Selective inhibition of genomic and non-genomic effects of thyroid hormone regulates muscle cell differentiation and metabolic behavior

Thyroid hormones (THs) are key regulators of different biological processes. Their action involves genomic and non-genomic mechanisms, which together mediate the final effects of TH in target tissues. However, the proportion of the two processes and their contribution to the TH-mediated effects are still poorly understood. Skeletal muscle is a classical target tissue for TH, which regulates muscle strength and contraction, as well as energetic metabolism of myofibers. Here we address the different contribution of genomic and non-genomic action of TH in skeletal muscle cells by specifically silencing the deiodinase Dio2 or the β3-Integrin expression via CRISPR/Cas9 technology. We found that myoblast proliferation is inversely regulated by integrin signal and the D2-dependent TH activation. Similarly, inhibition of the nuclear receptor action reduced myoblast proliferation, confirming that genomic action of TH attenuates proliferative rates. Contrarily, genomic and non-genomic signals promote muscle differentiation and the regulation of the redox state. Taken together, our data reveal that integration of genomic and non-genomic signal pathways finely regulates skeletal muscle physiology. These findings not only contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms involved in TH modulation of muscle physiology but also add insight into the interplay between different mechanisms of action of TH in muscle cells.