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Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Cell-cell Fusion of Genome Edited Cell Lines for Perturbation of Cellular Structure and Function
Published on: December 7, 2019
Molecular mechanisms of myoblast fusion across species
Adriana Simionescu1, Grace K Pavlath
1Department of Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. asimion@emory.edu
Abstract:
Skeletal muscle development, growth and regeneration depend on the ability of progenitor myoblasts to fuse to one another in a series of ordered steps. Whereas the cellular steps leading to the formation of a multinucleated myofiber are conserved in several model organisms, the molecular regulatory factors may vary. Understanding the common and divergent mechanisms regulating myoblast fusion in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), Danio rerio (zebrafish) and Mus musculus (mouse) provides a better insight into the process of myoblast fusion than any of these models could provide alone. Deciphering the mechanisms of myoblast fusion from simpler to more complex organisms is of fundamental interest to skeletal muscle biology and may provide therapeutic avenues for various diseases that affect muscle.
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