Expression of dystrophin-associated proteins in dystrophin-positive muscle fibers (revertants) in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Neuromuscul Disord. 1994 Mar;4(2):115-20. doi: 10.1016/0960-8966(94)90002-7.

Abstract

The dystrophin-glycoprotein complex spans the sarcolemma to provide a linkage between the subsarcolemmal cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix in skeletal muscle. In Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the absence of dystrophin leads to a drastic reduction in all of the dystrophin-associated proteins in the sarcolemma, thus causing the disruption of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex and the loss of the linkage to the extracellular matrix. This is presumed to lead to sarcolemmal instability which could render muscle fibers susceptible to necrosis. In DMD, a very small percentage of muscle fibers show dystrophin staining along the sarcolemma, presumably due to a second in-frame deletion in the dystrophin gene. However, the functional significance of these rare dystrophin-positive muscle fibers (revertants) in DMD has been unclear. Here we report the co-expression of the dystrophin-associated proteins with dystrophin in revertants of DMD skeletal muscle. Our results suggest that the entire dystrophin-glycoprotein complex is restored in revertants and, thus, the linkage between the subsarcolemmal cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix is restored in these muscle fibers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Dystroglycans
  • Dystrophin / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry / methods
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism*
  • Muscles / metabolism*
  • Muscular Dystrophies / metabolism*
  • Staining and Labeling

Substances

  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • DAG1 protein, human
  • Dystrophin
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Dystroglycans