Myostatin knockout tilapia skeletal muscle transcriptomics

Mstn functions as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth, and mutations in the mstn gene result in the "double-skeletal muscle" phenotype in vertebrates. Our prior research on Nile tilapia, a key aquaculture species, revealed that males lacking the mstnb gene exhibited enhanced growth and muscle mass. In our present study, we conducted a whole transcriptome analysis of skeletal muscle in both wild-type (WT) and mstnb-/- males to examine the molecular mechanisms underlying "double-skeletal muscle" related to mstnb deficiency. We identified 4,697 differentially expressed (DE) genes, along with 113 DE long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), 211 DE circular RNAs (circRNAs), and 98 DE microRNAs (miRNAs). The DE mRNA genes, the cis- and trans-targeting genes of DE lncRNA, the host genes of DE circRNA and the targeting genes of DE miRNAs were notably enriched in proteasome and ubiquitin mediated proteolysis pathways. We further identified the key ncRNAs and mRNAs involved in the Mstn signaling pathway and explored the potential crosstalk between ncRNA and mRNA. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of the Mstn signaling pathway, which may provide valuable theoretical guidance for breeding innovation in aquaculture.