Current concepts on skeletal muscle formation and stem cells

Abstract

Skeletal muscle is a major organ of our body, supporting critical functions ranging from movement and respiration to metabolism (e.g. heat production, carbohydrate storage), as well as important exocrine activities. In an effort to unravel the molecular and cellular events underlying skeletal muscle health and pathology, a wealth of studies have analyzed its development as well as its remarkable stem cell-based regenerative capacity. In this review, we will first describe the mechanisms involved in prenatal muscle formation, including recent findings in the field. The general genetic hierarchies controlling myogenesis in embryonic/fetal and adult muscle will be introduced, with a focus on key molecular regulators. We will finally discuss recent studies providing new aspects of muscle stem cells (the muscle satellite cells) formation and function during muscle growth and regeneration. Finally, we will provide an overview of the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating skeletal muscle regeneration.