Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes in Dexamethasone-treated C2C12 Myotubes

Abstract

This thesis reanalyzed the publicly available GEO dataset GSE28840 to investigate transcriptional changes induced by dexamethasone (DEX) in differentiated C2C12 myotubes. Differential gene expression analysis identified 375 DEGs at 6 hours and 439 DEGs at 24 hours of DEX treatment. Functional enrichment analysis revealed significant enrichment of the MAPK, PI3K–Akt, Ras, Rap1, AGE–RAGE, focal adhesion, and IGF/IGFBP signaling pathways. A biphasic response was observed, with early transcriptional activation of signaling pathways at 6h followed by suppression of anabolic pathways at 24h, consistent with glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy mechanisms.