Using phosphatidylserine exposure on apoptotic cells to stimulate myoblast fusion.

ABSTRACT

The fusion of myoblasts, the skeletal muscle progenitors, is critical for skeletal muscle formation, function, and repair after muscle injury. Recognition of the phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) exposed on certain myoblasts is required during fusion into multinuclear myofibers. Cell surface exposure of PtdSer is also a feature of cells dying through the process of apoptosis. Here, we describe the use of PtdSer exposing apoptotic cells as stimulators of myoblast fusion.