Skip over navigation
The Hospital
Research
Support Us
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Home
Français
Directions & Maps
Contact Us
About Us
Vision and Strategic Directions
Board Chair and CEO Message
Leadership Team
Annual Reports
Facilities
Research Data Management
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Wellness
Our Research
Priorities, Programs and Diseases
Researcher Profiles
National Research Networks
Scientific Publications
Research Awards
Technology Transfer
Industry Sponsored Research
Responsible Innovation
For Students & Fellows
News & Events
Newsroom
Seminars & Events
Career Opportunities
For Patients
News & Events
Home
>
News & Events
>
Newsroom
Bookmark or Share
Display Options
Display Options
+
Increase
/
-
Decrease
font size
High contrast version
Printer-friendly version
Newsroom
Seminars & Events
Newsroom
What controls the master controller of muscle development?
March 25, 2015
A protein called MyoD has long been known as the master controller of muscle formation, but the molecular pathways that control MyoD have remained somewhat of a mystery… until now. New research led by Dr.
Jeff Dilworth
shows how two proteins, called MSK1 and KAP1, ensure that muscle formation operates like a finely tuned car. In this analogy, KAP1 is like a gearbox that works with the MyoD motor, the epigenetic engine that drives muscle formation. However, KAP1 also keeps the vehicle in neutral to prevent muscle genes from being turned on when they are not needed. MSK1 acts like the clutch that engages the KAP1 gearbox and allows the MyoD engine to slip into gear, which causes muscle genes to start firing on all cylinders to form new muscle. Identifying this key molecular pathway could lead to the development of new therapies with fewer side effects to treat diseases such as muscular dystrophy. See
Genes & Development
for details.
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
The
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
is the research arm of
The Ottawa Hospital
and is an affiliated institute of the
University of Ottawa
, closely associated with its faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences. The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute includes more than 1,700 scientists, clinical investigators, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and staff conducting research to improve the understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human disease. Support our research. Give to the
Tender Loving Research
campaign.
For further information, please contact
Paddy Moore
Communications and Public Relations
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-737-8899 x73687
Cell: 613-323-5680
padmoore@ohri.ca