BAG3 (Bcl-2-Associated Athanogene-3) Coding Variant in Mice Determines Susceptibility to Ischemic Limb Muscle Myopathy by Directing Autophagy.

Background: Critical limb ischemia is a manifestation of peripheral artery disease that carries significant mortality and morbidity risk in humans, although its genetic determinants remain largely unknown. We previously discovered 2 overlapping quantitative trait loci in mice, and , that affected limb muscle survival and stroke volume after femoral artery or middle cerebral artery ligation, respectively. Here, we report that a variant (Ile81Met) segregates with tissue protection from hind-limb ischemia.