Abstract
The current knowledge of skeletal muscle cultures and the molecular events taking place during muscle differentiation in vitro are re-viewed. Skeletal muscle cells differentiate in a unique sequence. Mononucleated precursor cells (myoblasts), which are obtained either from embryonic muscle tissues (primary muscle cultures) or from muscle cell lines, divide exponentially in culture. After cessation of division, myoblasts start to fuse forming multi-nucleate myotubes. Subsequently, the myotubes develop myofilaments and cross-striations. In this review the concept of fusion is discussed in relation
