Earlier embryonic leg muscle myogenic gene demethylation contributes to more rapid myoblast terminal differentiation in Wuzong geese than in Shitou geese

In this study, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) was conducted on leg muscle tissue from Wuzong (WZE) and Shitou (STE) geese during embryonic day 15, 23 and 1 day post-hatch. It was found that the embryonic leg muscles at E23 of STE were more developed than those of WZE. A negative correlation was found between gene expression and DNA methylation around transcription start sites (TSS), while a positive correlation was observed in gene bodies. It is also possible that earlier demethylation of myogenic genes around TSS have contributed to their earlier expression in WZE. Using pyrosequencing to analyze DNA methylation patterns of the promoter, we also found that earlier demethylation of MyoD1 promoter in WZE contributes to its earlier expression. This study reveals that earlier embryonic leg muscle myogenic gene demethylation contributes to more rapid myoblast terminal differentiation in Wuzong geese than in Shitou geese.