title: Fusion with the fused: a new role for interleukin-4 in the building of muscle.
abstract: In this issue of Cell, G. Pavlath and coworkers demonstrate a novel role for Interleukin-4 (IL-4) in regulating the fusion of myoblasts with differentiated myotubes. The authors demonstrate that NFATc2 signaling in newly formed myotubes induces IL-4 expression and secretion which promotes myoblast fusion with pre-existing myotubes.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine Program, Ottawa Health Research Institute, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chargé
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rudnicki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002459:Cell Fusion; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D032448:Myoblasts, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015847:Interleukin-4