Podocan affects C2C12 myogenic differentiation by enhancing Wnt/β‐catenin signaling

Abstract Podocan, a small leucine‐rich repeat protein, is a negative regulator of cell proliferation. In this study, we demonstrated that podocan is involved in the differentiation of C2C12 murine myoblasts. Podocan expression increased with the progression of C2C12 differentiation. As expect, siRNA‐mediated podocan knockdown inhibited C2C12 differentiation, as indicated by inhibition of MYOG, MYH2, and desmin expression, as well as reductions in the differentiation and fusion indices. Overexpression of podocan using dCas9 technology promoted C2C12 cell differentiation. In addition, supplementation of culture medium with podocan influenced C2C12 differentiation. Podocan knockdown reduced Wnt/β‐catenin signaling, characterized by a reduction in the nuclear translocation of β‐catenin, whereas podocan overexpression had the opposite effect. Furthermore, treatment with XAV939, an inhibitor of Wnt/β‐catenin, reduced the podocan‐mediated promotion of C2C12 differentiation. Induction of muscle injury in mice by bupivacaine administration suggested that podocan may play a role in muscle regeneration. In summary, our results suggest that podocan is required for normal C2C12 differentiation and that its role in myogenesis is mediated by the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway.