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Updated: Jul 28, 2025
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Isometric and Eccentric Force Generation Assessment of Skeletal Muscles Isolated from Murine Models of Muscular Dystrophies
Published on: January 31, 2013
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Directionality of developing skeletal muscles is set by mechanical forces
Kazunori Sunadome1, Alek G Erickson1, Delf Kah2
1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
Nature Communications
|May 27, 2023
Summary
The developing skeleton guides skeletal muscle direction during embryonic development. This biomechanical process, involving cartilage tension, is crucial for forming oriented myofibrils and functional muscle.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Biomechanics
- Skeletal Muscle Physiology
Background:
- Myofibril orientation is vital for musculoskeletal development, but mechanisms controlling muscle directionality are unclear.
- Understanding how myocytes align and fuse is key to muscle formation and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the developing skeleton in directing skeletal muscle and soft tissue morphogenesis.
- To elucidate the biomechanical cues guiding myocyte orientation and myofibril formation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized time-lapse live imaging in zebrafish and mouse models.
- Performed genetic perturbations of cartilage patterning and laser ablation of musculoskeletal attachment points.
- Applied mechanical tension in vitro using artificial attachment points and stretchable substrates.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that skeletal structures instruct directional muscle outgrowth during limb and facial development.
- Showed that cartilage patterning and expansion generate tension, influencing myofibril direction and number.
- Confirmed that applied tension can induce myocyte polarization in vitro.
Conclusions:
- The developing skeleton provides essential biomechanical guidance for skeletal muscle formation.
- Cartilage-derived tension is a key factor in establishing muscle directionality and myofibril organization.
- This mechanism offers potential for engineering functional skeletal muscle tissues.
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