title: The STARS signaling pathway: a key regulator of skeletal muscle function.
abstract: During the last decade, the striated muscle activator of Rho signaling (STARS), a muscle-specific protein, has been proposed to play an increasingly important role in skeletal muscle growth, metabolism, regeneration and stress adaptation. STARS influences actin dynamics and, as a consequence, regulates the myocardin-related transcription factor A/serum response factor (MRTF-A/SRF) transcriptional program, a well-known pathway controlling skeletal muscle development and function. Muscle-specific stress conditions, such as exercise, positively regulates, while disuse and degenerative muscle diseases are associated with a downregulation of STARS and its downstream partners, suggesting a pivotal role for STARS in skeletal muscle health. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the known role and regulation of STARS and the members of its signaling pathway, RhoA, MRTF-A and SRF, in skeletal muscle.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia, severine.lamon@deakin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Séverine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lamon
authors.forename: Marita A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Aaron P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors