Fig. 2

Enhanced myotube formation and viability. a Present culture protocol conferred highly efficient myotube formation relative to typical cultures [12, 19]. About 80 % of fusion could be typically achieved by day 5 of differentiation (error bars = standard deviation, **** = P≤ 0.0001 based on two-sample unpaired t test). b Myotube mitochondrial activity as determined by MTS assays remained relatively unchanged over a period of 50 days of differentiation. c From day 5 of differentiation, 25 % of DM1 was replaced with DM2 every third day for extended myotube maintenance to at least day 50 of differentiation (bar = 200 μm). d Porcine myotubes transduced with GFP-expressing non-replicating adenovirus at day 8 remained largely intact at day 28 of differentiation based on persistence of green fluorescence which was indicative of extended myotube survival in culture (bar = 200 μm)