The endothelial Dll4–muscular Notch2 axis regulates skeletal muscle mass

Adult skeletal muscle is a highly plastic tissue that readily reduces or gains its mass in response to mechanical and metabolic stimulation; however, the upstream mechanisms that control muscle mass remain unclear. Notch signalling is highly conserved, and regulates many cellular events, including proliferation and differentiation of various types of tissue stem cell via cell–cell contact. Here we reveal that multinucleated myofibres express Notch2, which plays a crucial role in disuse- or diabetes-induced muscle atrophy. Mechanistically, in both atrophic conditions, the microvascular endothelium upregulates and releases the Notch ligand, Dll4, which then activates muscular Notch2 without direct cell–cell contact. Inhibition of the Dll4–Notch2 axis substantively prevents these muscle atrophy and promotes mechanical overloading-induced muscle hypertrophy in mice. Our results illuminate a tissue-specific function of the endothelium in controlling tissue plasticity and highlight the endothelial Dll4–muscular Notch2 axis as a central upstream mechanism that regulates catabolic signals from mechanical and metabolic stimulation, providing a therapeutic target for muscle-wasting diseases. Fujimaki et al. show that soluble Dll4 from endothelial cells triggers atrophy in myofibres via Notch2 signalling, suggesting Dll4 as a therapeutic target for muscle atrophy.