KDR Signaling in Muscle Stem Cells Promotes Asymmetric Division and Progenitor Generation for Efficient Regeneration

The regulation of muscle stem cell (MuSC) asymmetric division plays an essential role in controlling the growth and repair of skeletal muscle. We discover kinase domain receptor (KDR) as a positive modulator of MuSC asymmetric division using an in-niche high-content screen and confirmed its expression in satellite cells by ddPCR and immunofluorescence. Knockdown of KDR significantly reduces the numbers of asymmetric divisions, whereas ligand stimulation of KDR increases the numbers of asymmetric divisions. KDR signaling is impaired in dystrophin-deficient satellite cells and requires a polarized cell environment established by the dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC) to direct asymmetric division. Mice lacking KDR in MuSCs exhibit reduced numbers of satellite cells due to precocious differentiation, and deficits in regeneration consistent with impaired asymmetric division and reduced generation of progenitors. Therefore, our experiments identify KDR signaling as playing an essential role in MuSC function in muscle regeneration. HIGHLIGHTS eTOC blurb Chen et al., performed a chemical screen using a novel screening platform to identify modulators of muscle stem cell asymmetric division. They discovered that KDR signalling requires the presence of the dystrophin associated glycoprotein complex and is an important regulator of muscle stem cell asymmetric division. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.