Expression of dystroglycan and associated proteins in dystroglycan transgenic mdx muscles. A: Immunoblots. Transgenic overexpression of dystroglycan in mdx mice (DG/mdx) causes a large increase in the expression of β-dystroglycan (Beta DG, 43 kd) compared to mdx mice, much as occurs in non-mdx transgenic mice (DG) when compared to wild-type mice. α-Dystroglycan (Alpha DG, 160 kd) was also overexpressed in most DG muscles (compared to wild-type) and in most, but not all, DG/mdx muscles (compared to mdx). IIH6, a carbohydrate-specific antibody that recognizes native α-dystroglycan protein was used to determine α-dystroglycan expression. Levels of utrophin (400 kd), α-sarcoglycan (Alpha SG, 50 kd), β-sarcoglycan (Beta SG, 43 kd) were generally reduced in DG/mdx muscles relative to mdx muscles. Levels of the CT carbohydrate antigen (CT2, multiple bands) and actin (50 kd) were unchanged. B: Quantitation of Western blots by densitometric scanning. Errors are SD for n = 3 experiments.