Rudnicki M A, Jaenisch R
Institute for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Bioessays. 1995 Mar;17(3):203-9. doi: 10.1002/bies.950170306.
Gene targeting has allowed the dissection of complex biological processes at the genetic level. Our understanding of the nuances of skeletal muscle development has been greatly increased by the analysis of mice carrying targeted null mutations in the Myf-5, MyoD and myogenin genes, encoding members of the myogenic regulatory factor (MRF) family. These experiments have elucidated the hierarchical relationships existing between the MRFs, and established that functional redundancy is a feature of the MRF regulatory network. Either MyoD or Myf-5 is sufficient for the formation or survival of skeletal myoblasts. Myogenin acts later in development and plays an essential in vivo role in the terminal differentiation of myotubes.
基因打靶技术使得在基因水平上剖析复杂的生物学过程成为可能。通过对携带Myf-5、MyoD和肌细胞生成素基因靶向无效突变的小鼠进行分析，我们对骨骼肌发育细微差别的理解有了极大提高，这些基因编码生肌调节因子（MRF）家族的成员。这些实验阐明了MRF之间存在的层次关系，并确定功能冗余是MRF调节网络的一个特征。MyoD或Myf-5对于骨骼肌成肌细胞的形成或存活来说都是足够的。肌细胞生成素在发育后期发挥作用，并且在肌管的终末分化中在体内起着至关重要的作用。
