Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C1762617 (weakness)
 37,932 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The ubiquitin-proteasome and autophagy-lysosome pathways are the two major routes for protein and organelle clearance. In skeletal muscle, both systems are under FoxO regulation and their excessive activation induces severe muscle loss. Although altered autophagy has been observed in various myopathies, the specific role of autophagy in skeletal muscle has not been determined by loss-of-function approaches. Here, we report that muscle-specific deletion of a crucial autophagy gene, Atg7, resulted in profound muscle atrophy and age-dependent decrease in force. Atg7 null muscles showed accumulation of abnormal mitochondria, sarcoplasmic reticulum distension, disorganization of sarcomere, and formation of aberrant concentric membranous structures. Autophagy inhibition exacerbated muscle loss during denervation and fasting. Thus, autophagy flux is important to preserve muscle mass and to maintain myofiber integrity. Our results suggest that inhibition/alteration of autophagy can contribute to myofiber degeneration and weakness in muscle disorders characterized by accumulation of abnormal mitochondria and inclusions.
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PMID:Autophagy is required to maintain muscle mass. 1994 8

Mutations in the fused in sarcoma gene (FUS) were recently found in patients with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The present study aimed to clarify unique features of familial ALS caused by FUS mutation in the Japanese population. We carried out clinical, neuropathological, and genetic studies on a large Japanese pedigree with familial ALS. In six successive generations of this family, 16 individuals of both sexes were affected by progressive muscle atrophy and weakness, indicating an autosomal dominant trait. Neurological examination of six patients revealed an age at onset of 48.2+/-8.1 years in fourth generation patients, while it was 31 and 20 years in fifth and sixth generation patients, respectively. Motor paralysis progressed rapidly in these patients, culminating in respiratory failure within 1 year. The missense mutation c.1561 C>T (p.R521C) was found in exon 15 of FUS in the four patients examined. Neuropathological study of one autopsied case with the FUS mutation revealed multiple system degeneration in addition to upper and lower motor neuron involvement: the globus pallidus, thalamus, substantia nigra, cerebellum, inferior olivary nucleus, solitary nucleus, intermediolateral horn, Clarke's column, Onuf's nucleus, central tegmental tract, medial lemniscus, medial longitudinal fasciculus, superior cerebellar peduncle, posterior column, and spinocerebellar tract were all degenerated. Argyrophilic and basophilic neuronal or glial cytoplasmic inclusions immunoreactive for FUS, GRP78/BiP, p62, and ubiquitin were detected in affected lesions. The FUS R521C mutation in this Japanese family caused familial ALS with pathological features of multiple system degeneration and neuronal basophilic inclusions.
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PMID:Multiple system degeneration with basophilic inclusions in Japanese ALS patients with FUS mutation. 1996 41

The transition of reticulocytes into erythrocytes is accompanied by extensive changes in the structure and properties of the plasma membrane. These changes include an increase in shear resistance, loss of surface area, and acquisition of a biconcave shape. The processes by which these changes are effected have remained largely undefined. Here we examine how the expression of 30 distinct membrane proteins and their interactions change during murine reticulocyte maturation. We show that tubulin and cytosolic actin are lost, whereas the membrane content of myosin, tropomyosin, intercellular adhesion molecule-4, glucose transporter-4, Na-K-ATPase, sodium/hydrogen exchanger 1, glycophorin A, CD47, Duffy, and Kell is reduced. The degradation of tubulin and actin is, at least in part, through the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway. In regard to the protein-protein interactions, the formation of membrane-associated spectrin tetramers from dimers is unperturbed, whereas the interactions responsible for the formation of the membrane-skeletal junctions are weaker in reticulocytes, as is the attachment of transmembrane proteins to these structures. This weakness, in part, results from the elevated phosphorylation of 4.1R in reticulocytes, which leads to a decrease in shear resistance by reducing its interaction with spectrin and actin. These observations begin to unravel the mechanistic basis of crucial changes accompanying reticulocyte maturation.
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PMID:Membrane remodeling during reticulocyte maturation. 2003 85

