Grazing-induced changes in muscle microRNA-206 and -208b expression in association with myogenic gene expression in cattle

Abstract

To investigate the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in muscle type conversion, the effects of 4 months of grazing on the expression levels of miRNAs and mRNAs associated with skeletal muscle development were analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR using the Biceps femoris muscle of Japanese Shorthorn cattle. After 4 months of grazing, the expression of muscle fiber type-associated miR-208b was higher in the grazed cattle than in the housed. In concordance with the pattern in miR-208b expression, the expression of MyoD, a myogenic regulatory factor associated with the shifting of muscle property to the fast type, was lower in the grazed cattle after 4 months of grazing than in the housed cattle. In addition, the expression of MyHC-2x (a fast type) was higher in the housed cattle than in the grazed, after 4 months of grazing. During the grazing period, miR-206 expression decreased in the housed cattle, whereas expression in the grazed cattle did not change, but rather remained higher than that of the housed cattle even at 3 months after the grazing ended. These miRNAs including miR-206 persisting with muscles of grazed cattle may be associated with regulation of muscle gene expression during skeletal muscle adaptation to grazing.

Keywords: grazing; microRNA; muscle type; myogenic regulatory factors; myosin heavy chain isoform.