C2C12 is a myoblast cell line that is a subclone (produced by H. Blau, et al) of the mouse myoblast cell line established by D. Yaffe and O. Saxel. The C2C12 cell line differentiates rapidly, forming contractile myotubes and producing characteristic muscle proteins. Treatment with bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP-2) cause a shift in the differentiation pathway from myoblastic to osteoblastic.