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Published on: May 25, 2022
Effect of porcine Akirin2 on skeletal myosin heavy chain isoform expression
Xiaoling Chen1, Yanliu Luo2, Bo Zhou3
1Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, China. xlchen@sicau.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Akirin2 plays an important role in skeletal myogenesis. In this study, we found that porcine Akirin2 (pAkirin2) mRNA level was significantly higher in fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and longissimus lumborum (LL) muscles than in slow soleus (SOL) muscle of pigs. Overexpression of pAkirin2 increased the number of myosin heavy chain (MHC)-positive cells, indicating that pAkirin2 promoted myoblast differentiation. We also found that overexpression of pAkirin2 increased the mRNA expressions of MHCI and MHCIIa and decreased the mRNA expression of MHCIIb. Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) are the major downstream effectors of calcineurin. Here we also observed that the mRNA expressions of MEF2C and NFATc1 were notably elevated by pAkirin2 overexpression. Together, our data indicate that the role of pAkirin2 in modulating MHCI and MHCIIa expressions may be achieved through calcineurin/NFATc1 signaling pathway.
