The origin and purpose of fast skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain gene cluster of vertebrates

肌球蛋白重链（MYH）是真核细胞运动过程中必需的蛋白质，在哺乳动物和硬骨鱼类中，MYH基因成簇存在。在目前的研究中，我们发现，快速骨骼MYH形成一个集群，也在七鳃鳗，无颌脊椎动物。此外，体内启动子分析表明七鳃鳗快骨骼肌MYH启动子能够驱动报告基因在斑马鱼胚胎快骨骼肌中表达。这些结果表明，在早期脊椎动物中，快速骨骼肌MYH已经形成簇，骨骼肌发育的转录控制的基本机制已经确定。

Myosin heavh chain (MYH) is essential protein for a wide range of motile processes in eukaryotic cells and fast skeletal MYH genes (MYHs) formed clusters in mammals and teleosts. In the present study, we found that the fast skeletal MYHs formed a cluster also in the lamprey, agnathan vertebrate. Moreover, in vivo promoter assay demonstrated that lamprey fast skeletal MYH promoters could drive reporter gene to express in the fast skeletal muscle in zebrafish embryo. These results suggest that in the early vertebrates, fast skeletal MYHs had already formed clusters and the basic mechanism for transcriptional control of skeletal muscle development had been determined.