title: Muscle-specific transgenic expression of porcine myostatin propeptide enhances muscle growth in mice.
abstract: Myostatin is a well-known negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth. Inhibition of myostatin activity results in increased muscle mass. Myostatin propeptide, as a myostatin antagonist, could be applied to promote meat production in livestock such as pigs. In this study, we generated a transgenic mouse model expressing porcine myostatin propeptide under the control of muscle-specific regulatory elements. The mean body weight of transgenic mice from a line expressing the highest level of porcine myostatin propeptide was increased by 5.4 % (P = 0.023) and 3.2 % (P = 0.031) in males and females, respectively, at 8 weeks of age. Weight of carcass, fore limb and hind limb was respectively increased by 6.0 % (P = 0.038), 9.0 % (P = 0.014), 8.7 % (P = 0.036) in transgenic male mice, compared to wild-type male controls at the age of 9 weeks. Similarly, carcass, fore limb and hind limb of transgenic female mice was 11.4 % (P = 0.002), 14.5 % (P = 0.006) and 14.5 % (P = 0.03) respectively heavier than that of wild-type female mice. The mean cross-section area of muscle fiber was increased by 17 % (P = 0.002) in transgenic mice, in comparison with wild-type controls. These results demonstrated that porcine myostatin propeptide is effective in enhancement of muscle growth. The present study provided useful information for future study on generation of transgenic pigs overexpressing porcine myostatin propeptide for improvement of muscle mass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Room 319, Guangzhou, 510642, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Kaiyun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zicong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jinyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jinzeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Dewu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhenfang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005121:Extremities / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D024510:Muscle Development / Q000235:genetics*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D055435:Myostatin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050436:Regulatory Elements, Transcriptional / Q000235:genetics; D012737:Sex Factors; D013552:Swine / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D055435:Myostatin; D011498:Protein Precursors
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