Linkages between 3D genome organization and transcriptome during muscle cell development

This study aimed to interrogate the interrelationship between 3D genome organization and global gene expression during muscle development using a mouse C2C12 cell line as an in vitro model. The C2C12 cell line is a well-established and extensively studied in vitro model derived from serial passage of myoblasts cultured from the thigh muscle of C3H mice after a crush injury. C2C12 cells divide when mitogens are present in the culture medium and spontaneously differentiate into muscle-like multinucleated (myotubes) cells if the medium is depleted of mitogens (i.e. serum; (Bischoff 1986)). Overall design: C2C12 cells were either harvested as: 1) proliferating myoblasts (Myoblasts); 2) myotubes that were not treated with AraC (as such these myotubes contained myoblasts) - Myotubes(Day3); or 3) myotubes which were treated with AraC (myoblasts were largely depleted from these myotube cultures; Myotubes(Day7+AraC).