NF-κB-Induced Loss of MyoD Messenger RNA: Possible Role in Muscle Decay and Cachexia

MyoD regulates skeletal muscle differentiation (SMD) and is essential for repair of damaged tissue. The transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is activated by the cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a mediator of skeletal muscle wasting in cachexia. Here, the role of NF-κB in cytokine-induced muscle degeneration was explored. In differentiating C2C12 myocytes, TNF-induced activation of NF-κB inhibited SMD by suppressing MyoD mRNA at the posttranscriptional level. In contrast, in differentiated myotubes, TNF plus interferon-γ (IFN-γ) signaling was required for NF-κB–dependent down-regulation of MyoD and dysfunction of skeletal myofibers. MyoD mRNA was also down-regulated by TNF and IFN-γ expression in mouse muscle in vivo. These data elucidate a possible mechanism that may underlie the skeletal muscle decay in cachexia.