Premature myogenic differentiation and depletion of progenitor cells cause severe muscle hypotrophy in Delta1 mutants.

ABSTRACT: In vertebrates, skeletal myogenesis is initiated by the generation of myoblasts followed by their differentiation to myocytes and the formation of myofibers. The determination of myoblasts and their differentiation are controlled by muscle regulatory factors that are activated at specific stages during myogenesis. During late embryonic and fetal stages a distinct population of resident proliferating progenitor cells is the major source of myogenic cells. How the differentiation of myoblasts and progenitor cells is regulated is not clear. We show that in mouse embryos the Notch ligand Delta1 (Dll1) controls both differentiation of early myoblasts and maintenance of myogenic progenitor cells. Early dermomyotome-derived myoblasts are determined normally in Dll1 mutant embryos, but their diffe

SUBMITTER: Schuster-Gossler K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1766420 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature