Trans-sarcolemmal proteins situated central to the subsarcolemmal region

2002

Trans-sarcolemmal proteins located inside, within, and outside of the muscle fibre plasma membrane fall into two categories, the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) and non-DGC-related proteins, e.g. dysferlin, caveolin, dystrobrevins and syntrophins. Mutational defects are responsible for their immunohistochemical absence or reduction giving rise to certain muscular dystrophies. In other neuromuscular disorders, i.e. inflammatory, metabolic, and neurogenic processes, transarcolemmal proteins are well preserved. Unlike desmin and plectin, which form a honeycomb-type network across the muscle fibre and a subsarcolemmal layer, trans-sarcolemmal proteins are not expressed central to the subs…