Calcium signaling in skeletal muscle development, maintenance and regeneration

• Calcium regulates myoblast proliferation and differentiation during development.
• Injury-induced calcium signaling recruits satellite cells for muscle regeneration.
• Calcineurin, CaMKII, MAPK, CREB and NFATc transduce the calcium signal in muscle.

Skeletal muscle-specific stem cells are pivotal for tissue development and regeneration. Muscle plasticity, inherent in these processes, is also essential for daily life activities. Great advances and efforts have been made in understanding the function of the skeletal muscle-dedicated stem cells, called muscle satellite cells, and the specific signaling mechanisms that activate them for recruitment in the repair of the injured muscle. Elucidating these signaling mechanisms may contribute to devising therapies for muscular injury or disease. Here we review the studies that have contributed to our understanding of how calcium signaling regulates skeletal muscle development, homeostasis and regeneration, with a focus on the calcium dynamics and calcium-dependent effectors that participate in these processes.

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