Restorative macrophage-derived RNAseT2 stimulates muscle stem cell fusion via an SLK/N-WASP/actin bundling dependent axis

Abstract

Muscle stem cells (MuSCs) fuse to form myofibers to repair skeletal muscle after injury. Within the regenerative MuSC niche, restorative macrophages stimulate MuSC fusion, although the molecular mechanisms involved are largely unknown. Here, we show that restorative macrophages secrete ribonuclease T2 (RNAseT2) to stimulate MuSC fusion. RNAseT2 enters MuSCs via the mannose receptor and induces the formation of actin bundles in MuSCs, enabling cell/cell fusion. Mechanistically, RNAseT2 binds to Ste20-like kinase (SLK), which itself triggers the phosphorylation-mediated activation of N-WASP, through Paxillin phosphorylation, allowing actin bundling necessary for MuSC fusion. In vivo, overexpressing RNAseT2 in regenerating muscle increases fusion in newly formed myofibers in mouse and zebrafish while macrophages deficient for RNAseT2 gene lead to fusion defect and smaller myofibers. This study reveals a new function for the highly conserved RNAseT2 and provides a new molecular mechanism by which restorative macrophages support MuSC fusion during muscle repair.