Transcriptome dynamics during proliferation and differentiation of porcine primary satellite cells

During myogenesis the satellite cells undergo a series of highly ordered events that include division and proliferation of mononucleated myoblasts, irreversible cell cycle withdrawal, elongation of myoblasts and finally cell-cell fusion, leading to the formation of multinucleated myotubes. These cellular processes are strictly regulated in a spatiotemporally manner through a coordinated patterns of gene expression governed by specific transcriptional activators and networks of signal transduction. Here we analyzed the genome-wide changes in gene transcription occurring during growth and differentiation of porcine primary myoblast cells. Analysis for differential expression revealed 1656 gene transcripts with significant changes in expression levels during myogenesis. These analyses expand our knowledge of the temporal expression patterns and provide an insight into known and unknown genes and pathways that are transcriptionally regulated and, therefore, likely to be critically implicated in myogenesis. Intriguingly, a remarkable number of the differentially expressed genes encode proteins engaged in histone modification and remodeling of nucleosome structure, emphasizing that extensive changes in chromatin structure are required for regulated gene transcription in the transition from proliferating myoblasts to terminally differentiated myotubes.