Extracellular Matrix and Skeletal Muscle Development, Homeostasis, and Disease

Abstract

Aberrant cell‐matrix interactions cause or exacerbate many musculoskeletal disorders such as myopathies, tendonitis, traumatic muscle injuries, arthritis, and sarcopenia. My lab uses the zebrafish model and primarily focuses on how signaling between muscle cells and their extracellular matrix mediates musculoskeletal development and homeostasis. I will talk about recent data regarding the impact of NAD+ signaling, proteostasis, and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle cell adhesion to the matrix in the context of muscular dystrophy and dystroglycanopathies.