title: Forming a multinucleated cell: molecules that regulate myoblast fusion.
abstract: In mammals, cell fusion occurs among a limited number of cell types: sperm and oocytes during fertilization, trophoblasts during placenta formation, macrophages during giant cell and osteoclast formation and myoblasts in the formation of myofibers and myotubes. The molecular mechanisms involved in these membrane fusion events largely are unknown. This review will focus on the known molecules that regulate myoblast fusion with an emphasis on a novel signaling pathway involving the calcium-regulated transcription factor NFATC2 in the regulation of myoblast fusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga., USA. gpavlat@emory.edu
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Horsley
authors.forename: Grace K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Pavlath
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D002459:Cell Fusion; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000502:physiology; D008322:Mammals / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D024510:Muscle Development / Q000502:physiology*; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000254:growth & development; D032448:Myoblasts, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010828:Physiology, Comparative; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; C494006:NFATC2 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D015847:Interleukin-4; D015232:Dinoprostone; D002118:Calcium