| Summary: | <i>DLK1</i> is paternally expressed and is involved in metabolism switching, stem cell maintenance, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Porcine <i>DLK1</i> was identified in our previous study as a candidate gene that regulates muscle development. In the present study, we characterized <i>DLK1</i> expression in pigs, and the results showed that <i>DLK1</i> was highly expressed in the muscles of pigs. In-vitro cellular tests showed that <i>DLK1</i> promoted myoblast proliferation, migration, and muscular hypertrophy, and at the same time inhibited muscle degradation. The expression of myogenic and fusion markers and the formation of multinucleated myotubes were both upregulated in myoblasts with <i>DLK1</i> overexpression. <i>DLK1</i> levels in cultured myocytes were negatively correlated with the expression of key factors in the Notch pathway, suggesting that the suppression of Notch signaling pathways may mediate these processes. Collectively, our results suggest a biological function of <i>DLK1</i> as an enhancer of muscle development by the inhibition of Notch pathways.
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