Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β (GSK3β) Regulates Myogenic Differentiation in Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells of Sheep

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In this study, we investigated the function of GSK3β in the skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) of sheep. The overexpression of GSK3β inhibited myotube formation and the expression of MyoD, MyoG, MyHC1, and MyHC2a genes in sheep SMSCs. Additionally, inhibiting the activity of GSK3β significantly promoted myotube formation as well as MyoD, MyoG, MyHC1, and MyHC2a genes at mRNA levels. The present study provides evidence for studying the mechanisms involved in the regulation of sheep SMSCs differentiation by GSK3β. ABSTRACT: Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) has a vital role in the regulation of many cellular processes. However, the role of GSK3β in muscle cell differentiation in sheep remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the function of GSK3β in skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) of sheep. An overexpression of GSK3β significantly inhibited myotube formation as well as the mRNA levels of myogenic genes (MyoD, MyoG, MyHC1, and MyHC2a) in sheep SMSCs. SB216763 treatment had a time-course effect on the phosphorylation levels of sheep GSK3β. In addition, reducing the activity of GSK3β lead to the promotion of sheep SMSCs differentiation as well as the mRNA levels of myogenic genes (MyoD, MyoG, MyHC1, and MyHC2a). This study illustrated the function of GSK3β to inhibit myogenesis in sheep SMSCs, which provided evidence for studying the mechanisms involved in the regulation of sheep SMSCs differentiation by GSK3β.