MYH8

Myosins are actin-based motor proteins that function in the generation of mechanical force in eukaryotic cells. Muscle myosins are heterohexamers composed of 2 myosin heavy chains and 2 pairs of nonidentical myosin light chains. This gene encodes a member of the class II or conventional myosin heavy chains, and functions in skeletal muscle contraction. This gene is predominantly expressed in fetal skeletal muscle. This gene is found in a cluster of myosin heavy chain genes on chromosome 17. A mutation in this gene results in trismus-pseudocamptodactyly syndrome.

Full Name

MYOSIN HEAVY CHAIN 8

Function

Muscle contraction.

Biological Process

ATP metabolic process Source: BHF-UCL
Muscle contraction Source: UniProtKB
Muscle filament sliding Source: BHF-UCL
Skeletal muscle contraction Source: BHF-UCL

Cellular Location

Myofibril
Note: Thick filaments of the myofibrils.

Involvement in disease

Carney complex variant (CACOV):
Carney complex is a multiple neoplasia syndrome characterized by spotty skin pigmentation, cardiac and other myxomas, endocrine tumors, and psammomatous melanotic schwannomas. Familial cardiac myxomas are associated with spotty pigmentation of the skin and other phenotypes, including primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical dysplasia, extracardiac (frequently cutaneous) myxomas, schwannomas, and pituitary, thyroid, testicular, bone, ovarian, and breast tumors. Cardiac myxomas do not develop in all patients with the Carney complex, but affected patients have at least two features of the complex or one feature and a clinically significant family history.
Arthrogryposis, distal, 7 (DA7):
A form of distal arthrogryposis, a disease characterized by congenital joint contractures that mainly involve two or more distal parts of the limbs, in the absence of a primary neurological or muscle disease. DA7 is characterized by an inability to open the mouth fully (trismus) and pseudocamptodactyly in which wrist dorsiflexion, but not volarflexion, produces involuntary flexion contracture of distal and proximal interphalangeal joints. Additional features include shortened hamstring muscles and short stature.