How are biological structures maintained in a cellular environment that constantly threatens protein integrity? Here we elucidate proteostasis mechanisms affecting the Z disk, a protein assembly essential for actin anchoring in striated muscles, which is subjected to mechanical, thermal, and oxidative stress during contraction [1]. Based on the characterization of the Drosophila melanogaster cochaperone Starvin (Stv), we define a conserved chaperone machinery required for Z disk maintenance. Instead of keeping Z disk proteins in a folded conformation, this machinery facilitates the degradation of damaged components, such as filamin, through chaperone-assisted selective autophagy (CASA). Stv and its mammalian ortholog BAG-3 coordinate the activity of Hsc70 and the small heat shock protein HspB8 during disposal that is initiated by the chaperone-associated ubiquitin ligase CHIP and the autophagic ubiquitin adaptor p62. CASA is thus distinct from chaperone-mediated autophagy, previously shown to facilitate the ubiquitin-independent, direct translocation of a client across the lysosomal membrane [2]. Impaired CASA results in Z disk disintegration and progressive muscle weakness in flies, mice, and men. Our findings reveal the importance of chaperone-assisted degradation for the preservation of cellular structures and identify muscle as a tissue that highly relies on an intact proteostasis network, thereby shedding light on diverse myopathies and aging.
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PMID:Chaperone-assisted selective autophagy is essential for muscle maintenance. 2006 Feb 97

Sepsis-induced muscle wasting has severe clinical consequences, including muscle weakness, need for prolonged ventilatory support and stay in the intensive care unit, and delayed ambulation with risk for pulmonary and thromboembolic complications. Understanding molecular mechanisms regulating loss of muscle mass in septic patients therefore has significant clinical implications. Forkhead Box O (FOXO) transcription factors have been implicated in muscle wasting, partly reflecting upregulation of the ubiquitin ligases atrogin-1 and MuRF1. The influence of sepsis on FOXO transcription factors in skeletal muscle is poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that sepsis upregulates expression and activity of FOXO transcription factors in skeletal muscle by a glucocorticoid-dependent mechanism. Sepsis in rats increased muscle FOXO1 and 3a mRNA and protein levels but did not influence FOXO4 expression. Nuclear FOXO1 levels and DNA binding activity were increased in septic muscle whereas FOXO3a nuclear levels were not increased during sepsis. Sepsis-induced expression of FOXO1 was reduced by the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU38486 and treatment of rats with dexamethasone increased FOXO1 mRNA levels suggesting that the expression of FOXO1 is regulated by glucocorticoids. Reducing FOXO1, but not FOXO3a, expression by siRNA in cultured L6 myotubes inhibited dexamethasone-induced atrogin-1 and MuRF1 expression, further supporting a role of FOXO1 in glucocorticoid-regulated muscle wasting. Results suggest that sepsis increases FOXO1 expression and activity in skeletal muscle by a glucocorticoid-dependent mechanism and that glucocorticoid-dependent upregulation of atrogin-1 and MuRF1 in skeletal muscle is regulated by FOXO1. The study is significant because it provides novel information about molecular mechanisms involved in sepsis-induced muscle wasting.
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PMID:Sepsis increases the expression and activity of the transcription factor Forkhead Box O 1 (FOXO1) in skeletal muscle by a glucocorticoid-dependent mechanism. 2007 55

Most muscle pathologies are characterized by the progressive loss of muscle tissue due to chronic degeneration combined with the inability of regeneration machinery to replace the damaged muscle. These pathological changes, known as muscle wasting, can be attributed to the activation of several proteolytic systems, such as calpain, ubiquitin-proteasome and caspases, and to the alteration in muscle growth factors. Among them, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has been implicated in the control of skeletal muscle growth, differentiation, survival, and regeneration and has been considered a promising therapeutic agent in staving off the advance of muscle weakness. Here we review the molecular basis of muscle wasting associated with diseases, such as sarcopenia, muscular dystrophy and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and discuss the potential therapeutic role of local IGF-1 isoforms in muscle aging and diseases.
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PMID:Counteracting muscle wasting in aging and neuromuscular diseases: the critical role of IGF-1. 2015 30

