The Dystrophin Glycoprotein Complex (DGC) is a large multi-protein complex that links cytoskeleton actin to the extracellular matrix. This complex is critical in maintaining the structural integrity of muscle fibers and the stability of the neuromuscular synapse. The DGC consists of dystrophin and its utrophin homolog, as well as dystroglycans, sarcoglycans, sarcospan, syntrophins, and dystrobrevins. Deficiencies in DGC proteins result in several forms of muscular dystrophy with varying symptoms and degrees of severity in addition to structurally abnormal neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). This mini-review highlights current knowledge regarding the role of the DGC on the molecular dynamics of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) as it relates to the formation and maintenance of the mammalian NMJ.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2020.134833 | DOI Listing |
Life Sci
February 2025
Centre for Muscle Research, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia. Electronic address:
Aims: Cancer cachexia affects up to 80 % of patients with advanced cancer and accounts for >20 % of all cancer-related deaths. Sarcolemmal localization of dystrophin, a key protein within the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC), is perturbed in multiple muscle wasting conditions, including cancer cachexia, indicating a potential role for dystrophin in the maintenance of muscle mass. Strategies to preserve dystrophin expression at the sarcolemma might therefore combat muscle wasting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNature
December 2024
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe X-linked recessive disorder marked by progressive muscle wasting leading to premature mortality. Discovery of the DMD gene encoding dystrophin both revealed the cause of DMD and helped identify a family of at least ten dystrophin-associated proteins at the muscle cell membrane, collectively forming the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC). The DGC links the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton, but, despite its importance, its molecular architecture has remained elusive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNature
December 2024
Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
The dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC) has a crucial role in maintaining cell membrane stability and integrity by connecting the intracellular cytoskeleton with the surrounding extracellular matrix. Dysfunction of dystrophin and its associated proteins results in muscular dystrophy, a disorder characterized by progressive muscle weakness and degeneration. Despite the important roles of the DGC in physiology and pathology, its structural details remain largely unknown, hindering a comprehensive understanding of its assembly and function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Biol Chem
December 2024
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA. Electronic address:
J Pathol
January 2025
Fondazione Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare (INGM) 'Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi', Milan, Italy.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by the absence of the full form of the dystrophin protein, which is essential for maintaining the structural integrity of muscle cells, including those in the heart and respiratory system. Despite progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms associated with DMD, myocardial insufficiency persists as the primary cause of mortality, and existing therapeutic strategies remain limited. This study investigates the hypothesis that a dysregulation of the biological communication between infiltrating macrophages (MPs) and neurocardiac junctions exists in dystrophic cardiac tissue.
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