SCIENCE
Transient 5-azacytidine exposure elicits persistent myogenic-like transcriptional remodeling in zebrafish fibroblasts: implications for cultivated seafood
11 October 2026 · Muscle Physiology and Disorders · Pluripotent Stem Cells Research · Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
Brief AZA treatment left zebrafish fibroblasts expressing a muscle-like gene pattern for three weeks, making them relevant to research on cell sources for cultivated seafood. Researchers exposed Z3 embryo-derived cells to 0-10 µM AZA for 48 hours, then used RNA sequencing after drug-free culture and RT-qPCR across six doses. They found 744 genes rose and 670 fell, with muscle genes increasing and matrix and adhesion genes decreasing. Decitabine caused a similar response at 0.25 µM. No multinucleated myotubes formed, so the evidence supports transcriptional remodelling, not conversion into muscle cells.