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First published online 14 November 2007
doi: 10.1242/dev.010678

Development 134, 4357-4367 (2007)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2007
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SCAR/WAVE and Arp2/3 are crucial for cytoskeletal remodeling at the site of myoblast fusion

Brian E. Richardson1,2, Karen Beckett1, Scott J. Nowak1 and Mary K. Baylies1,2,*

1 Program in Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10021, USA.
2 Weill Graduate School at Cornell Medical School, New York, NY 10021, USA.

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: m-baylies{at}ski.mskcc.org)

Accepted 14 September 2007

Myoblast fusion is crucial for formation and repair of skeletal muscle. Here we show that active remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton is essential for fusion in Drosophila. Using live imaging, we have identified a dynamic F-actin accumulation (actin focus) at the site of fusion. Dissolution of the actin focus directly precedes a fusion event. Whereas several known fusion components regulate these actin foci, others target additional behaviors required for fusion. Mutations in kette/Nap1, an actin polymerization regulator, lead to enlarged foci that do not dissolve, consistent with the observed block in fusion. Kette is required to positively regulate SCAR/WAVE, which in turn activates the Arp2/3 complex. Mutants in SCAR and Arp2/3 have a fusion block and foci phenotype, suggesting that Kette-SCAR-Arp2/3 participate in an actin polymerization event required for focus dissolution. Our data identify a new paradigm for understanding the mechanisms underlying fusion in myoblasts and other tissues.

Key words: Cell-cell fusion, Myoblast fusion, Muscle, Actin, Kette (Hem, Nap1), SCAR (WAVE), Arp2/3


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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2007