MyoD1 Antibody #12344

Myoblast determination protein 1 (MyoD1), also called myogenic factor 3 (Myf3), is a member of the MyoD family of muscle specific bHLH transcription factors (1). This family is responsible for controlling specification of the muscle cell lineage and members are expressed only in skeletal muscle and its precursors. MyoD1 is considered a master regulator of skeletal myogenesis as its expression can induce myogenic differentiation in myoblasts, fibroblasts, and a variety of other cell types (2,3). Through ChIP-sequencing experiments, researchers have discovered that MyoD is associated with the promoters of many genes in muscle cells, but it only regulates a subset of those genes. These research studies point to regulation of MyoD transcriptional activity via epigenetic mechanisms involving SWI/SNF complexes and Polycomb and Trithorax Group proteins (4-6). Additional influences on muscle development include signal transduction through MAPK, PI3K/Akt, myostatin, NF-κB, and mTOR signaling pathways (5-7).