Skeletal Myogenesis in vitro

Abstract

Mature skeletal myofibers are elongated and multinucleated cells. Many stem/progenitor cell types, including committed muscle stem (satellite cells) and progenitor (myoblasts) cells, muscle-derived stem cells, myogenic endothelial cells, and mesenchymal stem/stromal cells, have been shown to exhibit skeletal myogenesis under appropriate inductive conditions. Committed muscle stem/progenitor cells and multipotent stem/progenitor cells which have skeletal myogenic capacity can typically be differentiated into skeletal myofibers in vitro following extended low-serum exposure. Differentiated cells exhibit distinct fiber-like elongated morphology with multiple nuclei and express unique muscle molecular markers indicating myogenesis, including desmin (early) and fast- and/or slow-myosin heavy chain (mature).