beta-Dystroglycan can be revealed in microsomes from mdx mouse muscle by detergent treatment.
beta-Dystroglycan is the central member of a transmembrane protein complex of the skeletal muscle plasma membrane. Since it was not detected in dystrophin-deficient skeletal muscles, a disruption of the complex was thought to be involved in the dystrophic process. We report here that beta-dystroglycan is actually present at normal levels in mdx mouse muscle plasma membrane: treatment with cholate detergent is able to reveal its presence by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. This result shows that, in dystrophin-deficient muscles, beta-dystroglycan is indeed targeted to the plasma membrane but remains inaccessible to classical solubilizing treatments and to antibodies used for immunolocalization.
Cluchague
Nicolas
N
Faculté de Médecine, UMR CNRS 6026, CS 34317, 35043 Rennes Cedex France.
Moreau
Céline
C
Rocher
Chantal
C
Pottier
Sandrine
S
Leray
Geneviève
G
Cherel
Yan
Y
Le Rumeur
Elisabeth
E
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D003902:Detergents; D049030:Dystroglycans; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000032:analysis; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D051379:Mice; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx; D008861:Microsomes / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology
D015415:Biomarkers; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D003902:Detergents; D016189:Dystrophin; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D049030:Dystroglycans