[
1982]
Much of this meeting is devoted to the study of multi-gene families and the differential expression of various members during muscle development. Structural analysis of myosin and then other muscle proteins by peptide mapping and amino acid sequencing first suggested that these isoforms are the products of different genes. The use of antibodies specific to distinct structural gene products has permitted detailed investigations of myosin structure, biosynthesis and degradation, and cellular location as muscle development proceeds. The small nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, is a laboratory animal which offers genetic dissection and manipulation as tools in deciphering of gene regulation in terms of specific protein synthesis during muscle development. The examination of specific mutants by protein chemistry and immunochemistry has already proved a powerful comination in many fields.