MSTN, Official Symbol MSTNprovided by HGNC Official Full Name myostatinprovided by HGNC Primary source HGNC:HGNC:4223 See related Ensembl:ENSG00000138379 MIM:601788; AllianceGenome:HGNC:4223 Gene type protein coding RefSeq status REVIEWED Organism Homo sapiens Lineage Eukaryota; Metazoa; Chordata; Craniata; Vertebrata; Euteleostomi; Mammalia; Eutheria; Euarchontoglires; Primates; Haplorrhini; Catarrhini; Hominidae; Homo Also known as GDF8; MSLHP Summary This gene encodes a secreted ligand of the TGF-beta (transforming growth factor-beta) superfamily of proteins. Ligands of this family bind various TGF-beta receptors leading to recruitment and activation of SMAD family transcription factors that regulate gene expression. The encoded preproprotein is proteolytically processed to generate each subunit of the disulfide-linked homodimer. This protein negatively regulates skeletal muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. Mutations in this gene are associated with increased skeletal muscle mass in humans and other mammals. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2016] Expression Low expression observed in reference dataset See more Orthologs mouse all