Bioelectric Properties of Myogenic Progenitor Cells

Abstract

Modern stem cell research has mainly focused on protein expression and transcriptional networks. However, transmembrane voltage gradients generated by ion channels and transporters have demonstrated to be powerful regulators of cellular processes. These physiological cues exert influence on cell behaviors ranging from differentiation and proliferation to migration and polarity. Bioelectric signaling is a fundamental element of living systems and an untapped reservoir for new discoveries. Dissecting these mechanisms will allow for novel methods of controlling cell fate and open up new opportunities in biomedicine. This review focuses on the role of ion channels and the resting membrane potential in the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle progenitor cells. In addition, findings relevant to this topic are presented and potential implications for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are discussed.

Keywords: bioelectricity; differentiation; skeletal muscle; stem cells.

FIG. 1.

Differentiation of skeletal muscle stem cells and the physiological state space hypothesis: The physiological state space hypothesis proposes that cells can be characterized by their physiological properties and visualized along axes corresponding to these parameters. Vmem and intracellular potassium are depicted above, but other orthogonal axes can include intracellular pH, sodium, or chloride content (solid black lines). This paradigm can be used to visualize the timeline for MPC differentiation (dotted black lines) including the key events involved. The expression profile at different stages of this progression is depicted to the right (green, orange, and red boxes). MPC, myogenic progenitor cell.