The muscle-specific ubiquitin ligase atrogin-1/MAFbx mediates statin-induced muscle toxicity
J. Clin. Invest. Jun-ichi Hanai, et al. 117:3940 doi:10.1172/JCI32741 [Go to this article.]

Figure 4
Myotubes from atrogin-1 null (–/–) mice are resistant to lovastatin-induced damage. (A) Atrogin-1 protein expression is absent in atrogin-1 null (–/–) myotubes. Myoblasts derived from atrogin-1 knockout mice (–/–) and corresponding wild type (+/+) littermates were differentiated into myotubes. Cultures were stimulated to express atrogin-1 with dexamethasone (5 μM) or infected with constitutively active FoxO3- or GFP-expressing adenovirus (45). Atrogin-1 expression was detected by Western blotting as in Figure 3. (B) Myotubes from atrogin-1 null (–/–) and wild-type (+/+) mice were treated with lovastatin at the indicated concentrations for 48 hours. Myotube morphology was examined, and diameter was measured. Original magnification, ×100.