Atrogin-1 promotes muscle homeostasis by regulating levels of endoplasmic reticulum chaperone BiP.

Skeletal muscle wasting results from numerous pathological conditions affecting both the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. A unifying feature of these pathologies is the upregulation of members of the E3 ubiquitin ligase family, resulting in increased proteolytic degradation of target proteins. Despite the critical role of E3 ubiquitin ligases in regulating muscle mass, the specific proteins they target for degradation and the mechanisms by which they regulate skeletal muscle homeostasis remain ill-defined.

Low mutation rate in epaulette sharks is consistent with a slow rate of evolution in sharks.

Sharks occupy diverse ecological niches and play critical roles in marine ecosystems, often acting as apex predators. They are considered a slow-evolving lineage and have been suggested to exhibit exceptionally low cancer rates. These two features could be explained by a low nuclear mutation rate.

FKRP directed fibronectin glycosylation: A novel mechanism giving insights into muscular dystrophies?

The recently uncovered role of Fukutin-related protein (FKRP) in fibronectin glycosylation has challenged our understanding of the basis of disease pathogenesis in the muscular dystrophies. FKRP is a Golgi-resident glycosyltransferase implicated in a broad spectrum of muscular dystrophy (MD) pathologies that are not fully attributable to the well-described α-Dystroglycan hypoglycosylation. By revealing a new role for FKRP in the glycosylation of fibronectin, a modification critical for the development of the muscle basement membrane (MBM) and its associated muscle linkages, new possibilities for understanding clinical phenotype arise.

Telomerase is required for glomerular renewal in kidneys of adult mice.

Homeostatic renal filtration relies on the integrity of podocytes, which function in glomerular filtration. These highly specialized cells are damaged in 90% of chronic kidney disease, representing the leading cause of end-stage renal failure. Although modest podocyte renewal has been documented in adult mice, the mechanisms regulating this process remain largely unknown and controversial.

Examining Muscle Regeneration in Zebrafish Models of Muscle Disease.

Skeletal muscle has a remarkable ability to regenerate following injury, which is driven by obligate tissue resident muscle stem cells. Following injury, the muscle stem cell is activated and undergoes cell proliferation to generate a pool of myoblasts, which subsequently differentiate to form new muscle fibers. In many muscle wasting conditions, including muscular dystrophy and ageing, this process is impaired resulting in the inability of muscle to regenerate.