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a neuromuscular disease caused by the expansion of a CTG repeat in the DMPK gene and characterised by progressive skeletal muscle weakness and wasting. To investigate the effects of the CTG expansion on the physiological function of the skeletal muscles, we have used a transgenic mouse model carrying the human DM1 region with 550 expanded CTG repeats. Maximal force is reduced in the skeletal muscles of 10-month-old but not in 3-month-old DM1 mice when compared to age-matched non-transgenic littermates. The progressive weakness observed in the DM1 mice is directly related to the reduced muscle mass and muscle fibre size. A significant increase in trypsin-like proteasome activity and Fbxo32 expression is also measured in the DM1 muscles indicating that an atrophic process mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway may contribute to the progressive muscle wasting and weakness in the DM1 mice.
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PMID:Progressive skeletal muscle weakness in transgenic mice expressing CTG expansions is associated with the activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. 2034 70

Filaminopathy represents a rare subgroup of myofibrillar myopathies caused by mutation in filamin C gene. We present a Chinese family with filaminopathy, characterized by onset at the age of 35-40years with progressive muscle weakness in all limbs. Mild cardiac symptoms and chronic diarrhea were present in a few patients. Muscle biopsy revealed numerous spheroid bodies and amorphous deposits in the fibers, which were positive for desmin, dysferlin, dystrophin and ubiquitin, but negative for alpha-actinin and alpha-synuclein. Ultrastructural analysis revealed inclusions composed of disorganized thin filaments and interspersed electron-dense granules, accumulating in spheroid or cytoplasmic structures. A novel complex mutation of 18-nucleotide deletion and 6-nucleotide insertion was identified in exon 18 of the filamin C gene, resulting in an in-frame 6 amino acid deletion (Lys899-Val904) and a 2 amino acid insertion (Val 899-Cys900) in the seventh Ig-like repeat of filamin C. Our findings expand the genetic spectrum and geographic distribution of filaminopathy.
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PMID:A novel heterozygous deletion-insertion mutation (2695-2712 del/GTTTGT ins) in exon 18 of the filamin C gene causes filaminopathy in a large Chinese family. 2041 99

The paper describes clinical and pathological features of Alexander's disease (AD)-like disorder in a 1 year and 8 months old French bulldog. Clinically, the dog exhibited megaesophagus, emaciation and weakness without any specific neurological symptoms. The dog died of aspiration pneumonia. On the gross observation of formalin-fixed brain, discolored foci were observed in the white matter of the cerebellum and brain stem. Histologically, numerous Rothenthal fibers and hypertrophic astrocytes were distributed especially in the perivascular, subependymal and subpial area of both the cerebrum and cerebellum. The Rosenthal fibers were intensely immunopositive for GFAP and ubiquitin. Demyelination of the white matter was occasionally found in the brain stem. The present case is likely to be categorized in the adult form of AD, though previous AD-like cases in dogs were in the juvenile form.
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PMID:Fibrinoid leukodystrophy (Alexander's disease-like disorder) in a young adult French bulldog. 2052 46

Distal myopathies are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by progressive weakness and muscular atrophy, beginning in distal limb muscles and affecting proximal limb muscles at a later stage. We studied a large German kindred with 10 affected members. Weakness and atrophy of the anterior tibial muscles started between the ages of 8 and 16 years, followed by atrophy of intrinsic hand muscles. Progression was slow, and patients retained the ability to walk until the seventh decade. Serum creatinine kinase levels were increased in the range of 150-1400 U/l. Muscle biopsies showed myopathic changes, whereas immunohistochemistry showed normal expression of marker proteins for muscular dystrophies. Patients had reduced sensation with stocking-glove distribution in the distal limbs in later life. Nerve conduction studies revealed no evidence of neuropathy. Genome-wide linkage analysis in this family revealed a new locus for distal myopathy at 9p21.2-p22.3 (multipoint logarithm of the odds ratio=4.21). By positional cloning we found a heterozygous mutation L95F in the Kelch-like homologue 9 gene, encoding a bric-a-brac Kelch protein. Molecular modelling indicated that the mutation may interfere with the interaction of the bric-a-brac domain with Cullin 3. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that the mutation reduces association with Cullin 3 in the Kelch-like homologue 9-Cullin 3-E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, which is involved in ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation. We identified a unique form of early onset autosomal dominant distal myopathy which is associated with a Kelch-like homologue 9 mutation and interferes with normal skeletal muscle through a novel pathogenetic mechanism.
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PMID:Kelch-like homologue 9 mutation is associated with an early onset autosomal dominant distal myopathy. 3216 47


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