MyoD
MyoD (myogenic differentiation 1, also known as MYOD1, PUM, MYOD, bHLHc1 and MYF3) is a nuclear basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that drives muscle-specific gene expression. It promotes muscle cell differentiation and is involved in muscle regeneration. Browse Assay Genie's current range of MyoD research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
MyoD is a transcriptional activator that promotes transcription of muscle-specific target genes and plays a role in muscle differentiation. During myogenesis it co-occupies the core region of muscle-specific gene promoters together with MYF5 and MYOG. It can induce fibroblasts to differentiate into myoblasts, which made it a defining example of a master regulator of cell fate. It also regulates muscle cell differentiation by inducing cell cycle arrest, a prerequisite for myogenic initiation, and it is involved in muscle regeneration.
MyoD activates its own transcription, which may stabilise commitment to myogenesis. Its activity is restrained by the twist protein: the two interact, and the interaction probably involves the basic domains of both proteins, resulting in inhibition of MyoD. The MyoD protein is nuclear and belongs to the basic helix-loop-helix family of transcription factors, within the myogenic factors subfamily. HGNC places the MYOD1 gene in the basic helix-loop-helix proteins group and the myogenic regulatory family. Mouse and rat orthologs are both named Myod1.
The gene has carried several names. The previous HGNC name was myogenic factor 3, which explains the alias MYF3, and other symbols in use include PUM, MYOD and bHLHc1. Researchers studying the MyoD protein, whether through a MyoD antibody, a MyoD ELISA kit or work on the MyoD gene itself, usually do so in the context of muscle lineage commitment, differentiation and regeneration.
MyoD promotes muscle-specific gene transcription and can induce fibroblasts to differentiate into myoblasts, making it central to studies of muscle lineage commitment.
MyoD is involved in muscle regeneration, so it is a frequent subject in research on how muscle tissue repairs and renews itself.
MyoD regulates differentiation by inducing cell cycle arrest, a prerequisite for myogenic initiation, linking proliferation control to muscle commitment.
MyoD works with MYF5 and MYOG at muscle gene promoters, is self-activating and is inhibited by twist, offering a model for bHLH regulation.
MyoD is a nuclear transcriptional activator that promotes transcription of muscle-specific genes and muscle differentiation. It induces cell cycle arrest, a prerequisite for myogenic initiation, can convert fibroblasts into myoblasts, and is involved in muscle regeneration. It also activates its own transcription, which may stabilise myogenic commitment.
The HGNC symbol is MYOD1 and the approved name is myogenic differentiation 1. Aliases include PUM, MYOD, bHLHc1 and MYF3, and the previous name was myogenic factor 3. UniProt lists the protein as myoblast determination protein 1.
Orthologs exist in mouse and rat, both called Myod1. MyoD belongs to the myogenic regulatory family of basic helix-loop-helix proteins, alongside MYF5 and MYOG at shared promoters. The twist protein interacts with and inhibits MyoD, probably via the basic domains of both proteins. Check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity.
Other myogenic regulatory factors and bHLH transcription factors that act with or against MyoD during muscle differentiation.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt P15172; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.