Vm. Sumariwalla et Wh. Klein, Similar myogenic functions for myogenin and MRF4 but not MyoD in differentiated murine embryonic stem cells, GENESIS, 30(4), 2001, pp. 239-249
The emergence of four genes encoding myogenic bHLH transcription factors in
the stem vertebrate is a unique feature of vertebrate evolution that led t
o the acquisition of new target genes and novel regulatory circuits for ske
letal muscle formation. One unresolved question is the extent to which each
factor has evolved specialized functions for regulating muscle gene transc
ription. We have developed a system using differentiated myogenin (-/-) emb
ryonic stem (ES) cells to determine whether other myogenic factors can repl
ace myogenin's function in muscle differentiation. Previously, we showed th
at constitutively expressed myogenin restores myofiber formation in differe
ntiated myogenin (-/-) ES cells, but constitutively expressed MyoD does not
. Here, we confirm the distinction between myogenin and MyoD using another
expression vector and show that constitutively expressed MRF4 leads to myof
iber formation in myogenin's absence. Our analysis reveals a correlation be
tween the levels of myogenin plus MRF4 and the extent of myofiber formation
, suggesting a synergy between these factors. The results indicate that unl
ike MyoD, MRF4 plays a role similar to myogenin in skeletal muscle differen
tiation. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.