title: Confocal analysis of the dystrophin protein complex in muscular dystrophy.
abstract: The dystrophin protein complex (DPC), composed of at least 10 proteins that associate with dystrophin, is critical for the maintenance of normal muscle fiber structure and physiology. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy to examine the relative abundance and distribution of several of these proteins in muscle biopsies taken from patients with various muscular dystrophies. The optical sectioning capability of confocal microscopy allowed us to comprehensively analyze the semiquantitative expression of components of the DPC. Alpha-sarcoglycan-deficient patients displayed a marked reduction in membrane immunostaining of the sarcoglycan complex. Gamma-sarcoglycan-deficient patients showed variable decreased immunostaining of the sarcoglycan complex proteins. When beta-sarcoglycan was expressed appropriately at the sarcolemma of gamma-sarcoglycan-deficient patients, intracellular labeling of beta-sarcoglycan was also present. Beta-sarcoglycan-deficient patients showed poor localization of extracellular matrix proteins in addition to a complete absence of the sarcoglycans. Merosin-deficient patients showed relatively normal immunostaining levels of all other members of the DPC. Finally, dystrophin-deficient patients showed little or no change in the expression of extracellular matrix proteins; however, some sarcoglycans were significantly decreased. These data allowed us to suggest unique fundamental interactions between the members of the DPC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, S225 Biomedical Science Tower, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Draviam
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Billington
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Senchak
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Watkins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000172:deficiency; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007797:Laminin / Q000172:deficiency; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000172:deficiency; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D049031:Sarcoglycans
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D016189:Dystrophin; D007797:Laminin; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D049031:Sarcoglycans; C102645:laminin alpha 2