Comparative evaluation of myogenic potential of purebred chicken muscle stem cells

We evaluated the myogenic potential of muscle stem cells (MuSCs) derived from three distinct chicken purebreds—Rhode Island Red (RIR), White Leghorn (WL), and Cornish (CN). Chicken MuSCs were isolated from the breast muscles of chicken embryos on embryonic day 18 using a pre-plating method. Subsequently, the cells underwent a three-day proliferation period, followed by a three-day differentiation phase. WL MuSCs exhibited higher myogenic potential initially compared to RIR and CN. Despite a relatively lower proliferation rate, WL demonstrated a higher proportion of PAX7-positive cells and showed higher expression of myogenic regulatory factor genes than the other breeds. During differentiation, MuSCs from WL formed thicker muscle fibers and showed the highest proportion of myosin-heavy chain-positive cells than MuSCs from other breeds. Additionally, the expression of MYH1, associated with muscle maturation, was highest in WL. Overall, this finding suggests that the myogenic potential of MuSCs from WL surpasses those of RIR and CN. Given the fact that WL is primarily used for egg laying with a low growth rate in the traditional poultry industry, the present study highlights the crucial distinction between selecting production characteristics in conventional animal husbandry and those desirable for cultured meat production.