Bulk RNA-sequencing of mesenchymal stem cell clones from pig with high or low adipogenic capacity

Understanding the molecular regulation of adipogenesis in farm animals would bring benefits both to animal meat production and to the nascent field of cultivated meat, where adipose tissue provides enhanced flavour and texture profiles of biomanufactured meat products. Adipogenic progenitors are found within heterogenous mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) populations in fat and other animal tissues. Such populations contain only a fraction of bona-fide adipocyte progenitors, resulting in limited and variable fat-forming capacity that is highly dependent on animal of origin. The identification of novel markers of pre-adipocytes in species such as the pig would have significant potential towards increasing the efficiency and sustainability of both animal meat production and cultured fat manufacture. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the transcriptional signatures of MSC clones with a high or low adipogenic capacity in pig. Overall design: Comparative bulk RNA-seq analyses was performed of MSC clones with high or low adipogenic capacy (12 clones each). Clones had been derived by single cell sorting of MSCs from 4 different piglets, and adipogenic capacity was determined by quantitative Oil Red O staining following culture in adipogenic media for 11 days