The human beta-myosin heavy chain gene: sequence diversity and functional characteristics of the protein

The beta-myosin heavy chain gene (MYH7) encodes the motor protein that drives myocardial contraction. It has been proven to be a disease gene for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We analyzed the DNA sequence variation of MYH7 (about 16 kb) of eight individuals: six patients with HCM and two healthy controls. The overall DNA sequence identity was up to 97.2% compared to Jaenicke and coworkers (Jaenicke et al. [1990] Genomics 8:194-206), while the corresponding amino acid sequences revealed 100% identity. In HCM patients, eleven nucleotide substitutions were identified but no causative disease mutation was found: six were detected in coding, four in intronic, and one in 5' regulatory regions. The average nucleotide diversity across this locus was 0.015% with an average of 0.02% in the coding and 0.012% in the noncoding sequence. Analysis of the kinetic behaviour of beta-MHC in the intact contractile structure of normal individuals and HCM patients revealed apparent rate constants of tension development ranging between 1.58 s(-1) and 1.48 s(-1).