The fusion of myoblasts

Skeletal muscle fibres are permanent multinucleated, non-mitotic cells. Consequently, there is considerable interest in how such a unique cell type is formed. Muscle fibres are derived from multinucleated myotubes which are themselves formed, during embryonic development, by the fusion of mononucleated myoblasts. Myoblast fusion provides a naturally occurring process in which mechanistic proposals from the study of fusion in model fusion systems can be tested. Conversely, proposals derived from myoblast fusion studies can be profitably applied to appropriate vesicular model systems.