Characterization and expression ofMUSTN1gene from different duck breeds

Muscle growth rate and muscle mass are important economic traits in animal production. Musculoskeletal embryonic nuclear protein 1 (MUSTN1) gene has been implicated in myofusion as well as skeletal muscle growth and repair; however, the exact role and expression ofMUSTN1in different duck breeds are not fully understood. To gain insights into the biological functions ofMUSTN1in skeletal muscle development, theMUSTN1coding sequence of Pekin ducks (BD) and Cherry Valley ducks (CD) was compared to various other animals using the Editseq in DNAstar and MEGA software. The results showed that the duck had the highest homology with chicken. The RT-qPCR and western blot were performed to estimate the mRNA and protein expression pattern ofMUSTN1in leg muscles of BD and CD at 3 and 6-weeks of age. At 3 weeks of age, the mRNA and protein expression levels ofMUSTN1were significantly higher in BD than in CD (p < 0.05). At 6 weeks, the expression level was higher in BD than in CD. In conclusion,MUSTN1might play a key role in positive regulation of muscle growth and development of ducks.