Satellite cells, the engines of muscle repair

Satellite cells are a heterogeneous population of stem and progenitor cells that are required for the growth, maintenance and regeneration of skeletal muscle. The transcription factors paired-box 3 (PAX3) and PAX7 have essential and overlapping roles in myogenesis. PAX3 acts to specify embryonic muscle precursors, whereas PAX7 enforces the satellite cell myogenic programme while maintaining the undifferentiated state. Recent experiments have suggested that PAX7 is dispensable in adult satellite cells. However, these findings are controversial, and the issue remains unresolved.