Abstract
Intramuscular fat (IMF) is one of the major factors determining beef quality. IMF formation is influenced by multiple conditions including genetic background, age and nutrition. In our previous investigation, bta-miR-210 was found to be increased during adipogenesis using miRNA-seq. In this study, we validated the upregulation of bta-miR-210 in platelet-derived growth factor receptor α positive (PDGFRα+) progenitor cells during adipogenic differentiation in vitro. To investigate its role in adipogenesis, bta-miR-210 mimics were introduced into progenitor cells, which resulted in enhanced intracellular lipid accumulation. Accordingly, the expression of adipocyte-specific genes significantly increased in the bta-miR-210 mimic group compared to that in the negative control group (p < 0.01). Dual-luciferase reporter assays revealed that WISP2 is a target of bta-miR-210. WISP2 knockdown enhanced adipogenesis. In conclusion, bta-miR-210 positively regulates the adipogenesis of PDGFRα+ cells derived from bovine fetal muscle by targeting WISP2.