Betaglycan promoter activity is differentially regulated during myogenesis in zebrafish embryo somites

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundBetaglycan, also known as the TGFβ type III receptor (Tgfbr3), is a co‐receptor that modulates TGFβ family signaling. Tgfbr3 is upregulated during C2C12 myoblast differentiation and expressed in mouse embryos myocytes.ResultsTo investigate tgfbr3 transcriptional regulation during zebrafish embryonic myogenesis, we cloned a 3.2 kb promoter fragment that drives reporter transcription during C2C12 myoblasts differentiation and in the Tg(tgfbr3:mCherry) transgenic zebrafish. We detect tgfbr3 protein and mCherry expression in the adaxial cells concomitantly with the onset of their radial migration to become slow‐twitch muscle fibers in the Tg(tgfbr3:mCherry). Remarkably, this expression displays a measurable antero‐posterior somitic gradient expression.Conclusionstgfbr3 is transcriptionally regulated during somitic muscle development in zebrafish with an antero‐posterior gradient expression that preferentially marks the adaxial cells and their descendants.