Analysis of differential gene expression of the transgenic pig with overexpression of PGC1α in muscle.

In order to better understand the key regulatory mechanisms of PGC1α in muscle fiber type transition, the RNA-seq was used to compare the change of gene expression in gastrocnemius muscles between wild type pigs and transgenic pigs with overexpression of PGC1α gene in muscle. 371 differentially expressed genes (P ≤ 0.05 and Ratio ≥ 2), including 184 up-regulated genes and 187 down-regulated genes, were identified. Five main signaling pathways including metabolic pathways, ECM-receptor interaction, PPAR signaling pathway, adipocytokine signaling pathway and insulin signaling pathway, were authenticated using KEGG pathway analysis. Our results indicate that the fat metabolism pathway plays an important role in the transformation of muscle fiber types regulated by PGC1α.