FIGURE 1.

Dystrophin-associated protein complex in healthy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) muscle. In healthy muscle (left), dystrophin and its binding partners together form a protein complex called the dystrophin-associated protein complex, which plays numerous signaling and structural roles. This highly organized transmembrane protein complex links the intracellular cytoskeleton with the sarcolemma and the extra-cellular matrix via laminin. In the absence of dystrophin in DMD muscle (right), this protein complex is disassembled, and there is delocalization and loss of expression of several components of the complex. The interaction between F-actin and the extracellular matrix is also lost, resulting in a wide range of deleterious effects that severely compromise the integrity and function of the tissue. Created with BioRender.com.