Cloning and Prokaryotic Expression of the Mature Fragment of the Chinese Yellow Bovine Myostatin Gene

• DOI: 10.5713/ajas.2007.827
• Publication Date: 2014-07-28T06:32:50Z
• Authors: Wenfa Lu; Jing Zhao; Guojian Wei; Xuesong Shan
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 2. Zero hunger; 03 medical and health sciences; 3. Good health

Myostatin is a member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) super-family. It acts as a negative regulator for skeletal muscle growth. Myostatin mutations are characterized by a visible, generalized increase in muscle mass in double muscled cattle breeds. To understand the biochemistry and physiology of the Chinese Yellow bovine myostatin gene, we report here for the first time expression of the gene in Escherichia coli (E. coli). Primers of the myostatin gene of Chinese Yellow Cattle were designed on the basis of the reported bovine myostatin mRNA sequence (Gen-Bank Accession No. NM005259) and optimized for E. coli codon usage. Xhol and EcoRI restriction enzyme sites were incorporated in the primers, and then cloning vector and expression vector were constructed in a different host bacterium. The expressed protein had a molecule mass of about 16 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. The expressed protein reacted specifically with myostatin monoclonal antibody on immunoblots. Our studies should lead to the investigation of the differences in myostatin genes of various cattle and could benefit human health and food animal agriculture.