Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Role of the FST Gene in Goose Muscle Development

Area of Science:

• Animal Genetics
• Molecular Biology
• Livestock Science

Background:

• Muscle growth is crucial for meat yield and quality in livestock.
• Follistatin (FST) is a known regulator of muscle and fat metabolism, but its role in geese is understudied.
• Understanding FST's function in geese can improve livestock breeding and meat production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize goose follistatin (gFST) transcript variants.
• To investigate the expression patterns of gFST in different goose tissues and developmental stages.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying gFST's role in skeletal muscle development and fat metabolism in geese.

Main Methods:

• Identification of gFST transcript variants (gFST-X1 and gFST-X2) in Zhedong White geese.
• RT-qPCR analysis to determine gFST mRNA expression across various tissues and developmental stages.
• Transcriptomic analysis (RNA sequencing) of goose skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) following gFST overexpression.
• Validation of key gene expression changes using qRT-PCR.

Main Results:

• Two gFST transcript variants were identified, with distinct expression profiles across tissues and ages.
• Overexpression of gFST in SMSCs led to significant changes in gene expression, affecting 3596 genes.
• gFST overexpression downregulated key muscle development markers (e.g., PAX7, MYOG) while upregulating genes involved in lipid metabolism (e.g., PPARG) and myosin-related processes.

Conclusions:

• Goose follistatin (gFST) exhibits a dual regulatory role, impacting both skeletal muscle development and fat metabolism.
• gFST influences muscle stemness and myogenic differentiation, as well as lipid metabolic pathways.
• This study provides novel mechanistic insights into gFST's function, contributing to a better understanding of muscle development in geese.