Limb–girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) is a genetically heterogeneous group of rare muscular dystrophies that share a set of clinical characteristics. It is characterised by progressive muscle wasting which affects predominantly hip and shoulder muscles. LGMD usually has an autosomal pattern of inheritance. It currently has no known cure or treatment.
Dysferlin also known as dystrophy-associated fer-1-like protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the DYSF gene. Dysferlin is linked with plasma membrane repair., stabilization of calcium signaling and the development of the T-tubule system of the muscle A defect in the DYSF gene, located on chromosome 2p12-14, results in several types of muscular dystrophy; including Miyoshi myopathy (MM), Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B (LGMD2B) and Distal Myopathy (DM). A reduction or absence of dysferlin, termed dysferlinopathy, usually becomes apparent in the third or fourth decade of life and is characterised by weakness and wasting of various voluntary skeletal muscles. Pathogenic mutations leading to dysferlinopathy can occur throughout the DYSF gene.
The sarcoglycanopathies are a collection of diseases resulting from mutations in any of the five sarcoglycan genes: α, β, γ, δ or ε. The five sarcoglycanopathies are: α-sarcoglycanopathy, LGMD2D; β-sarcoglycanopathy, LGMD2E; γ-sarcoglycanopathy, LGMD2C; δ-sarcoglycanopathy, LGMD2F and ε-sarcoglycanopathy, myoclonic dystonia. The four different sarcoglycan genes encode proteins that form a tetrameric complex at the muscle cell plasma membrane. This complex stabilizes the association of dystrophin with the dystroglycans and contributes to the stability of the plasma membrane cytoskeleton. The four sarcoglycan genes are related to each other structurally and functionally, but each has a distinct chromosome location.
The sarcoglycans are a family of transmembrane proteins involved in the protein complex responsible for connecting the muscle fibre cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix, preventing damage to the muscle fibre sarcolemma through shearing forces.
Caveolin-3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CAV3 gene. Alternative splicing has been identified for this locus, with inclusion or exclusion of a differentially spliced intron. In addition, transcripts utilize multiple polyA sites and contain two potential translation initiation sites.
Utrophin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the UTRN gene. The name is a short form for ubiquitous dystrophin.
Laminopathies are a group of rare genetic disorders caused by mutations in genes encoding proteins of the nuclear lamina. They are included in the more generic term nuclear envelopathies that was coined in 2000 for diseases associated with defects of the nuclear envelope. Since the first reports of laminopathies in the late 1990s, increased research efforts have started to uncover the vital role of nuclear envelope proteins in cell and tissue integrity in animals.
Sarcospan is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SSPN gene.
Dystrobrevin is a protein that binds to dystrophin in the costamere of skeletal muscle cells. In humans, there are at least two isoforms of dystrobrevin, dystrobrevin alpha and dystrobrevin beta.
Fukutin is a eukaryotic protein necessary for the maintenance of muscle integrity, cortical histogenesis, and normal ocular development. Mutations in the fukutin gene have been shown to result in Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD) characterised by brain malformation - one of the most common autosomal-recessive disorders in Japan. In humans this protein is encoded by the FCMD gene, located on chromosome 9q31. Human fukutin exhibits a length of 461 amino acids and a predicted molecular mass of 53.7 kDa.
Calpain-3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CAPN3 gene.
Alpha-7 integrin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ITGA7 gene. Alpha-7 integrin is critical for modulating cell-matrix interactions. Alpha-7 integrin is highly expressed in cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle and smooth muscle cells, and localizes to Z-disc and costamere structures. Mutations in ITGA7 have been associated with congenital myopathies and noncompaction cardiomyopathy, and altered expression levels of alpha-7 integrin have been identified in various forms of muscular dystrophy.
Epsilon-sarcoglycan is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SGCE gene.
Delta-sarcoglycan is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SGCD gene.
Alpha-sarcoglycan is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SGCA gene.
Gamma-sarcoglycan is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SGCG gene. The α to δ-sarcoglycans are expressed predominantly (β) or exclusively in striated muscle. A mutation in any of the sarcoglycan genes may lead to a secondary deficiency of the other sarcoglycan proteins, presumably due to destabilisation of the sarcoglycan complex. The disease-causing mutations in the α to δ genes cause disruptions within the dystrophin-associated protein (DAP) complex in the muscle cell membrane. The transmembrane components of the DAP complex link the cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix in adult muscle fibres, and are essential for the preservation of the integrity of the muscle cell membrane.
The human gene UBR1 encodes the enzyme ubiquitin-protein ligase E3 component n-recognin 1.
Dystrobrevin alpha is a protein that in humans is encoded by the DTNA gene.
Sarcoglycan zeta also known as SGCZ is a protein which in humans is encoded by the SGCZ gene.
In molecular biology, the CD20-like family of proteins includes the CD20 protein and the beta subunit of the high affinity receptor for IgE Fc, MS4A2. MS4A2 has a tetrameric structure consisting of a single IgE-binding alpha subunit, a single beta subunit, and two disulfide-linked gamma subunits. It has four putative transmembrane segments and a probable topology where both amino- and carboxy termini protrude into the cytoplasm. This family also includes LR8 like proteins from humans (TMEM176B), mice and rats. The function of the human LR8 protein is unknown although it is known to be strongly expressed in the lung fibroblasts. This family also includes sarcospan, a transmembrane component of dystrophin-associated glycoprotein. Loss of the sarcoglycan complex and sarcospan alone is sufficient to cause muscular dystrophy. The role of the sarcoglycan complex and sarcospan is thought to be to strengthen the dystrophin axis connecting the basement membrane with the cytoskeleton.
