Temporal and tissue-specific expression of myosin heavy chain isoforms in developing and adult avian muscle

We have raised monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) to myosin heavy chain isoforms (MHCs) that have specific patterns of temporal expression during the development of quail pectoral muscle and that are expressed in very restricted, tissue-specific patterns in adult birds. We find that an early embryonic, a perinatal, and an adult-specific, fast myosin heavy chain are co-expressed at different levels in the pectoral muscle of 8-12 day quail embryos. The early embryonic MHC disappears from the pectoral muscle at approximately 14 days in ovo, whereas the perinatal MHC persists until 26 days post-hatching. The adult-specific MHC accumulates preferentially and eventually completely replaces the other isoforms. These Mabs cross-react with the homologous isoforms of the chick and detect a similar pattern of MHC expression in the pectoral muscle of developing chicks. Although the early embryonic and perinatal MHC isoforms recognized by our Mabs are expressed in the pectoral muscle only during distinct developmental stages, our Mabs also recognize MHC isoforms present in the heart and extraocular muscle of adult quail. Immunofingerprinting using Staphylococcus aureus protease V8 suggests that the early embryonic and perinatal MHC isoforms that we see are strongly homologous with the adult ventricular and extraocular muscle isoforms, respectively. These observations suggest that at least three distinct MHC isoforms, which are normally expressed in adult muscles, are co-expressed during the early development of the pectoral muscle in birds. In this respect, the pattern of expression of the MHCs recognized by our Mabs in developing, fast muscle is very similar to the patterns described for other muscle contractile proteins.     

PAX3基因及其蛋白的生物信息学分析

目的：对PAX3基因和PAX3蛋白进行生物信息学分析,更多的了解该基因的相关信息,为进一步研究PAX3与神经管畸形的相关性研究提供基础。方法：运用生物信息学方法对PAX3基因的基因结构、单核苷酸多态性位点（SNP）、PAX3基因与其他基因的相互作用网络、PAX3蛋白结构域、蛋白二级结构、蛋白间相互作用网络、以及PAX3蛋白所调控和影响的靶基因进行分析。结果：PAX3基因有9中可变剪切形式,编码区存在14个SNP位点,其中错意突变13个,移码突变1个。PAX3蛋白由479个氨基酸组成,分子量52968Da,PAX3蛋白可能调控和影响151个靶基因的转录和表达,与PAX3基因存在相互作用的基因和与PAX3蛋白存在相互作用的蛋白多数与发育相关。结论：通过对PAX3基因和PAX3蛋白的生物信息学分析获得了其相应的分子生物学特征,为进一步研究提供基础。