Growth hormone receptor gene expression in the skeletal muscle of normal and double-muscled bovines during foetal development

Anne Listrat; Jean François Hocquette; Brigitte Picard; François Ménissier; Jean Djiane; Hélène Jammes

doi:doi:10.1051/rnd:2005036

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Volume 45 / No 4 (July-August 2005)

Reprod. Nutr. Dev., 45 4 (2005) 393-403

Abstract

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Issue		Reprod. Nutr. Dev. Volume 45, Number 4, July-August 2005


Page(s)		393 - 403
DOI		https://doi.org/10.1051/rnd:2005036

Reprod. Nutr. Dev. 45 (2005) 393-403
DOI: 10.1051/rnd:2005036

Growth hormone receptor gene expression in the skeletal muscle of normal and double-muscled bovines during foetal development

Anne Listrat^a, Jean François Hocquette^a, Brigitte Picard^a, François Ménissier^b, Jean Djiane^c and Hélène Jammes^c

^a INRA, Unité de Recherche sur les Herbivores, Equipe Croissance et Métabolismes du Muscle, Theix, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
^b INRA, Station de Génétique Quantitative et Appliquée, Domaine de Vilvert, 78352 Jouy-en-Josas Cedex, France
^c INRA, Neurobiologie de l'Olfaction et de la Prise Alimentaire, Bâtiment des Biotechnologies, 78352 Jouy-en-Josas Cedex, France

(Received 13 August 2004; accepted 29 December 2004)

Abstract - The expression of the growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene was investigated in semitendinosus muscle during bovine foetal development in both normal and double-muscled Charolais foetuses which differ with respect to muscle development. Northern-blot analysis of foetal muscle RNA preparations with a GHR cDNA probe identified the 4.5 kb GHR mRNA as early as 130 days post-conception. In double-muscled animals, the expression of GHR mRNA increased from 130 to 210 days of gestation while it stayed stable in normal ones. It was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in double-muscled foetuses compared to normal ones from the second third of gestation. Northern-blot analysis of foetal muscle RNA preparations from both genotypes with a $\beta$ -actin cDNA probe, revealed lower $\beta$ -actin gene expression in double-muscled foetuses than in normal ones, suggesting a delay in the differentiation of muscle cells. In situ hybridisation revealed the localisation of specific GHR mRNA in muscle cells at all gestation stages analysed (130, 170, 210 days post-conception) but not in connective tissue surrounding the muscle cells. At the adult stage, the hybridisation signal was also very high and observed in muscle cells only. These results show the ontogeny of GHR mRNA in bovine muscle and demonstrate a difference between normal and double-muscled animals.

Key words: muscle / bovine / receptor / growth hormone / in situ hybridisation

Corresponding author: Anne Listrat anne.listrat@clermont.inra.fr

© INRA, EDP Sciences 2005