Postnatal skeletal muscle myogenesis governed by signal transduction networks: MAPKs and PI3K–Akt control multiple steps

Skeletal muscle myogenesis represents one of the most intensively and extensively examined systems of cell differentiation, tissue formation, and regeneration. Muscle regeneration provides an in vivo model system of postnatal myogenesis. It comprises multiple steps including muscle stem cell (or satellite cell) quiescence, activation, migration, myogenic determination, myoblast proliferation, myocyte differentiation, myofiber maturation, and hypertrophy. A variety of extracellular signaling and subsequent intracellular signal transduction pathways or networks govern the individual steps of postnatal myogenesis. Among them, MAPK pathways (the ERK, JNK, p38 MAPK, and ERK5 pathways) and PI3K–Akt signaling regulate multiple steps of myogenesis. Ca2+, cytokine, and Wnt signaling also participate in several myogenesis steps. These signaling pathways often control cell cycle regulatory proteins or the muscle-specific MyoD family and the MEF2 family of transcription factors. This article comprehensively reviews molecular mechanisms of the individual steps of postnatal skeletal muscle myogenesis by focusing on signal transduction pathways or networks. Nevertheless, no or only a partial signaling molecules or pathways have been identified in some responses during myogenesis. The elucidation of these unidentified signaling molecules and pathways leads to an extensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms of myogenesis. •Skeletal muscle myogenesis is a representative of cell differentiation, tissue formation, and regeneration systems.•Postnatal myogenesis comprises multiple steps: MuSC activation, determination, proliferation, differentiation, maturation, etc.•A variety of signal transduction networks, including MAPK pathways and PI3K–Akt signaling, govern individual steps of myogenesis.•Elucidation of unidentified signaling pathways leads to a comprehensive understanding of myogenesis.