Transcriptomic profiling of satellite cell heterogeneity isolated from the pectoralis major muscle of an individual Turkey

Satellite cells (SCs) are muscle stem cells that support post-hatch muscle growth and repair of damaged muscle fibers. These cells are highly heterogeneous, even within a single muscle, there exists a substantial difference in their proliferation and differentiation capacities. In this study, we compared individual SCs isolated from the same turkey pectoralis major muscle that exhibited varying differentiation rates. Based on their growth behavior, the cells were categorized as either fast-growing or slow-growing clones. To better understand the molecular differences between these two SC populations, RNA sequencing was performed to compare their transcriptomic profiles after 48 hours of differentiation. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed distinct separation between the transcriptomic profiles of early- and late-growing clones. Differential gene expression analysis identified 1,407 genes with significantly different expression levels between the two cell groups. To validate these findings, we conducted quantitative PCR (qPCR), which confirmed the expression patterns of several genes involved in SC biology. Additionally, the top genes from the ten most upregulated genes in each group (early- and late-clone cells) were selected for further validation (qPCR). Overall, these results highlight the genetic and functional diversity of satellite cell populations within turkey skeletal muscle. Understanding SCs heterogeneity will help establish better breeding programs.