Temperature Effects on Differential Gene Expression in Turkey Satellite Cells during Proliferation and Differentiation

Climate fluctuation poses a multi-dimensional risk to animal growth, development, health, and food product quality. This study was designed to characterize transcriptional changes induced in turkey muscle satellite cells cultured under thermal challenge to better define molecular mechanisms by which thermal stress alters breast muscle ultrastructure. Satellite cells isolated from the pectoralis major muscle of 7 wk old male turkeys from two breeding lines (16 wk body weight-selected and it’s randombred control) were either proliferated for 72 h or differentiated for 48 hr in culture at 33° C, 38º C or 43º C. Total RNA was isolated and libraries subjected to RNAseq analysis. Statistically significant differences in gene expression were observed among treatments and between turkey lines. Pathway analysis found that cold treatment of proliferating cells resulted in an overrepresentation of genes involved in cell signaling/signal transduction and cell communication/cell signaling. Heat-treated cells showed greater tendency towards expression of genes related to muscle system development and differentiation. Results from this study demonstrate that genetic selection for 16wk body weight (muscle mass) has altered gene expression in muscle satellite cells with greater differential expression between the F and RBC2 cells observed at 43º C.