Mechanical stretching of muscle cells induces global gene expression and alternative splicing changes and alterations in SR proteins

Abstract

In skeletal muscle, alternative splicing is a RNA processing mechanism that is involved in skeletal muscle development. Mechanical force contributes to skeletal muscle growth through mechanotransduction. Muscular diseases exhibit splicing alterations and changes in the mechanical properties of muscle cells leading us to ask to which extent mechanical forces and alternative splicing regulation are interconnected. Here, we performed deep RNA-sequencing after stretching skeletal muscle cells and found that stretching induces global gene expression and alternative splicing changes.