Figure 7. Loss of ERα Results in Satellite Cell Apoptosis.

(A) Percent of Pax7+ cells that were also TUNEL+ in cross sections of TA muscles from control (n = 4) and Ovx without (Ovx; n = 4) and with 17β-estradiol treatment (Ovx+E₂; n = 3).

(B) qRT-PCR mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes in ZsGreen+ satellite cells isolated from gastrocnemius muscles of control (n = 4) and Ovx mice (n = 4).

(C) Principal component analysis (PCA) of RNA-seq profiles of ZsGreen+ satellite cells of Pax7^+/+;Esr1^fl/fl;Pax7-ZsGreen (scERαWT; n = 3) and Pax7^CreERT2/+; Esr1^fl/fl;Pax7-ZsGreen (scERαKO; n = 3) mice.

(D) Heatmap of 388 differentially expressed genes in satellite cells of scERαWT and scERαKO mice.

(E) Transcripts per kilobase million (TPM) of ERα target genes, nuclear receptor interaction protein (Nrip), growth regulating ER binding 1 (Greb1), and oxytocin receptor (Oxtr).

(F) Top 10 molecular and cellular functions from ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). Red box to highlight the top pathway, cell death, and survival.

(G) Top 10 upregulated and top 10 downregulated apoptosis-related genes from IPA in satellite cells of scERαWT and scERαKO mice.

(H) qRT-PCR mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes in ZsGreen+ satellite cells of scERαWT and scERαKO mice.

Significance tested with ANOVA, Holm–Sidak post hoc tests are indicated by *, different from control and Ovx+E₂, *p < 0.05 (A) and *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.005 by Student’s t tests (B, E, and G).