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Deciphering the microRNA transcriptome of skeletal muscle during porcine development
Miaomiao Mai1, Long Jin1, Shilin Tian2
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University , Ya'an , People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in many important biological processes, such as growth and development in mammals. Various studies of porcine muscle development have mainly focused on identifying miRNAs that are important for fetal and adult muscle development; however, little is known about the role of miRNAs in middle-aged muscle development. Here, we present a comprehensive investigation of miRNA transcriptomes across five porcine muscle development stages, including one prenatal and four postnatal stages. We identified 404 known porcine miRNAs, 118 novel miRNAs, and 101 miRNAs that are conserved in other mammals. A set of universally abundant miRNAs was found across the distinct muscle development stages. This set of miRNAs may play important housekeeping roles that are involved in myogenesis. A short time-series expression miner analysis indicated significant variations in miRNA expression across distinct muscle development stages. We also found enhanced differentiation- and morphogenesis-related miRNA levels in the embryonic stage; conversely, apoptosis-related miRNA levels increased relatively later in muscle development. These results provide integral insight into miRNA function throughout pig muscle development stages. Our findings will promote further development of the pig as a model organism for human age-related muscle disease research.
Insights
This study reveals key microRNA (miRNA) roles in pig muscle development across five stages. Specific miRNAs are linked to myogenesis, differentiation, and apoptosis, offering insights into aging muscle.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulators of biological processes, including mammalian growth and development.
- Previous research on porcine muscle development primarily focused on fetal and adult stages, with limited understanding of middle-aged muscle development.
- Investigating miRNA roles across diverse developmental stages is essential for a comprehensive understanding of muscle biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively investigate the miRNA transcriptome across five distinct porcine muscle development stages (one prenatal, four postnatal).
- To identify known, novel, and conserved miRNAs involved in myogenesis and muscle development.
- To elucidate the dynamic expression patterns of miRNAs related to differentiation, morphogenesis, and apoptosis during muscle development.
Main Methods:
- High-throughput sequencing to profile miRNA transcriptomes across five developmental stages of porcine muscle.
- Bioinformatic analysis to identify known, novel, and conserved miRNAs.
- Time-series expression analysis to detect significant variations and trends in miRNA expression patterns.
Main Results:
- Identified 404 known, 118 novel, and 101 conserved porcine miRNAs.
- Discovered a set of universally abundant miRNAs potentially involved in myogenesis (muscle formation).
- Observed distinct miRNA expression profiles: enhanced differentiation/morphogenesis miRNAs in the embryonic stage and increased apoptosis-related miRNAs in later stages.
Conclusions:
- The study provides integral insights into miRNA functions throughout pig muscle development.
- Specific miRNA expression patterns correlate with key developmental processes like differentiation and apoptosis.
- Findings support the utility of pigs as a model organism for studying human age-related muscle diseases.
