Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41673320›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2026

Single-cell transcriptomics reveal mechanisms of skeletal muscle differentiation across duck embryonic development.

Yunxiao Sun, Zhen Li, Yuchen Jie, Ning Yang, Zhongtao Yin, Zhuocheng Hou

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Yunxiao SunState Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding (MOE), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Zhen LiState Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding (MOE), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Yuchen JieState Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding (MOE), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Ning YangState Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding (MOE), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5772-3320
Zhongtao YinState Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding (MOE), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. yinzhongtao@cau.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2692-3554
Zhuocheng HouState Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding (MOE), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. zchou@cau.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4752-2255

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Skeletal muscle development is cornerstone of vertebrate locomotion, relies on the functionally distinct muscle fiber-type. Although the cellular dynamics in myogenesis have been extensively studied, the developmental origins and pathways governing fiber-type diversification remain unresolved. Furthermore, the evolutionary conservation of these mechanisms across vertebrates is poorly understood. Thus, we generate a comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic atlas of duck skeletal muscle across embryonic development to explore the trajectory from myogenic progenitors to myofiber. We identified a differentiation mechanism whereby slow-twitch type could transdifferentiate into the fast-twitch type, a process mediated by LEF1+(I) subtype. Comparative analysis of datasets across vertebrates (avian and mammalian) reveals that this fiber-type conversion program is phylogenetically conserved, suggesting homology in muscle adaptation mechanisms. Our study provides the transcription factors roadmap of vertebrate myofiber development, bridging gaps in developmental and evolutionary biology. These insights advance fundamental knowledge of tissue patterning and hold translational potential for regenerative medicine and agricultural biotechnology.

Indexed as

Cell DifferentiationDucksEmbryonic DevelopmentMuscle DevelopmentMuscle, SkeletalTranscriptomeAnimalsGene Expression Regulation, DevelopmentalSingle-Cell AnalysisSingle-Cell Gene Expression Analysis

Identifiers

PMID41673320
PMCPMC13004913

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.