Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to analyze MSTN and p21 mRNA expression profiles and differences among chicken, quail and hybrids of chicken-quail during embryonic myogenesis, and evaluate the potential relationships between their relative expression and myogenesis. The cross-bred eggs of quail (♀) were acquired by artificial insemination with chicken(♂)-semen, the eggs of chicken, quail and hybrid were hatched in one batch according to the standard condition of chicken, the breast muscle tissues was collected from day 7 to 17. The expression of MSTN and p21 mRNA in different species every day was revealed by real-time quantitative PCR. The expression of MSTN and p21 mRNA was detected from day 7 to 17. Peak of MSTN and p21 expression was noticed at day 9 in chicken, and day 7 in quail, with the development of muscle, the expression level was rising, which was almost maintained at this level until day 17. And the peak expression was also noticed at day 9 in hybrid which was in accordance with chicken, however, the expression of p21 mRNA in hybrid was significantly higher than that in chicken and quail (P<0.01). The expression profile of MSTN was in accordance with the profile of the withdrawal of myoblasts from the cell cycle, and MSTN could up-regulated the expression of p21 specifically during embryonic myogenesis.