α1-Syntrophin–deficient skeletal muscle exhibits hypertrophy and aberrant formation of neuromuscular junctions during regeneration

Y Hosaka, T Yokota, Y Miyagoe-Suzuki… - The Journal of cell …, 2002 - rupress.org
Y Hosaka, T Yokota, Y Miyagoe-Suzuki, K Yuasa, M Imamura, R Matsuda, T Ikemoto…
The Journal of cell biology, 2002rupress.org
α1-Syntrophin is a member of the family of dystrophin-associated proteins; it has been
shown to recruit neuronal nitric oxide synthase and the water channel aquaporin-4 to the
sarcolemma by its PSD-95/SAP-90, Discs-large, ZO-1 homologous domain. To examine the
role of α1-syntrophin in muscle regeneration, we injected cardiotoxin into the tibialis anterior
muscles of α1-syntrophin–null (α1syn−/−) mice. After the treatment, α1syn−/− muscles
displayed remarkable hypertrophy and extensive fiber splitting compared with wild-type …
α1-Syntrophin is a member of the family of dystrophin-associated proteins; it has been shown to recruit neuronal nitric oxide synthase and the water channel aquaporin-4 to the sarcolemma by its PSD-95/SAP-90, Discs-large, ZO-1 homologous domain. To examine the role of α1-syntrophin in muscle regeneration, we injected cardiotoxin into the tibialis anterior muscles of α1-syntrophin–null (α1syn−/−) mice. After the treatment, α1syn−/− muscles displayed remarkable hypertrophy and extensive fiber splitting compared with wild-type regenerating muscles, although the untreated muscles of the mutant mice showed no gross histological change. In the hypertrophied muscles of the mutant mice, the level of insulin-like growth factor-1 transcripts was highly elevated. Interestingly, in an early stage of the regeneration process, α1syn−/− mice showed remarkably deranged neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), accompanied by impaired ability to exercise. The contractile forces were reduced in α1syn−/− regenerating muscles. Our results suggest that the lack of α1-syntrophin might be responsible in part for the muscle hypertrophy, abnormal synapse formation at NMJs, and reduced force generation during regeneration of dystrophin-deficient muscle, all of which are typically observed in the early stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients.
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