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Related Concept Videos

Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts01:13

Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts

De novo myogenesis, or the formation of muscle fibers, begins during the early embryonic stages. The skeletal muscle is formed from somites– blocks of embryonic cell layers. The somites are further divided into dermatomes, myotomes, sclerotomes, and syndetomes. Among these, the myotomes give rise to muscle fibers.
Muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) are formed from the myotomes. MPCs express genes that encode the transcription factors Pax3 and Pax7. Along with Pax 3/7, other transcription factors...
Satellite Stem Cells and Muscular Dystrophy01:21

Satellite Stem Cells and Muscular Dystrophy

Satellite stem cells or myosatellite cells are quiescent stem cells that Alexander Mauro first identified in 1961. These cells are located between the sarcolemma, the plasma membrane of muscle fibers, and the basal lamina, the connective tissue sheath covering it. These mononucleated cells are activated in response to muscle injury, can transform into myoblasts, and may form or repair muscle fibers. Myosatellite cells can provide additional myonuclei for muscle regeneration or return to a...
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles01:13

Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles

Skeletal muscle cells, also called muscle fibers, are distinctly elongated, multi-nucleated, slender biological units. They are packed with specialized structures designed to facilitate their primary function, which is contraction.
The muscle sarcolemma is a plasma membrane enclosing each muscle cell that conducts electrical signals called action potentials. The sarcolemma extends into the cell to form T-tubules, ensuring the neural impulses are uniformly distributed across the entire muscle...
Structure and Organization of Smooth Muscles01:13

Structure and Organization of Smooth Muscles

Smooth muscle tissue is a type of muscle tissue that can be found lining various vital organs in the human body, including the lungs, blood vessels, digestive tract, and respiratory tract. This type of tissue is responsible for regulating the movements of these organs, playing crucial roles in the functioning of various systems, including the vascular, digestive, respiratory, and urinary systems.
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Structure of Cardiac Muscles01:13

Structure of Cardiac Muscles

Cardiac muscle, or myocardium, is a specialized type of muscle found exclusively in the heart. Its unique structural and functional characteristics enable the heart to perform its vital role of pumping blood throughout the body continuously and rhythmically. The cardiac muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, possess an endomysium and perimysium but do not have an epimysium.
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Overview of Skeletal Muscle01:15

Overview of Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscles are composed of a bundle of muscle fibers and are attached to bones through tendons. Each skeletal muscle fiber is a single muscle cell. The sarcolemma, the plasma membrane of a skeletal muscle cell, consists of a lipid bilayer and glycocalyx that supports muscle fibers. The sarcolemma extends into the muscle cells to form tubular structures called transverse or T-tubules. Each side of the T-tubules consists of a membrane-bound structure called the sarcoplasmic reticulum,...

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Updated: May 21, 2026

Preparation of Primary Myogenic Precursor Cell/Myoblast Cultures from Basal Vertebrate Lineages
07:51

Preparation of Primary Myogenic Precursor Cell/Myoblast Cultures from Basal Vertebrate Lineages

Published on: April 30, 2014

Do muscle founder cells exist in vertebrates?

Gareth T Powell1, Gavin J Wright

  • 1Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1HH, UK.

Trends in Cell Biology
|June 20, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Vertebrate skeletal muscle formation may not rely on distinct founder cell subtypes like insects. Research suggests a novel regulatory mechanism for myocyte fusion has evolved in vertebrates.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Cell biology
  • Muscle regeneration

Background:

  • Skeletal muscle fibers form through the fusion of precursor myocytes.
  • Drosophila research established a paradigm of founder and fusion-competent myoblast (FCM) subtypes.
  • Vertebrate studies show conserved fusion molecules but question the existence of distinct myocyte subtypes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether vertebrate muscle fusion is regulated by distinct myocyte subtypes.
  • To determine if vertebrate founder cells, analogous to Drosophila, exist.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of myocyte fusion mechanisms.
  • Review of recent findings in zebrafish and mouse models.
  • In silico modeling of myocyte interactions.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests vertebrate muscle fusion may not strictly follow the Drosophila founder/FCM subtype model.
  • Conservation of fusion molecules does not necessitate conservation of subtype regulation.
  • A different regulatory mechanism for vertebrate myocyte fusion is proposed.

Conclusions:

  • Vertebrate skeletal muscle formation likely employs a distinct regulatory mechanism.
  • The existence of specific vertebrate founder cells is questioned.
  • Evolution has shaped diverse strategies for myocyte fusion and muscle development.