Absence of p21^CIP rescues myogenic progenitor cell proliferative and regenerative capacity in Foxk1 null mice

Foxk1 is a forkhead/winged helix transcription factor that is restricted to myogenic progenitor cells in adult skeletal muscle. Mice lacking Foxk1 (Foxk1-/-) display growth retardation and a severe impairment in skeletal muscle regeneration following injury. Here we show that myogenic progenitor cells from Foxk1-/- mice are reduced in number and have perturbed cell cycle progression (G₀/G₁ arrest). Molecular analysis of Foxk1-/- myogenic progenitor cells revealed increased expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21^CIP, independent of changes in other cell cycle inhibitors, including p53. Combinatorial mating of Foxkl-/- mice with p21CIP-/- mice, to generate double mutant progeny, resulted in a complete restoration of the growth deficit, skeletal muscle regeneration, myogenic progenitor cell number, and cell cycle progression that characterized the Foxk1-/- mice. We conclude that Foxk1 is essential for regulating cell cycle progression in the myogenic progenitor cell and that the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21CIP, may be a downstream target of Foxk1.