Obscurin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the OBSCN gene. [5] [6] [7] Obscurin belongs to the family of giant sarcomeric signaling proteins that includes titin and nebulin. Obscurin is expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscle, and plays a role in the organization of myofibrils during sarcomere assembly. A mutation in the OBSCN gene has been associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and altered obscurin protein properties have been associated with other muscle diseases.
Human obscurin may exist as multiple splice variants of approximately 720 kDa, [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] however the full-length nature of only one has been described to date. [13] Obscurin is expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscle. The obscurin gene spans more than 150 kb, contains over 80 exons. [14] The encoded protein contains 68 Ig domains, 2 fibronectin domains, 1 IQ calmodulin-binding motif, 1 RhoGEF domain with an associated PH domain, and 2 serine-threonine kinase domains. [13] The dominant location of obscurin in mature myofibrils is at the sarcomeric M-band. [13] [15] Titin, obscurin, obscurin-like-1 and myomesin form a ternary complex at sarcomeric M-bands that is critical for sarcomere mechanics. [16]
Obscurin belongs to the family of giant sarcomeric signaling proteins that includes titin and nebulin, and may have a role in the organization of myofibrils during assembly and may mediate interactions between the sarcoplasmic reticulum and myofibrils. Obscurin is the major cytoplasmic ligand for small ankyrin 1 (sANK1), a sarcoplasmic reticular protein, and the scaffolding function of obscurin appears to prevent degradation of sANK1. [17] These data indicate that obscurin serves as a signaling link between the sarcomeric and sarcoplasmic reticular domains, [18] [19] Obscurin plays a role in the formation of new sarcomeres during myofibril assembly. [20] specifically, at the sarcomeric periphery where sites of initiation and progression of myofibrilogenesis lie. [21] [22] Obscurin appears to be necessary for the proper incorporation of myosin filaments into sarcomeres and in the assembly of A-bands. [15] [23] Moreover, the kinase domains of obscurin are enzymatically active and appear to be involved in the regulation of cell adhesion. [24]
Obscurin has been shown to exhibit a disease-related isoform switch in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. [25] An obscurin mutation Arg4344Gln was identified in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which disrupted binding of obscurin to the Z9-Z10 domains of titin. [26] A later study, however, was not able to reproduce this effect. [27] Due to lack of mechanistic evidence and the high prevalence among African Americans, the Arg4344Gln variant is currently not considered to be pathogenic. [28] [29] Mutations found the gene encoding titin in patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2J or Salih myopathy decrease the ability of titin to bind obscurin, suggesting that this may be causative in disease manifestation. [30]
Obscurin has been shown to interact with Titin, [5] [31] specifically, with the Novex-3 of Titin, a 6.5 kb exon located upstream of the cardiac-specific N2B exon. [32] The C-terminal region of Obscurin interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of small ankyrin 1 [33] [34] and with the exon 43' region of ankyrin B. [35] The Ig3 of obscurin binds myomesin at the linker between My4 and My5. [30]
A myofibril is a basic rod-like organelle of a muscle cell. Skeletal muscles are composed of long, tubular cells known as muscle fibers, and these cells contain many chains of myofibrils. Each myofibril has a diameter of 1–2 micrometres. They are created during embryonic development in a process known as myogenesis.
Desmin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the DES gene. Desmin is a muscle-specific, type III intermediate filament that integrates the sarcolemma, Z disk, and nuclear membrane in sarcomeres and regulates sarcomere architecture.
Titin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TTN gene. The protein, which is over 1 μm in length, functions as a molecular spring that is responsible for the passive elasticity of muscle. It comprises 244 individually folded protein domains connected by unstructured peptide sequences. These domains unfold when the protein is stretched and refold when the tension is removed.
MYH7 is a gene encoding a myosin heavy chain beta (MHC-β) isoform expressed primarily in the heart, but also in skeletal muscles. This isoform is distinct from the fast isoform of cardiac myosin heavy chain, MYH6, referred to as MHC-α. MHC-β is the major protein comprising the thick filament that forms the sarcomeres in cardiac muscle and plays a major role in cardiac muscle contraction.
