Isolation, sequence, and characterization of the bovine myogenic factor-encoding gene myf-5

We report here the isolation, sequencing, and characterization of the bovine homologue of the myogenic factor-encoding gene myf-5 (termed bmyf). The transcription unit of the gene is 4.2 kb in length and contains two introns. Primer extension experiments mapped the transcription start point at 158 bp upstream from the predicted start codon and 29 bp downstream from a canonical TATA box. The 3' untranslated region contains four AATAAA sites, three of which are used to produce transcripts of 1.5, 2, and 3 kb in bovine fetal muscle RNA.