| First Author | Perez-Ruiz A | Year | 2008 |
| Journal | J Cell Sci | Volume | 121 |
| Issue | Pt 9 | Pages | 1373-82 |
| PubMed ID | 18397993 | Mgi Jnum | J:139591 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3808944 | Doi | 10.1242/jcs.024885 |
| Citation | Perez-Ruiz A, et al. (2008) beta-Catenin promotes self-renewal of skeletal-muscle satellite cells. J Cell Sci 121(Pt 9):1373-82 |
| abstractText | Satellite cells are the resident stem cells of adult skeletal muscle. As with all stem cells, how the choice between self-renewal or differentiation is controlled is central to understanding their function. Here, we have explored the role of beta-catenin in determining the fate of myogenic satellite cells. Satellite cells express beta-catenin, and expression is maintained as they activate and undergo proliferation. Constitutive retroviral-driven expression of wild-type or stabilised beta-catenin results in more satellite cells expressing Pax7 without any MyoD -- therefore, adopting the self-renewal pathway, with fewer cells undergoing myogenic differentiation. Similarly, preventing the degradation of endogenous beta-catenin by inhibiting GSK3beta activity also results in more Pax7-positive-MyoD-negative (Pax7(+)MyoD(-)) satellite-cell progeny. Consistent with these observations, downregulation of beta-catenin using small interfering RNA (siRNA) reduced the proportion of satellite cells that express Pax7 and augmented myogenic differentiation after mitogen withdrawal. Since a dominant-negative version of beta-catenin had the same effect as silencing beta-catenin using specific siRNA, beta-catenin promotes self-renewal via transcriptional control of target genes. Thus, beta-catenin signalling in proliferating satellite cells directs these cells towards the self-renewal pathway and, so, contributes to the maintenance of this stem-cell pool in adult skeletal muscle. |
