Myogenin
Myogenin (MYOG, also known as bHLHc3 and MYF4) is a muscle-specific basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that activates muscle gene expression and drives skeletal muscle differentiation. It belongs to the myogenic regulatory family and is essential for functional skeletal muscle development. Browse Assay Genie's current range of Myogenin research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
Myogenin acts as a transcriptional activator that promotes transcription of muscle-specific target genes. It plays a role in muscle differentiation, cell cycle exit and muscle atrophy. During terminal myoblast differentiation it is a strong activator of transcription at loci with an open chromatin structure previously initiated by MYOD1, and together with MYF5 and MYOD1 it co-occupies muscle-specific promoter core regions during myogenesis. It also cooperates with MEF2D and with BRG1-dependent recruitment of SWI/SNF chromatin-remodelling enzymes to alter chromatin structure at myogenic late gene promoters, and is required for recruitment of the FACT complex to muscle-specific promoters.
The myogenin protein is nuclear and belongs to the helix-loop-helix (HLH) proteins, classed by HGNC among the basic helix-loop-helix proteins and the myogenic regulatory family. It can induce myogenesis in a variety of cell types in tissue culture, and induces fibroblasts to differentiate into myoblasts. It facilitates cell cycle exit during terminal differentiation by up-regulating miR-20a, binding the E-box containing (E1) promoter region of the miR-20a gene; miR-20a in turn represses genes involved in cell cycle progression. Myogenin also helps prevent reversal of muscle cell differentiation. Phosphorylation by CAMK2G inhibits its transcriptional activity in response to muscle activity.
Myogenin is essential for the development of functional embryonic skeletal muscle fibres but is dispensable for postnatal skeletal muscle growth. In adult denervated muscle it contributes to atrophy-related gene expression. The MYOG gene was previously named myogenin (myogenic factor 4), hence the MYF4 alias. Mouse and rat each carry a Myog ortholog, allowing the myogenin protein to be studied in common rodent models.
Myogenin activates muscle-specific genes during terminal myoblast differentiation and helps prevent reversal of the differentiated state.
It works with MYOD1, MYF5, MEF2D and SWI/SNF and FACT complexes to open and initiate myogenic late gene promoters.
Myogenin up-regulates miR-20a, which represses cell cycle progression genes and so supports exit from the cell cycle in differentiating muscle.
Myogenin contributes to atrophy-related gene expression in adult denervated muscle, making it a focus for studies of muscle wasting.
Myogenin is a nuclear transcriptional activator that promotes muscle-specific gene expression. It drives terminal myoblast differentiation, aids cell cycle exit and is essential for functional embryonic skeletal muscle development. It can also induce fibroblasts to differentiate into myoblasts.
The gene symbol is MYOG, and aliases include bHLHc3 and MYF4. The previous HGNC name was myogenin (myogenic factor 4). The name bHLHc3 reflects its place among the basic helix-loop-helix proteins and the myogenic regulatory family.
Yes. Mouse and rat both have a Myog ortholog of the human MYOG gene, so rodent models are used to study myogenin function in muscle development. Check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity.
Other muscle-related targets with products at Assay Genie.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt P15173; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.