- Mutations in the slow skeletal muscle fiber myosin heavy chain gene (MYH7) cause laing early-onset distal myopathy (MPD1). Meredith, C., Herrmann, R., Parry, C., Liyanage, K., Dye, D.E., Durling, H.J., Duff, R.M., Beckman, K., de Visser, M., van der Graaff, M.M., Hedera, P., Fink, J.K., Petty, E.M., Lamont, P., Fabian, V., Bridges, L., Voit, T., Mastaglia, F.L., Laing, N.G. Am. J. Hum. Genet. (2004)