Protein Expression Landscape Defines the Differentiation Potential Specificity of Adipogenic and Myogenic Precursors in the Skeletal Muscle

The balance of adipogenic and myogenic differentiation of skeletal muscle-derived mesenchymal stem cells is particularly important in muscle development and intramuscular fat deposition. This study aimed to explore the differential regulation between adipogenic and myogenic precursors by comparative analysis of their global proteome expression profile. Adipogenic and myogenic precursors isolated from neonatal porcine longissimus dorsi muscle by the preplate method were verified for their unique and distinct differentiation potential under myogenic or adipogenic induction. A total of 433 differentially expressed proteins (DEP) (P < 0.05 and FC > 1.20 or <0.83) between adipogenic and myogenic precursors were detected via a tandem mass tag (TMT)-coupled LC-MS/MS approach, including 339 up-regulated and 94 down-regulated proteins in myogenic precursors compared with adipogenic precursors. On the basis of functional annotation and enrichment analysis of 433 DEP, adipogenic and myogenic precursors showed significantly different metabolic pattern of energy substances and differential regulations of gene expression, cell structure and development, ion homeostasis, and cell motility and migration. Three pathways including PPAR signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol signaling system, and autophagy signaling pathway, which was differentially regulated between adipogenic and myogenic precursors, was also discovered to play crucial roles in cell differentiation. In conclusion, these differentiated regulation patterns between the two cell subsets of mesenchymal precursors together defines their differentiation potential specificity.