Transcriptomic Regulatory Analysis of Skeletal Muscle Development in Landrace Pigs

The development of pig skeletal muscle is a complex dynamic regulation process, which mainly includes the formation of primary and secondary muscle fibers, the remodeling of muscle fibers and the maturation of skeletal muscle; However, the regulatory mechanism of the entire developmental process remains unclear. This study analyzed the whole-transcriptome data of skeletal muscles at 27 developmental nodes (E33-D180) in Landrace pigs, and their key regulatory factors in the development process were identified using the bioinformatics method. Firstly, we constructed a transcriptome expression map of skeletal muscle development from embryo to adulthood in Landrace pig. Subsequently, due to drastic change in gene expression, the perinatal periods including E105, D0 and D9, were focused, and the genes related to the process of muscle fiber remodeling and volume expansion were revealed. Then, though conjoint analysis with miRNA and lncRNA transcripts, a ceRNA network were identified, which consist of 11 key regulatory genes (such as CHAC1, RTN4IP1 and SESN1), 7 miRNAs and 43 lncRNAs, and they potentially play an important role in the process of muscle fiber differentiation, muscle fiber remodeling and volume expansion, intramuscular fat deposition, and other skeletal muscle developmental events. In summary, we reveal candidate genes and underlying molecular regulatory networks associated with perinatal skeletal muscle fiber type remodeling and expansion. These data provide new insights into the molecular regulation of mammalian skeletal muscle development and diversity.