Modulating skeletal muscle mass by postnatal, muscle‐specific inactivation of the myostatin gene

L Grobet, D Pirottin, F Farnir, D Poncelet, LJ Royo… - genesis, 2003 - Wiley Online Library
L Grobet, D Pirottin, F Farnir, D Poncelet, LJ Royo, B Brouwers, E Christians, D Desmecht…
genesis, 2003Wiley Online Library
By using a conditional gene targeting approach exploiting the cre‐lox system, we show that
postnatal inactivation of the myostatin gene in striated muscle is sufficient to cause a
generalized muscular hypertrophy of the same magnitude as that observed for constitutive
myostatin knockout mice. This formally demonstrates that striated muscle is the production
site of functional myostatin and that this member of the TGFβ family of growth and
differentiation factors regulates muscle mass not only during early embryogenesis but …
Abstract
By using a conditional gene targeting approach exploiting the cre‐lox system, we show that postnatal inactivation of the myostatin gene in striated muscle is sufficient to cause a generalized muscular hypertrophy of the same magnitude as that observed for constitutive myostatin knockout mice. This formally demonstrates that striated muscle is the production site of functional myostatin and that this member of the TGFβ family of growth and differentiation factors regulates muscle mass not only during early embryogenesis but throughout development. It indicates that myostatin antagonist could be used to treat muscle wasting and to promote muscle growth in man and animals. genesis 35:227–238, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
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