Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 24, 2025

Isolation of Human Myoblasts, Assessment of Myogenic Differentiation, and Store-operated Calcium Entry Measurement
10:45

Isolation of Human Myoblasts, Assessment of Myogenic Differentiation, and Store-operated Calcium Entry Measurement

Published on: July 26, 2017

10.2K

Myostatin: A Skeletal Muscle Chalone

Se-Jin Lee1,2

  • 1Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA.

Annual Review of Physiology
|October 20, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Myostatin, a protein regulating muscle growth, acts as a negative feedback inhibitor. Its discovery suggests a broader role for such tissue-specific growth inhibitors beyond skeletal muscle.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Myostatin (GDF-8), a TGF-β family member, was identified 25 years ago.
  • It is produced by skeletal muscle fibers and circulates in the blood.
  • Myostatin functions as a key regulator of skeletal muscle mass.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms of myostatin activity.
  • To investigate myostatin's role as a negative feedback regulator of muscle mass.
  • To explore if myostatin's chalone-like function extends to other tissues.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on myostatin.
  • Analysis of molecular pathways involved in myostatin signaling.
  • Physiological studies on muscle growth regulation.

Main Results:

  • Myostatin limits skeletal muscle growth by acting on myofibers.
  • It exhibits properties consistent with a chalone, a tissue-specific growth inhibitor.
  • Evidence suggests myostatin functions as a negative feedback regulator.

Conclusions:

  • Myostatin is a critical negative feedback regulator of skeletal muscle mass.
  • The chalone mechanism, exemplified by myostatin, may operate in skeletal muscle.
  • Further research is needed to determine if this mechanism is unique to skeletal muscle or present in other tissues.
Keywords:
GDF-8activingrowthlatencytissue sizetransforming growth factor-β

More Related Videos

Myo-mechanical Analysis of Isolated Skeletal Muscle08:42

Myo-mechanical Analysis of Isolated Skeletal Muscle

Published on: February 22, 2011

27.0K
Preparation of Primary Myogenic Precursor Cell/Myoblast Cultures from Basal Vertebrate Lineages07:51

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

Published on: April 30, 2014

20.5K

Related Concept Videos

Relaxation of Skeletal Muscles01:29

Relaxation of Skeletal Muscles

The period of muscle contraction primarily influences the duration of stimulation at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the presence of free calcium ions in the sarcoplasm, and the availability of energy or ATP to support contractions.
When an action potential reaches the axon terminal, it depolarizes the membrane and opens voltage-gated sodium channels. Sodium ions enter the cell, further depolarizing the presynaptic membrane. This depolarization causes voltage-gated calcium channels to open....
3.5K
Skeletal Muscle Anatomy00:55

Skeletal Muscle Anatomy

Skeletal muscle is the most abundant type of muscle in the body. Tendons are the connective tissue that attaches skeletal muscle to bones. Skeletal muscles pull on tendons, which in turn pull on bones to carry out voluntary movements.
89.4K
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...
5.1K
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses01:31

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses

Skeletal muscle relaxants are used to relax muscle tone and alleviate painful muscle contractions. However, the choice of skeletal muscle relaxants depends on the duration of the surgical procedure in order to minimize potential side effects. Skeletal muscle relaxants like neuromuscular blocking agents [NMBAs] are commonly employed as adjuvants alongside general anesthetics in clinical settings. NMBAs are also used to maintain controlled ventilation during surgery of the larynx or pharynx...
588
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...
2.0K
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,...
12.0K