Dystroglycan [2B1G12]

Dystroglycan was originally isolated from skeletal muscle as an integral membrane component of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. In addition to skeletal muscle, dystroglycan is strongly expressed in heart and smooth muscle, as well as many non-muscle tissues including brain and peripheral nerve. The dystroglycan is involved in a number of processes including laminin and basement membrane assembly, sarcolemmal stability, cell survival, peripheral nerve myelination, nodal structure, cell migration, and epithelial polarization. Dystroglycan consists of two subunits – alpha and beta, which are translated from a single mRNA as a propeptide that is proteolytically cleaved into two noncovalently associated proteins. Alpha-dystroglycan is a 156 kDa extracellular peripheral glycoprotein, while beta-dystroglycan is a 43 kDa transmembrane protein. The 43 kDa beta-dystroglycan can be cleaved into a 30 kDa form.