Serine/Threonine Kinase 40 (Stk40) Functions as a Novel Regulator of Skeletal Muscle Differentiation.

ABSTRACT: Skeletal muscle differentiation is a precisely coordinated process, and the molecular mechanism regulating the process remains incompletely understood. Here we report the identification of serine/threonine kinase 40 (Stk40) as a novel positive regulator of skeletal myoblast differentiation in culture and fetal skeletal muscle formation in vivo We show that the expression level of Stk40 increases during skeletal muscle differentiation. Down-regulation and overexpression of Stk40 significantly decreases and increases myogenic differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts, respectively. In vivo, the number of myofibers and expression levels of myogenic markers are reduced in the fetal muscle of Stk40 knockout mice, indicating impaired fetal skeletal muscle formation. Mechanistically, Stk40 controls the

SUBMITTER: He K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5217693 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature