Dystrophin-associated proteins and muscular dystrophies

Kay E. Davies
From: Science & Medicine: Volume 8 Number 6: Page 308 (February 2002)

Abstract: The cloning of the dystrophin gene in 1986 initiated a period of major advances in understanding the molecular genetic basis of the muscular dystrophies. In muscle, dystrophin associates with a complex of sarcolemma proteins, providing structural M34support to muscle fibers. While mutations in dystrophin are etiologic for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies, mutations in genes encoding other members of the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex have been associated with other types of muscular dystrophies. Clarification of the functions of the different proteins and identification of their binding partners are paving the way for novel therapeutic stategies to treat these fatal muscle diseases.

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