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The genome of the diploid anuran Xenopus tropicalis contains a novel array of sarcoplasmic myosin heavy chain genes expressed in larval muscle and larynx

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Abstract

The sarcomeric myosin heavy chain (MyHC) proteins are a family of molecular motors responsible for the transduction of chemical energy into mechanical work in striated muscle. The vertebrate genome contains multiple copies of the MyHC gene, and expression of different isoforms correlates with differences in the physiological properties of muscle fibers. Most MyHC isoforms are found in two arrays, one containing the “fast-twitch” skeletal muscle isoforms and the other the “slow-twitch” or cardiac isoforms. To extend our understanding of MyHC evolution, we have examined the genome of the anuran Xenopus tropicalis. The X. tropicalis genome includes15 full-length MyHC genes organized in seven genomic locations. One unique array of MyHC genes is similar to the mammalian fast-skeletal array, but is not found in amniotes. The isoforms in this array are expressed during larval stages and in muscles of the adult larynx. Duplication of the fast-skeletal MyHC array appears to have led to expression divergence of muscle proteins in the larval and adult stages of the anuran life cycle. A striking similarity of gene order between regions flanking X. tropicalis MyHC arrays and human arrays was evident; genomic organization of MyHC isoforms may thus be highly conserved across tetrapods.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Elizabeth Wilbanks, Tanya Gonzales, and Gianna Cricco Lizza for help with tissue collection and RT-PCR. We would also like to thank Joe Thornton, Ben Evans, and Eun-Jin Yang for critical reading of the manuscript and the Cold Spring Harbor Genome Access Course for technical assistance. This work was supported by a Ruth L. Kirschstein pre-doctoral NRSA fellowship DC007567-03 to BTN and NS23684 to DBK.

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Correspondence to Brian T. Nasipak.

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Communicated by T. Hollemann

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Nasipak, B.T., Kelley, D.B. The genome of the diploid anuran Xenopus tropicalis contains a novel array of sarcoplasmic myosin heavy chain genes expressed in larval muscle and larynx. Dev Genes Evol 218, 389–397 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-008-0225-0

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