Transgenic analysis of cardiac and skeletal myogenesis

The generation of various cell types in a developing embryo is defined by multiple steps in commitment to a specific cell lineage and by the resulting expression of a particular subset of protein products. Studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying commitment and differentiation to a striated muscle phenotype have been greatly aided by the use of transgenic animals. Recent transgenic models have provided insights into the formation of skeletal muscle. We review here the different forms of transgenesis and their application to the delineation of cardiac and skeletal myogenesis.