During myogenesis, satellite stem cells (SCs) are induced to proliferate and differentiate to myogenic precursors. The role of energy sensors such as the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) in SC activation is unclear. We previously observed that upregulation of ATP through RNA-mediated mitochondrial restoration (MR) accelerates SC activation following skeletal muscle injury. We show here that during regeneration, the AMPK-CRTC2-CREB and Raptor-mTORC-4EBP1 pathways were rapidly activated. The phosho-CRTC2-CREB complex was essential for myogenesis and activated transcription of the critical cell cycle regulator cyclin D1 (Ccnd1). Knockdown (KD) of either mTORC or its subunit Raptor delayed SC activation without influencing the differentiation program. KD of 4EBP1 had no effect on SC activation but enhanced myofiber size. mTORC1 positively regulated Ccnd1 translation but destabilized Ccnd1 mRNA. These antithetical effects of mTORC1 were mediated by two microRNAs (miRs) targeted to the 3= untranslated region (UTR) of Ccnd1 mRNA: miR-1 was downregulated in mTORC-KD muscle, and depletion of miR-1 resulted in increased levels of mRNA without any effect on Ccnd1 protein. In contrast, miR-26a was upregulated upon mTORC depletion, while anti-miR-26a oligonucleotide specifically stimulated Ccnd1 protein expression. Thus, mTORC may act as a timer of satellite cell proliferation during myogenesis. R egeneration of skeletal muscle following injury involves formation of new myofibers as well as patch repair of old injured fibers by fusion of satellite cell-derived myoblasts (1). The program of differentiation of satellite cells involves sequential expression of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) and their target genes (2-5). Mitochondrial biogenesis occurs at a specific time prior to the formation of myofibers (4, 6), suggesting an energy-requiring step, but the specific role of ATP in differentiation remains unknown. Eukaryotic cells contain a number of enzymes that sense the energy status, particularly, the pools of AMP and ADP (AMPactivated protein kinase [AMPK]) or of ATP (mammalian Target of Rapamycin [mTOR] kinases) (7,8). It is possible that mitochondrial activity, through modulation of the adenylate pool, impacts these energy sensors, thereby activating or inhibiting downstream pathways.Although energy sensors such as AMPK and mTORC are known to regulate cellular energy homeostasis and cell growth (9), there are indications that they could also modulate specific developmental processes. It was shown early that the mTORC inhibitor rapamycin inhibits growth of myofibers in regenerating adult muscle (10); such inhibition was overcome by expression of a rapamycin-resistant mTORC gene (11). Genetic ablation of mTORC (12), or of the mTORC1 subunit Raptor (13), or of the mTORC1 target S6K (14) results in severe muscle atrophy. These studies indicate that myofiber growth and maturation are regulated by mTORC1 acting through S6K in vivo but provide no information on the specific eff...