Biochemistry of Development: Striated Muscle

Striated muscles are the cardiac and skeletal muscles that have distinct bands when viewed by a microscope. Although cardiac and skeletal muscles appear similar, they originate from different progenitor cells and use different evolutionarily conserved networks of transcription factors and microRNAs to regulate the programs controlling cell differentiation and morphogenesis during development. Elucidating the genetic networks that govern striated muscle development not only yields insights into general principles of organogenesis, but also facilitates therapies for cardiac and skeletal muscle diseases.