MicroRNAs as central regulators of adult myogenesis and proteostasis loss in skeletal muscle ageing

Abstract

Sarcopenia (from the Greek words sarca (σάρκα) = flesh and penia (πενία) = deficiency) is considered as an age-associated disease, characterized by dysregulation of the balance between muscle hypertrophy, atrophy and regeneration, which leads to advanced loss of skeletal muscle mass and function associated with a high risk of falls and fractures in the elderly. Numerous studies in humans and animals have explored the pathophysiology of musculoskeletal aging but the detailed mechanisms that contribute to skeletal muscle dysfunction have not been yet fully elucidated. Recently, several studies have focused on the role of microRNAs as a dynamic and promising epigenetic mechanism which may regulate post-transcriptional gene expression that modulate skeletal muscle homeostasis. In this chapter, we describe the crucial role of microRNAs in skeletal myogenesis during adulthood and their association with the pathogenesis of sarcopenia linked to proteostasis loss.