MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved, small noncoding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate expression of their target genes. Emerging evidence demonstrates that miRNAs are important regulators in the development of skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs). Our previous research showed that gga-miR-3525 is differentially expressed in breast muscle of broilers (high growth rate) and layers (low growth rate). In this study, we report a new role for gga-miR-3525 as a myogenic miRNA that regulates skeletal muscle development in chickens. Exogenous increases in the expression of gga-miR-3525 significantly inhibited proliferation and differentiation of SMSCs, whereas the opposite effects were observed in gga-miR-3525 knockdown SMSCs. We confirmed that PDLIM3 (PDZ and LIM domain 3) is a target gene of gga-miR-3525 that can promote proliferation and differentiation of SMSCs. We found that PDLIM3 overexpression elevated the abundance of phosphorylated (p-)p38 protein but that the gga-miR-3525 mimic and p38-MAPK inhibitor (SB203580) weakened the activation of p-p38. Furthermore, treatment with SB203580 reduced the promoting effect of PDLIM3 on SMSC proliferation and differentiation. Overall, our results indicate that gga-miR-3525 regulates the proliferation and differentiation of SMSCs by targeting PDLIM3 via the p38/MAPK signaling pathway in chickens.
Keywords: MAPK pathway; PDLIM3; differentiation; gga-miR-3525; proliferation; skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs).