Key result
Isolation of genomic clones from a human library suggests that humans, like rats and rabbits, have two cardiac myosin heavy chain genes.
The study isolated genomic clones for human cardiac myosin heavy chains, revealing the presence of two distinct genes that may be differentially expressed in various cardiac states.
Supports dual cardiac myosin heavy chain genes in humans; extends animal data but leaves open functional and clinical significance.
A 14 kilo-base pair DNA clone (lambda HCMHC8) was isolated from a human genomic library by hybridization with a complementary DNA coding for a rabbit cardiac myosin heavy chain. lambda HCMHC8 hybridized to RNA isolated from cardiac but not skeletal muscle and formed heteroduplexes with a genomic clone coding for the fast type of rabbit cardiac myosin heavy chain. lambda HCMHC8 represented at least the 3' half of the gene and contained over 11 exons which together spanned 4 kb of the coding region estimated to be 6 kb. Probes made from lambda HCMHC8 were used to rescreen the library in order to isolate overlapping clones and so extend the sequence (estimated to be approximately 25 kb for the whole gene, including introns). In addition, a clone having a different restriction map was isolated suggesting that man, like rat and rabbit, has two cardiac myosin heavy chain genes. These may code for proteins having different ATPase activity and be expressed in different proportions in different cardiac states, including hypertension.
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Catanzaro et al. (1985) studied this question. Isolation of genomic clones from a human library suggests that humans, like rats and rabbits, have two cardiac myosin heavy chain genes.
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