Activation of the myogenic lineage by MEF2A, a factor that induces and cooperates with MyoD.
Muscle enhancer factor-2A (MEF2A), a member of the MADS family, induced myogenic development when ectopically expressed in clones of nonmuscle cells of human clones, a function previously limited to the muscle basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins. During myogenesis, MEF2A and bHLH proteins cooperatively activate skeletal muscle genes and physically interact through the MADS domain of MEF2A and the three myogenic amino acids of the muscle bHLH proteins. Thus, skeletal myogenesis is mediated by two distinct families of mutually inducible and interactive muscle transcription factors, either of which can initiate the developmental cascade.
Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
S
S
Kaushal
J W
JW
Schneider
B
B
Nadal-Ginard
V
V
Mahdavi
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D000882:Haplorhini; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D006801:Humans; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D017570:MyoD Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D018008:Myogenin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; C578035:MEF2A protein, human; C503799:MYOG protein, human; C578036:Mef2a protein, mouse; D017570:MyoD Protein; C503801:Myog protein, mouse; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D018008:Myogenin; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA