Skeletal muscle formation, growth and repair depend on myoblast fusion events. Therefore, in-depth understanding of the underlying
molecular mechanisms controlling these events that ultimately lead to skeletal muscle formation may be fundamental for developing
new therapies for tissue repair. To this end, the greatest advances in furthering understanding myoblast fusion has been made
in
Drosophila. Recent studies have shown that transient F-actin structures, so-called actin plugs or foci, are known to form at the site
of contacting myoblasts. Indeed, actin regulators of the WASP family that control the activation of the Arp2/3 complex and
thereby branched F-actin formation have been demonstrated to be crucial for myoblast fusion. Myoblast-specific cell adhesion
molecules seem to be involved in the recruitment of WASP family members to the site of myoblast fusion and form a Fusion-Restricted
Myogenic-Adhesive Structure (FuRMAS). Currently, the exact role of the FuRMAS is not completely understood. However, recent
studies indicate that WASP-dependent F-actin regulation is required for fusion pore formation as well as for the correct integration
of fusing myoblasts into the growing muscle. In this review, I discuss latest cellular studies, and recent genetic and biochemical
analyses on actin regulation during myoblast fusion.
Keywords Myogenesis - Cytoskeleton - WASP - Solitary - Verprolin - SCAR - WAVE - Arp2/3 - FuRMAS - F-actin