Description:
The Schwartz lab discovered the Acheron gene as a protein that regulates cell death in muscles. Here are mouse muscle stem cells (red) that have been induced to differentiate into striated skeletal muscle (green). Nuclei are stained blue. DNA (blue). A) Control cells; B) cells expressing ectopic Acheron make giant muscles and lose all of their stem cell population; Blocking Acheron expression with antisense RNA ((D) or a dominant-negative Acheron prevents muscle fiber formation and fosters the survival of undifferentiated stem cells.
Department of Biology