title: Muscle differentiation: more complexity to the network of myogenic regulators.
abstract: Recent genetic and biochemical approaches have advanced our understanding of control mechanisms underlying myogenesis in vertebrate organisms. In particular, systematic combinations of targeted gene disruptions in mice have revealed unique and overlapping functions of members of the MyoD family of transcription factors within the regulatory network that establishes skeletal muscle cell lineages. Moreover, Pax3 has been identified as a key regulator of myogenesis which seems to act genetically upstream of MyoD. In addition, novel genes have been discovered that modulate myogenesis and the activity of myogenic basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins in positive or negative ways. The molecular mechanisms of these interactions and cooperativity are being elucidated, most notably between the myogenic bHLH factors and MEF2 transcription factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry andBiotechnology, University of Braunschweig, Spielmannstrasse 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany. arnold@alpha.bio.nat.tu-bs.de
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Winter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D051379:Mice; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017570:MyoD Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072041:PAX3 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D017570:MyoD Protein; D000072041:PAX3 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; C068686:Pax3 protein, mouse