Branched actin polymerization drives invasive protrusion formation to promote myoblast fusion during mouse skeletal muscle regeneration.

ABSTRACT: Skeletal muscle regeneration is a multistep process involving the activation, proliferation, differentiation, and fusion of muscle stem cells, known as satellite cells. Fusion of satellite cell-derived myoblasts (SCMs) is indispensable for generating the multinucleated, contractile myofibers during muscle repair. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying SCM fusion during muscle regeneration remain incompletely understood. Here, we reveal a critical role for branched actin polymerization in SCM fusion during mouse skeletal muscle regeneration. Using conditional knockouts of the Arp2/3 complex and its actin nucleation-promoting factors N-WASP and WAVE, we demonstrate that branched actin polymerization is specifically required for SCM fusion but dispensable for satellite cell

SUBMITTER: Lu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12854672 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature