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

肌球蛋白重链(Myosin Heavy Chain，MYH)是真核细胞中广泛运动过程所必需的蛋白质，哺乳动物和硬骨鱼中的快速骨架MYH基因(MYH)形成簇。在目前的研究中，我们发现快速骨骼MYH在七鳃鳗脊椎动物中也形成了一个簇。体内启动子分析表明，七鳃鳗快速骨骼MYH启动子可以驱动报告基因在斑马鱼胚胎快速骨骼肌中表达。这些结果表明，在早期脊椎动物中，快速骨骼MYH已经形成簇，并确定了转录控制骨骼肌发育的基本机制。

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.