In ordertoidentifyearlytranscriptionaltargetsofMyoDpriortoskeletalmuscledifferentiation,we
have undertakenatranscriptomicanalysisongastrulastage Xenopus embryosinwhichMyoDhasbeen
knocked-down.OurvalidatedlistofgenestranscriptionallyregulatedbyMyoDincludes Esr1 and Esr2,
which areknowntargetsofNotch signalling, and Tbx6, mesogenin, and FoxC1; thesegenesareallare
known tobeessentialfornormalsomitogenesisbutareexpressedsurprisinglyearlyinthemesoderm.
In additionwefoundthatMyoDisrequiredfortheexpressionof myf5 in theearlymesoderm,in
contrasttothereverserelationshipofthesetworegulatorsinamniotesomites.Thesedatahighlighta
role forMyoDintheearlymesoderminregulatingasetofgenesthatareessentialforbothmyogenesis
and somitogenesis.