Figure 2.

Representation of the satellite cell niche. Satellite cells reside within a specialized microenvironment, tightly packed between the ECM and their host myofibers. Cell-cell vs. cell-matrix interactions polarize the satellite cell niche in an apical-basal orientation and play a role in the determination of cell fate in asymmetric divisions. Paracrine interactions with various other cell-types (immune cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, vessel-associated cells, and the host myofiber) also modulate satellite cell behavior during homeostasis and regeneration.