“Satellite cells, the original skeletal muscle stem cell ”
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Abstract:   Skeletal muscle satellite cells represent between 3 and 7% of the cells in muscle and reside between the cell membrane and the basement membrane of muscle fibers.  During postnatal growth, they divide and one of the daughter cells differentiates and fuses with the adjacent fiber while the other remains as a satellite cell.  Additional nuclei are added to muscle fibers through this mechanism to support fiber growth, and this is also the mechanism responsible for work-induced hypertrophy.  In the case of fiber injury, satellite cells proliferate more extensively and fuse together to form new muscle fibers.  In all of these cases, there is self-renewal of the satellite cell population.  During the majority of time in adult life, however, satellite cells remain as small, very inactive, quiescent cells.   The focus of our research has been on the extracellular signals involved in activation of quiescent satellite cells, most recently hepatocyte growth factor and nitric oxide.  In addition, activated satellite cells initiate a pro-angiogenic program that may facilitate angiogenesis in damaged muscle and coordinate myogenesis and angiogenesis during tissue repair.

Monday, November 5, 2007  2:00 pm

Keating 103

Host:  Urs Utzinger, Ph.D. (626-9281)

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