IDENTIFICATION OF A MUSCLE FACTOR-RELATED TO MYOD IN A FISH SPECIES

We have isolated the cDNA encoding a myogenic factor expressed in embr yonic trout muscle by hybridization with a Xenopus MyoD cDNA. Nucleoti de sequence analysis and amino acid comparison showed that this cDNA c alled TMyoD encodes a polypeptide of 276 amino acids with 70% identity to the entire Xenopus MyoD protein and 92% identity within the basic and myc-like region. Results from Northern blotting showed that the co rresponding transcript is expressed both in adult and embryonic skelet al musculature and in an in vitro myogenesis system, but is undetectab le in cardiac and smooth muscles and in non muscle tissues.