Myosin heavy chain isoforms in postnatal muscle development of mice

In this study, using a high-resolution gel electrophoresis technique, we have characterized the myosin heavy chain composition in different skeletal muscle of the mouse during postnatal development. The pattern of myosin heavy chain expression was studied in four hind limb muscles, the diaphragm, the tongue and the masseter. All of these muscles displayed the usual sequential transitions from embryonic to neonatal and to adult myosin heavy chain isoforms but more interestingly these transitions occur with a distinct chronology in the different muscles. In addition, our results demonstrated a transitory pattern of expression for certain adult myosin heavy chain isoforms in the soleus and the tongue. In the soleus muscle IIB and in the tongue IIA myosin heavy chain isoforms were detected only for a short time during postnatal life. Our results demonstrate that muscles of the mouse with different functions are subjected to a distinct programs of myosin isoform transitions during postnatal muscle development. This study describes new data which will help us to understand both postnatal muscle development in transgenic mouse muscles as well as in muscle pathology. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.