# Regulation of Satellite Cell Development, Programming and Differentiation by Myogenic Factors

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT STORRS · 2020 · $453,754

## Abstract

Project Summary
Satellite cells are muscle-specific stem cells that are responsible for skeletal muscle growth and regeneration.
The myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) MYOD and MYF5 are essential for muscle lineage determination in
the embryo and are induced in activated satellite cells as an early response to muscle injury. Recent gene-
targeting studies using a new MyoD conditional knockout allele (MyoDcKO) showed that either MyoD or Myf5 is
essential for muscle regeneration; satellite cells lacking both genes (dKO) accumulate in injured muscle but are
unable to undergo myogenic differentiation. In this proposal, new genetic tools and strategies are used to
determine the functions of MyoD and Myf5 in satellite cell development, lineage determination, differentiation
and self-renewal. In addition, transcriptional control mechanisms that regulate MyoD expression in satellite
cells and during embryogenesis are interrogated. In Aim 1, cell type identification by immunofluorescence and
single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) will establish whether dKO satellite cells adopt non-myogenic cell
fates, the extent to which they retain myogenic programming, and their capacity for self-renewal. Experiments
will also distinguish cell-autonomous and non-autonomous effects of MRF deficiency. Aim 2 will utilize RNA-
seq to define the transcriptome of mutant satellite cells in uninjured and injured skeletal muscle, which will
identify direct and indirect transcriptional targets of MYOD and MYF5 as well as regulatory pathways and
cellular processes impacted by the loss of these MRFs. In addition, Pro-seq (genome-wide Precision Run-On)
analyses will quantify changes in active gene transcription, will identify candidate genes regulated by promoter-
proximal polymerase pausing, and will identify potential enhancer targets of MYOD and MYF5. Aim 3 will
determine whether the function of MyoD or Myf5 is required for satellite cell development by producing dKO
satellite cell precursors at embryonic, fetal and neonatal stages and testing their capacity to generate adult
satellite cells, as assessed by molecular and anatomical criteria. Recent data demonstrate that the only
enhancer elements known to regulate MyoD expression (the core enhancer and distal regulatory region) are
not necessary for MyoD transcription during embryogenesis or in satellite cells. Aim 4 will utilize transfection,
transgenic and CRISPR-based knockout methodologies to define the regulatory functions of novel putative
enhancer elements identified by PRO-seq and bioinformatic analyses. The proposed research will contribute
significantly to an understanding of fundamental gene regulatory mechanisms that control satellite cell stem
cell functions and may lead to the development of new cell types and strategies for cell-based therapies for
muscle degenerative diseases.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9864706
- **Project number:** 1R01AR076394-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT STORRS
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID J GOLDHAMER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $453,754
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9864706

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9864706, Regulation of Satellite Cell Development, Programming and Differentiation by Myogenic Factors (1R01AR076394-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9864706. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*