HMEJ-mediated site-specific integration of a myostatin inhibitor increases skeletal muscle mass in porcine

As a robust antagonist of myostatin (), follistatin () is an important regulator of skeletal muscle development, and the delivery of to muscle tissue represents a potential therapeutic strategy for muscular dystrophies. The N terminus and FSI domain of are the functional domains for binding. Here, we aimed to achieve site-specific integration of FSI-I-I, including the signal peptide, N terminus, and three FSI domains, into the last codon of the porcine gene using a homology-mediated end joining (HMEJ)-based strategy mediated by CRISPR-Cas9. Based on somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technology, we successfully obtained FSI-I-I knockin pigs. H&E staining of longissimus dorsi and gastrocnemius cross-sections showed larger myofiber sizes in FSI-I-I knockin pigs than in controls. Moreover, the Smad and Erk pathways were inhibited, whereas the PI3k/Akt pathway was activated in FSI-I-I knockin pigs. In addition, the levels of , , and transcription were upregulated while that of was downregulated in FSI-I-I knockin pigs. These results indicate that the FSI-I-I gene mediates skeletal muscle hypertrophy through an -related signaling pathway and the expression of myogenic regulatory factors. Overall, FSI-I-I knockin pigs with hypertrophic muscle tissue hold great promise as a therapeutic model for human muscular dystrophies.