Effect of myostatin on turkey myogenic satellite cells and embryonic myoblasts

Myostatin (GDF-8) inhibits the activation, proliferation, and differentiation of myogenic satellite cells. The relative importance of this growth factor is demonstrated in myostatin-null mice and cattle possessing defective myostatin genes. These defects result in greatly enhanced musculature. In the present study, we examined the effect of myostatin on turkey myogenic satellite cells and embryonic myoblasts. Compared with controls (P<0.05), proliferation of both turkey embryonic myoblasts and satellite cells was inhibited between 26 and 45% in serum-free medium containing 20 ng/mL myostatin. While individual turkey satellite cell clones differed in their responsiveness to myostatin, there were no significant differences in the responsiveness of fast and slow growing cells as groups (P>0.05). A slow growing clone that exhibited the greatest response to myostatin also exhibited the greatest depression of differentiation with this growth factor (P<0.05). All other turkey satellite cell clones exhibited similar responses to the differentiation depressing effects of myostatin (P>0.05). However, myostatin had no effect on differentiation of turkey embryonic myoblasts (P>0.05). When exposed to myostatin, 4 of 6 proliferating clones and all differentiating clones increased their expression of decorin, a growth inhibitor (P<0.05). The present study demonstrates that myostatin inhibits the proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells and suggests a role for decorin in myostatin action in muscle development.