Skeletal muscle regeneration is not impaired in Fgf6 -/- mutant mice

FGF6 is a member of the fibroblast growth factor family. The Fgf6 gene is almost exclusively expressed in adult and developing skeletal muscle. We have obtained mice deficient in FGF6 by targeting the Fgf6 gene by homologous recombination. We studied regeneration of adult skeletal muscle in Fgf6 -/- mice derived on a standard inbred background. Muscle degeneration was induced by notexin drug or crush injury. The defect in FGF6 did not modify the kinetics of muscle regeneration. We bred Fgf6 -/- mice with mdx dystrophin deficient mice; Fgf6 -/-:mdx and mdx muscles were similar. Our study suggests that FGF6 does not play a role in muscle regeneration, i.e., in satellite cell proliferation and fusion, or that this role is strictly compensated by other factors, possibly other FGFs.