Myomesin is a protein family found in the M-line of the sarcomere structure. Myomesin has various forms throughout the body in striated muscles with specialized functions. This includes both slow and fast muscle fibers. Myomesin are made of 13 domains including a unique N-terminal followed by two immunoglobulin-like (Ig) domains, five fibronectin type III (Fn) domains, five more Ig domains. These domains all promote binding which indicates that myomesin is regulated through binding.
Cardiac muscle troponin T (cTnT) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TNNT2 gene. Cardiac TnT is the tropomyosin-binding subunit of the troponin complex, which is located on the thin filament of striated muscles and regulates muscle contraction in response to alterations in intracellular calcium ion concentration.
Alpha-actinin-2 is a protein which in humans is encoded by the ACTN2 gene. This gene encodes an alpha-actinin isoform that is expressed in both skeletal and cardiac muscles and functions to anchor myofibrillar actin thin filaments and titin to Z-discs.
The myosin-binding protein C, cardiac-type is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MYBPC3 gene. This isoform is expressed exclusively in heart muscle during human and mouse development, and is distinct from those expressed in slow skeletal muscle (MYBPC1) and fast skeletal muscle (MYBPC2).
Filamin-C (FLN-C) also known as actin-binding-like protein (ABPL) or filamin-2 (FLN2) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the FLNC gene. Filamin-C is mainly expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscles, and functions at Z-discs and in subsarcolemmal regions.
Telethonin, also known as Tcap, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TCAP gene. Telethonin is expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscle at Z-discs and functions to regulate sarcomere assembly, T-tubule function and apoptosis. Telethonin has been implicated in several diseases, including limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy and idiopathic cardiomyopathy.
Myosin heavy chain, α isoform (MHC-α) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MYH6 gene. This isoform is distinct from the ventricular/slow myosin heavy chain isoform, MYH7, referred to as MHC-β. MHC-α isoform is expressed predominantly in human cardiac atria, exhibiting only minor expression in human cardiac ventricles. It is the major protein comprising the cardiac muscle thick filament, and functions in cardiac muscle contraction. Mutations in MYH6 have been associated with late-onset hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, atrial septal defects and sick sinus syndrome.
Myotilin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MYOT gene. Myotilin also known as TTID is a muscle protein that is found within the Z-disc of sarcomeres.
Ankyrin Repeat, PEST sequence and Proline-rich region (ARPP), also known as Ankyrin repeat domain-containing protein 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ANKRD2 gene. ARPP is a member of the muscle ankyrin repeat proteins (MARP), which also includes CARP and DARP, and is highly expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscle and in other tissues. Expression of ARPP has been shown to be altered in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A role for Ankrd2 in tumor progression and metastases spreading has also been described.
Ankyrin repeat domain-containing protein 1, or Cardiac ankyrin repeat protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ANKRD1 gene also known as CARP. CARP is highly expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscle, and is a transcription factor involved in development and under conditions of stress. CARP has been implicated in several diseases, including dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and several skeletal muscle myopathies.
Cysteine and glycine-rich protein 3 also known as cardiac LIM protein (CLP) or muscle LIM protein (MLP) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CSRP3 gene.
E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase TRIM63, also known as "MuRF1", is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the TRIM63 gene.
Myopalladin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MYPN gene. Myopalladin is a muscle protein responsible for tethering proteins at the Z-disc and for communicating between the sarcomere and the nucleus in cardiac and skeletal muscle
Myomesin-1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MYOM1 gene. Myomesin-1 is expressed in muscle cells and functions to stabilize the three-dimensional conformation of the thick filament. Embryonic forms of Myomesin-1 have been detected in dilated cardiomyopathy.
Ankyrin 1, also known as ANK-1, and erythrocyte ankyrin, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ANK1 gene.
Myomesin-2, also known as M-protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MYOM2 gene. M-protein is expressed in adult cardiac muscle and fast skeletal muscle, and functions to stabilize the three-dimensional arrangement of proteins comprising M-band structures in a sarcomere.
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