Prevention of skeletal muscle atrophy in vitro using anti-ubiquitination oligopeptide carried by atelocollagen

• Serum starvation induces myotube atrophy through Cbl-b-mediated IRS-1 degradation.
• The anti-ubiquitination oligopeptide inhibits IRS-1 degradation.
• The oligopeptide prevents myotube atrophy by maintaining the IGF-1 signaling.

Skeletal muscle atrophy occurs when the rate of protein degradation exceeds that of protein synthesis in various catabolic conditions, such as fasting, disuse, aging, and chronic diseases. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling stimulates muscle growth and suppresses muscle protein breakdown. In atrophied muscles, ubiquitin ligase, Cbl-b, increases and stimulates the ubiquitination and degradation of IRS-1, an intermediate in IGF-1 signaling pathway, resulting in IGF-1 resistance. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of atelocollagen (ATCOL)-transported anti-ubiquitination oligopeptide (Cblin: Cbl-b inhibitor) (consisting of tyrosine phosphorylation domain of IRS-1) in starved C2C12 myotubes. The amount of IRS-1 protein was lower in starved versus unstarved myotubes. The Cblin-ATCOL complex inhibited IRS-1 degradation in a concentration-dependent manner. Myotubes incubated with Cblin-ATCOL complex showed significant resistance to starvation-induced atrophy (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the Cblin-ATCOL complex significantly inhibited any decrease in Akt phosphorylation (p < 0.01) and localization of FOXO3a to the nucleus in starved myotubes. These results suggest that Cblin prevented starvation-induced C2C12 myotube atrophy by maintaining the IGF-1/Akt/FOXO signaling. Therefore, attachment of anti-ubiquitination oligopeptide, Cblin, to ATCOL enhances its delivery to myotubes and could be a potentially effective strategy in the treatment of atrophic myopathies.