Interplay between Pitx2 and Pax7 temporally governs specification of extraocular muscle stem cells.

ABSTRACT: Gene regulatory networks that act upstream of skeletal muscle fate determinants are distinct in different anatomical locations. Despite recent efforts, a clear understanding of the cascade of events underlying the emergence and maintenance of the stem cell pool in specific muscle groups remains unresolved and debated. Here, we invalidated Pitx2 with multiple Cre-driver mice prenatally, postnatally, and during lineage progression. We showed that this gene becomes progressively dispensable for specification and maintenance of the muscle stem (MuSC) cell pool in extraocular muscles (EOMs) despite being, together with Myf5, a major upstream regulator during early development. Moreover, constitutive inactivation of Pax7 postnatally led to a greater loss of MuSCs in the EOMs compared to the limb

SUBMITTER: Kuriki M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11178213 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature