Transforming growth factor- and myostatin signaling in skeletal muscle

Kollias HD, McDermott JC. Transforming growth factorand myostatin signaling in skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol 104: 579 –587, 2008; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01091.2007.—The superfamily of transforming growth factor(TGF) cytokines has been shown to have profound effects on cellular proliferation, differentiation, and growth. Recently, there have been major advances in our understanding of the signaling pathway(s) conveying TGFsignals to the nucleus to ultimately control gene expression. One tissue that is potently influenced by TGFsuperfamily signaling is skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle ontogeny and postnatal physiology have proven to be exquisitely sensitive to the TGFsuperfamily cytokine milieu in various animal systems from mice to humans. Recently, major strides have been made in understanding the role of TGFand its closely related family member, myostatin, in these processes. In this overview, we will review recent advances in our understanding of the TGFand myostatin signaling pathways and, in particular, focus on the implications of this signaling pathway for skeletal muscle development, physiology, and pathology.