Dystrophin or a "related protein" in Duchenne muscular dystrophy?

Acta Neurol Scand. 1992 Jul;86(1):8-14. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1992.tb08046.x.

Abstract

Previously we have shown low levels of dystrophin immunoreactivity in muscle from patients with DMD. According to the "frame-shift hypothesis" DMD muscle should not synthesize any dystrophin through to the C-terminus and it has been suggested that the protein detected is not dystrophin, but a related autosomal homologue. We have labelled serial sections of DMD muscle with specific monoclonal antibodies to the amino, rod and C-terminal domains of dystrophin and find labelling on the same individual fibres, allowing us to conclude that the protein detected is Xp21-encoded dystrophin. This has an impact on the interpretation of myoblast transfer experiments. The abundance (on blots) of "C-terminal dystrophin" appears lower than "rod dystrophin" in both BMD and DMD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Biopsy
  • Blotting, Western
  • Chromosome Deletion
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21
  • DNA Probes
  • Dystrophin / analysis
  • Dystrophin / genetics*
  • Exons
  • Humans
  • Muscles / pathology
  • Muscular Dystrophies / genetics*
  • Muscular Dystrophies / pathology
  • Sex Chromosome Aberrations / genetics
  • X Chromosome

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • DNA Probes
  • Dystrophin