Muscle growth stands as a pivotal economic trait within pig production, governed by a complex interplay of multiple genes, each playing a role in its quantitative manifestation. Understanding the intricate regulatory mechanisms of porcine muscle development is crucial for enhancing both pork yield
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Muscle growth stands as a pivotal economic trait within pig production, governed by a complex interplay of multiple genes, each playing a role in its quantitative manifestation. Understanding the intricate regulatory mechanisms of porcine muscle development is crucial for enhancing both pork yield and quality. This study used the GSE99749 dataset downloaded from the GEO database, conducting a detailed analysis of the RNA-seq results from the longissimus dorsi muscle (LD) of Tibetan pigs (TP), Wujin pigs (WJ) and large white pigs (LW) at 60 days of gestation, representing diverse body sizes and growth rates. Comparative analyses between TPvsWJ and TPvsLW, along with differential gene expression (DEG) analysis, functional enrichment analysis, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, revealed 1048 and 1157 significantly differentially expressed genes (
p < 0.001) in TPvsWJ and TPvsLW, respectively. With stricter screening criteria, 37 DEGs were found to overlap between the 2 groups. PPI analysis identified
MYL5,
MYL4, and
ACTC1 as the three core genes. This article focuses on exploring the
MYL4 gene. Molecular-level experimental validation, through overexpression and interference of the
MYL4 gene combined with EDU staining experiments, demonstrated that overexpression of
MYL4 significantly promoted the proliferation of porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells (PSMSC), while interference with
MYL4 inhibited their proliferation. Furthermore, by examining the effects of overexpressing and interfering with the
MYL4 gene on the muscle hypertrophy marker
Fst gene and the muscle degradation marker
FOXO3 gene, the pivotal role of the
MYL4 gene in promoting muscle growth and preventing muscle degradation was further confirmed. These findings offer a new perspective on the molecular mechanisms behind porcine muscle growth and development, furnishing valuable data and insights for muscle biology research.
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