title: Cloning and expression of full length mouse utrophin: the differential association of utrophin and dystrophin with AChR clusters.
abstract: We have cloned and sequenced mouse utrophin cDNA, and successfully expressed full length utrophin (400 kDa) in both muscle and non-muscle cells. The expression of recombinant utrophin is compared with that of its homologue, dystrophin (427 kDa). We demonstrate that recombinant utrophin is targeted into agrin-induced acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters, while recombinant dystrophin is evenly distributed along cell membranes in cultured Sol 8 muscle cells. This observation suggests that utrophin and dystrophin may interact with different cytoskeletal proteins. The C-terminal domains are found to be responsible for the association of utrophin with AChR clusters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. aguo@pharmdec.wustl.edu
authors.forename: W X
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nichol
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Merlie
mesh_terms: D018171:Agrin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006224:Cricetinae; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009132:Muscles / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D014162:Transfection; D049411:Utrophin
chemical_list: D018171:Agrin; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D016189:Dystrophin; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C483600:Utrn protein, mouse; D049411:Utrophin