| seasonal variation of myostatin gene expression in pectoralis muscle of house sparrows (passer domesticus) is consistent with a role in regulating thermogenic capacity and cold tolerance. | winter acclimatization in small birds overwintering in cold climates, including house sparrows (passer domesticus), is associated with improved cold tolerance, elevated summit metabolic rates (m(sum) = maximum cold-induced metabolic rate), and increased pectoralis muscle mass compared to summer birds. myostatin is a potent autocrine/paracrine inhibitor of skeletal muscle growth in mammals and birds and is a potential candidate for regulation of seasonal phenotypic flexibility in birds. as a firs ... | 2009 | 19199561 |