Distinct cell characteristics between broiler and layer chick skeletal muscle myoblasts.
Yuma Nihashi, Tamao Ono, Hiroshi Kagami, Tomohide Takaya.
Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan.
2017 Japan-Thailand International Symposium on Animal Biotechnology (Ina, Japan), 2017/07/05 (Poster).
Abstract
Summary: Genetic selection enabled to promote skeletal muscle development as meat yield in broiler chickens than in other chickens. Muscle myofibers develop through the fusion of myoblasts, which are mononuclear myogenic precursor cells. We presumed that difference of muscle development among chicken breeds is attributed to gene expression profiles in myoblasts. In this study, we compared broiler and layer chick myoblasts by quantifying their proliferation, differentiation, and gene expression.
Materials & Methods: Myoblasts of broiler (chMB-Br) and White Leghorn as layer (chMB-WL) chickens were isolated from leg muscle of E10 embryos. Proliferation was evaluated by cell counting and EdU staining, differentiation was confirmed by myosin heavy chain (MHC) staining, and myogenic gene expression was quantified by qPCR.
Results & Discussion: In growth medium, the numbers of chMB-Br were significantly higher than chMB-WL throughout culture. The ratio of EdU+ proliferating cells was also higher in chMB-Br. In differentiation medium, chMB-Br strongly expressed MHC, a terminal differentiation marker for myocytes. These results indicate that chMB-Br is more proliferative and differentiative rather than chMB-WL. Gene expression profiles of myogenic transcription factors Pax3, Pax7, Myf5, MyoD, and myogenin were markedly different between chMB-Br and chMB-WL, which may contribute to the cell characteristics of them.