Combination of cell signaling molecules can facilitate MYOD1-mediated myogenic transdifferentiation of pig fibroblasts

Background Myogenic transdifferentiation can be accomplished through ectopic MYOD1 expression, which is facilitated by various signaling pathways associated with myogenesis. In this study, we attempted to transdifferentiate pig embryonic fibroblasts (PEFs) myogenically into skeletal muscle through overexpression of the pig MYOD1 gene and modulation of the FGF, TGF-β, WNT, and cAMP signaling pathways. Results The MYOD1 overexpression vector was constructed based on comparative sequence analysis, demonstrating that pig MYOD1 has evolutionarily conserved domains across various species. Although forced MYOD1 expression through these vectors triggered the expression of endogenous muscle markers, transdifferentiated muscle cells from fibroblasts were not observed. Therefore, various signaling molecules, including FGF2, SB431542, CHIR99021, and forskolin, along with MYOD1 overexpression were applied to enhance the myogenic reprogramming. The modified conditions led to the derivation of myotubes and activation of muscle markers in PEFs, as determined by qPCR and immunostaining. Notably, a sarcomere-like structure was observed, indicating that terminally differentiated skeletal muscle could be obtained from transdifferentiated cells. Conclusions In summary, we established a protocol for reprogramming MYOD1-overexpressing PEFs into the mature skeletal muscle using signaling molecules. Our myogenic reprogramming can be used as a cell source for muscle disease models in regenerative medicine and the production of cultured meat in cellular agriculture.This work was supported by the BK21 Four program, the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT; 20012411), and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant (2021R1A2C4001837)