Myf-6, a new member of the human gene family of myogenic determination factors: evidence for a gene cluster on chromosome 12.

Abstract

The Myf-6 gene, a novel member of the human gene family of muscle determination factors has been detected by its highly conserved sequence coding for a putative helix-loop-helix domain.

Expression of members of the myf gene family in human rhabdomyosarcomas

“…The following cDNA hybridisation probes were used: a 0.8 kb EcoRl-EcoRl myf3 fragment (Braun et al, 1989a); a 1.3 kb EcoRl-EcoRl myf4 fragment (Braun et al., 1989a); a 1.1 kb BamHl-BamHl myfS fragment (Braun et al, 1989b); a 1.2 kb EcoRl-EcoRl myf6 fragment (Braun et al, 1990); and a 1.1 kb PstI-PstI fragment of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase cDNA (kindly provided by Louise Howe). Table I).…”

“…Since each member of the myf gene family contains a short conserved basic-helix-loop-helix region (Braun et al, 1989a(Braun et al, , 1990, the possibility arose that particular myf gene probes might cross hybridise to transcripts from other family members. We believe that this is unlikely since, as described above, comparisons of the levels of transcripts observed with each of the four myf gene probes revealed many distinct patterns of hybridisation.…”

“…Each of the four myf genes encodes a highly conserved basic-helix-loop-helix region that is believed to be responsible for the binding of myf proteins to enhancer regions in muscle specific genes. In addition, each gene can convert mouse fibroblasts into cells with myogenic characteristics and in analyses of normal tissue all four genes were expressed exclusively in striated muscle (Braun et al, 1989a(Braun et al, ,b 1990 Rhabdomyosarcomas are tumours that show differentiation towards striated muscle. Conventionally, three main histological subtypes are recognised (Enzinger & Weiss, 1988).…”

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 converts the differentiation pathway of C2C12 myoblasts into the osteoblast lineage [published erratum appears in J Cell Biol 1995 Feb;128(4):following 713]

“…The gene cloning of the muscle-specific regulatory factors, MyoD, myogenin, Myf-5 and MRF4/herculin/Myf-6 has contributed significantly to the understanding of muscle differentiation (Davis et al, 1987;Wright et al, 1989;Edmondson and Olson, 1989;Braun et al, 1989;Rhodes and Konieczny, 1989;Fujisawa-Sehara et al, 1990;Miner and Wold, 1990;Braun et al, 1990). When the cDNAs of these regulatory proteins are introduced into pluripotent fibroblastic C3HlffI'I/2 cells, they differentiate into mature muscle cells (Davis et al, 1987;Wright et al, 1989;Edmondson and O1-son, 1989;Braun et al, 1989;Rhodes and Konieczny, 1989;Fujisawa-Sehara et al, 1990;Miner and Wold, 1990;Braun et al, 1990). These myogenic factors are called MyoD family and they are nuclear phosphorylated proteins that contain a common basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) motif (Tapscott et al, 1988).…”

Analysis of the myogenin promoter reveals an indirect pathway for positive autoregulation mediated by the muscle-specific enhancer factor MEF-2.

“…The recent discovery of a family of related muscle-specific factors that can convert fibroblasts to myoblasts has contributed to rapid progress toward understanding the molecular events that underlie the establishment of the skeletal muscle phenotype (for reviews, see references 55 and 69). Members of this muscle regulatory gene family include MyoD (21), myogenin (25,77), myf5 (9), and MRF4/herculin/myf6 (8,48,61), each of which can activate myogenesis when introduced into a wide range of nonmuscle cell types. Related myogenic factors have also been identified in a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate species (22,30,35,39,44,47,57,65,72).…”