes retain their ability to exhibit the agrin- or neuron-induced AChR aggregation. This result suggests that the formation of postsynaptic specializations du ring development and regeneration is mediated by neuron-derived agrin but not the agrin from muscle.