Loss of adult skeletal muscle stem cells drives age-related neuromuscular junction degeneration

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.26464
• Publication Date: 2017-06-06T00:00:13Z
• Authors: Wenxuan Liu; Alanna Klose; Sophie Forman; Nicole D Paris; Lan Wei-LaPierre; Mariela Cortés-Lopéz; Aidi Tan; Morgan Flaherty; Pedro Miura; Robert T Dirksen; Joe V Chakkalakal
• Keywords: Muscle Atrophy

Neuromuscular junction degeneration is a prominent aspect of sarcopenia, the age-associated loss skeletal muscle integrity. Previously, we showed that stem cells activate and contribute to mouse neuromuscular regeneration in response denervation (Liu et al., 2015). Here, examined gene expression profiles integrity aged muscles, unexpectedly found limited despite high level degenerated junctions. Instead, junctions were associated with reduced contribution from cells. Indeed, cell depletion was sufficient induce at younger age. Conversely, prevention derived myonuclei attenuation age-related degeneration, atrophy, promotion force generation. Our observations demonstrate deficiencies fate post-synaptic myogenesis provide cellular basis for decline.