Myosin Heavy Chain 15 (MYH15)

By screening genomic cosmid libraries for myosin heavy chain genes, followed by cDNA hybridization and PCR amplification, Desjardins et al. (2002) cloned MYH15. The deduced protein contains several class II myosin consensus sequences and has a tail region of about 1,100 amino acids with homology to both class II myosins and dimerization domains of leucine zipper proteins. In its N-terminal catalytic domain, MYH15 has novel surface loop features, including loss of a positive-charge cluster. Desjardins et al. (2002) compared the motor domain of MYH15 with those of other MYHs and concluded that MYH15 is a slow-twitch myosin. Database analysis identified MYH15 ESTs in libraries obtained from adult testis and hypothalamus and a small cell lung carcinoma.