Wnt signaling related transcripts and their relationship to energy metabolism in C2C12 myoblasts under temperature stress.

Temperature stress is one of the main environmental stressors affecting the welfare, health and productivity of livestock. Temperature changes can modify cell membrane components, disrupting the crosstalk between the cell and its surroundings by affecting signaling pathways including Wnt signaling pathway, which subsequently disrupts cell energy metabolism. The present study aims to understand the effect of temperature stress on the expression of genes involved in Wnt signaling pathways, and their interaction with energy metabolism in C2C12 myoblasts cells. The C2C12 cells were exposed to cold stress (35 °C), mild heat stress (39 °C) and severe heat stress (41 °C), whereas 37 °C was used as control temperature. Transcript levels of important genes involved in Wnt signaling including , and were significantly altered under severe heat stress (41 °C), whereas eight Wnt signaling-related transcripts ( and ) were significantly altered under cold stress (35 °C) compared to control. Under heat stress transcripts of the Wnt/β-catenin inhibitors (, and ) and negative regulators ( and ) are activated. A positive correlation between oxidative phosphorylation and Wnt-related transcripts was found under high temperatures. Transcripts of the cell membrane receptors, including and , and the members of Wnt/Ca signaling pathway, including and were downregulated under cold stress. Many Wnt signaling-related transcripts were positively correlated with glycolysis under cold stress. These findings indicate a cross-talk between Wnt signaling and energy metabolism under thermal stress.