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Kazuhiro Shigemoto, Sachiho Kubo, Naoki Maruyama, Naohito Hato, Hiroyuki Yamada, Chen Jie, Naoto Kobayashi, Katsumi Mominoki, Yasuhito Abe, Norifumi Ueda,, Seiji Matsuda
Published in Volume 116, Issue 4
J Clin Invest. 2006; 116(4):1016–1024 doi:10.1172/JCI21545
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Figure 8
Models of MuSK antibody inhibition of AChR clustering on myotubes.

(A) MuSK antibodies cover the ectodomain of MuSK and inhibit interactions with other scaffolding molecules required for AChR clustering, including myotube-associated component (MASC), rapsyn-associated transmembrane linker (RATL), and receptors for VVA-B4 and laminin. MASC is a hypothetical molecule that is required for agrin binding and the activation of MuSK. RATL, also a hypothetical molecule, mediates the association of rapsyn with the extracellular domain of MuSK. (B) MuSK antibodies induce the internalization of MuSK in the presence or absence of associated molecules. The lack of MuSK on the surfaces of myotubes inhibits the effects of scaffolding and AChR clustering.