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Review
. 2016 Jun;26(6):434-444.
doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2016.02.004. Epub 2016 Mar 3.

Satellite Cell Heterogeneity in Skeletal Muscle Homeostasis

Matthew T Tierney  1 , Alessandra Sacco  2
Affiliations
Review

Satellite Cell Heterogeneity in Skeletal Muscle Homeostasis

Matthew T Tierney et al. Trends Cell Biol. 2016 Jun.

Abstract

The cellular turnover required for skeletal muscle maintenance and repair is mediated by resident stem cells, also termed satellite cells. Satellite cells normally reside in a quiescent state, intermittently entering the cell cycle to fuse with neighboring myofibers and replenish the stem cell pool. However, the mechanisms by which satellite cells maintain the precise balance between self-renewal and differentiation necessary for long-term homeostasis remain unclear. Recent work has supported a previously unappreciated heterogeneity in the satellite cell compartment that may underlie the observed variability in cell fate and function. In this review, we examine the work supporting this notion as well as the potential governing principles, developmental origins, and principal determinants of satellite cell heterogeneity.

Keywords: plasticity; satellite cells; skeletal muscle; stem cell heterogeneity.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Modes of Satellite Cell Self-Renewal
(A) Stages of satellite cell-mediated skeletal muscle regeneration. (B) Regulation of daughter cell fate achieved by polarization in the satellite cell niche. (C) Symmetric and asymmetric division events in satellite cells controlled by soluble factors in the microenvironment.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Design Principles Underlying Satellite Cell Heterogeneity
(A) Models of satellite cell behavior: (a) invariant, or division, asymmetry, and (b) population asymmetry. (B) Conditionally reversible plasticity between satellite stem cells and their differentiating progeny. (C) Likelihood of conversion between cellular states as a function of self-renewal potential and myogenic differentiation status.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Developmental Origins of Satellite Cell Heterogeneity
(A) Contribution of the asynchronous entry into the satellite cell niche to population-level functional heterogeneity. (B) The degree of satellite cell quiescence during development and adult regeneration.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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