Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 10, 2026
06:53
Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
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Myostatin Exhibits an Evolutionarily Conserved Circadian Pattern in Skeletal Muscles
Xiangpeng Liu1,2, Changyou Song3, Yan Xiong4
1Cambridge-Suda Genomic Resource Center, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle
|November 25, 2025
Summary
Myostatin (MSTN) expression rhythmically oscillates in skeletal muscles across diverse species, from worms to humans. Disrupting circadian clock genes like Bmal1 significantly impacts MSTN levels and muscle mass.
Area of Science:
- Muscle physiology
- Chronobiology
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Myostatin (MSTN) is a key regulator of skeletal muscle mass.
- Circadian clock proteins influence muscle mass and function.
- The relationship between circadian clocks and MSTN regulation was previously unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if circadian clock proteins regulate myostatin in a circadian pattern.
- To examine the evolutionary conservation of MSTN's rhythmic expression in skeletal muscle.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed time-course muscle samples from 16 species (C. elegans to humans).
- Examined Mstn expression patterns in various circadian clock-deficient models.
- Utilized muscle-specific Bmal1 knockout mice and fruit fly/zebrafish models.
Main Results:
- MSTN mRNA and protein exhibit conserved rhythmic expression across species.
- Muscle-specific Bmal1 knockout mice showed increased body and lean mass, with reduced MSTN levels.
- Disruption of circadian clock function abolished MSTN rhythmicity.
Conclusions:
- Revealed an evolutionarily conserved rhythmic expression pattern of MSTN in skeletal muscles.
- Demonstrated that circadian clock proteins regulate MSTN expression.
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