title: Transcriptional repression of an embryo-specific muscle gene.
abstract: Skeletal muscle involves both the induction and repression of gene expression. Although activation and up-regulation of several contractile protein genes has been shown to occur via transcriptional mechanisms, the mechanisms by which contractile protein genes are repressed during muscle development remain unknown. However, a post-transcriptional mechanism has been implicated in the repression of thymidine kinase expression during muscle development. The chicken cardiac troponin T (cTNT) gene is expressed in early embryonic skeletal muscle but is abruptly repressed in late embryonic/fetal development. Using run-on transcription assays we demonstrate here that cTNT gene repression occurs at the level of transcription. Thus, transcriptional as well as post-transcriptional mechanisms operate both to activate and repress gene expression during skeletal muscle development.
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D009132:Muscles / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014336:Troponin / Q000235:genetics*; D020107:Troponin T
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014336:Troponin; D020107:Troponin T; D012313:RNA