Cloning and Characterization of Duck (Anas Platyrhynchos) Myf5 Gene and Comparison with Other Vertebrates

Myf5 plays a major role in determining myogenic cell fate at the onset of skeletal muscle formation in the embryo and maintenance of its phenotype. we cloned the total coding region of duck Myf5 gene in this study. The total CDS region of duck Myf5 gene consists of 768 nucleotides and codes for 255 AA, including the bHLH domain. The similarity between duck and chicken is 90.5% at nucleotide level and 91.8% at protein level. Results showed that the Myf5 gene is conservative among different animal species and the evolution of Myf5 can well demonstrate the evolution of considered species. This work constructed the basis for further research on the molecular nature and genetic markers of Myf5 for embryonic muscle development and postnatal muscle growth.