Deciphering the chromatin organization and dynamics for muscle stem cell function.

The chromatin landscape represents a critical regulatory layer for precise transcriptional control. Chromosome architecture restrains the physical access to the DNA elements and is one of the determinants that specifies cell identity. Adult stem cells possess the unique ability to differentiate into a specific lineage. One of the underexplored areas in skeletal muscle biology is the molecular mechanism guiding the chromatin organization changes in muscle stem cell specification, myogenic determination, and differentiation. In this review, we focus on the regulatory network guiding the progression of muscle stem cells to differentiated progeny. We summarize recent findings regarding the mechanisms directing myogenic cell fate decision and differentiation, with a particular focus on three-dimensional chromosome architecture and long noncoding RNA-associated chromatin accessibility changes.