S.J. Rhodes, S.F. Konieczny, "Identification of MRF4: a new member of the muscle regulatory factor gene family," Genes & Development, 3:2050-61, 1989.
Stephen F. Konieczny (Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.): "This paper describes the identification and characterization of MRF4, the fourth member of a structurally and functionally related family of muscle regulatory factors that includes MyoD, myogenin, and Myf-5. Forced expression of MRF4 in fibroblasts converts nonmuscle cells to skeletal muscle cell lineages and sets up a regulatory control system. Muscle conversion occurs only when cells are maintained in the absence of serum growth factors. This is important, as it indicates that MRF4 protein activity is regulated through specific signal transduction pathways.
"Recent studies also have shown that MRF4 and the other muscle regulatory factors can activate the contractile protein gene set directly, implying that these factors play a dominant role in controlling both determination and terminal differentiation events. Although ...
