肌肉生长抑制素基因—Myostatin的研究进展

Research progress on Myostatin

肌肉生长抑制素又称 GDF-8,属 TGF-β超家族,是骨骼肌的负调控因子,通过调控成肌细胞的增殖影响肌肉的生长与发育,其变异会导致肌细胞增生与肌纤维肥大。Myostatin 基因功能靶向缺失的小鼠会发生显著的肌肉增生,该基因的变异也是牛双肌性状形成的重要原因。肌肉生长抑制素的研究将为肌肉萎缩等相关性疾病的治疗及动物育种提供新的途径。

Myostatin, a secreted growth and differentiation factor (GDF-8), belongs to transforming growth factor (TGF-beta) superfamily, and plays as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle development and growth by controlling the proliferation of myoblasts. The variation of Myostatin gene could result in muscle hyperplasia and hypertrophy. Mice having targeted disruption of the Myostatin gene displayed a marked increase in muscle mass. Additionally, some mutations of Myostatin gene have been linked to double muscled cattle breeds. Myostatin gene will be an important therapeutic target for muscle- wasting-related disorders, and continues to shed light on the development of animal muscle for animal breeding.