# REGULATION OF SKELETAL MUSCLE DIFFERENTIATION

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 1990 · $214,012

## Abstract

The long term goal of this project is to understand how skeletal
muscle growth and differentiation are regulated during embryonic
development.  The broad aims able are to determine how growth
factor-mediated signals function to stimulate myoblast
proliferation and to repress differentiation; and how deprivation
of specific mitogens during the G1-cell cycle phase activates
muscle specific gene expression and leads to the acquisition of a
post-mitotic phenotype.  Specific aims are to purify and
characterize the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR), to
isolate the FGFR gene, to identify components in the FGFR
intracellular mitogenic signaling pathway, and to determine how
FGFR gene expression and signal pathway components may
change as proliferating myoblasts acquire the post-mitotic
phenotype of terminally differentiated muscle.  With respect to
muscle-specific gene regulation, specific goals are to complete a
delineation of the cis-acting regulatory elements of the mouse M-
creatine kinase (MCK) gene, and to identify the factors with
which these interact.  Particular attention will be focused on
isolating the muscle-specific factors that interact with an
enhancer element of the MCK gene--the eventual goal being to
clone and analyze the developmental control of the MCK
regulatory gene that is responsible for muscle-specific factor
production.

Major methodologies consist of cell culture; growth factor
receptor analysis; enzyme assays; protein purification and partial
sequencing; polyclonal and monoclonal antisera production and use
in affinity purification and screening protocols; cDNA and gene
cloning and sequencing; construction of fusion genes; cell
transfection; analysis of transient and stably integrated fusion
gene expression; and the production and analysis of transgenic
mice carrying various fusion gene constructs.

Health related aspects of the project are its contribution toward
the understanding of growth control and gene expression during
embryonic development.  Possible medical applications are to
neuromuscular disease (particularly muscular dystrophy), to
muscle tissue repair, and to normal and neoplastic growth
regulation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3155001
- **Project number:** 5R01AR018860-14
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **SAM.gov UEI:** HD1WMN6945W6
- **Principal Investigator:** STEPHEN DENISON HAUSCHKA
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1990
- **Award amount:** $214,012
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1976-05-01 → 1992-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3155001

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3155001, REGULATION OF SKELETAL MUSCLE DIFFERENTIATION (5R01AR018860-14). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3155001. Licensed CC0.

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