Myostatin
Myostatin
Myostatin (pronounced my-o-stat-in), also known as growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF-8), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MSTN gene. It is produced primarily in skeletal muscle cells, circulates in the blood and acts on muscle tissue, by binding a cell-bound receptor called the activin type II receptor.
Etymology
The term "myostatin" is derived from the Greek words "myo", meaning muscle, and "statin", which refers to the inhibition of cell growth. It was first identified in 1997 by geneticists Se-Jin Lee and Alexandra McPherron who produced a strain of mutant mice that lack the gene that codes for myostatin and have approximately twice as much muscle mass as normal mice.
Function
Myostatin belongs to the TGF-beta protein family that inhibits muscle differentiation and growth in the process known as myogenesis. Myostatin functions by inhibiting the growth of muscles, it stops them from growing too large.
Related Terms
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Myostatin
- Wikipedia's article - Myostatin
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