FIGURE 7.

Structure of the dystrophin gene. The dystrophin gene has 79 exons. Different dystrophin isoforms can be transcribed from various promoters (demarcated as Dp, followed by a numeric number indicating isoform molecular weight in kilodaltons). The dystrophin protein expressed in skeletal muscle and heart is transcribed from the Dp427m promoter. Domains essential for binding with other DGC components or cytoskeletal proteins are underlined. Exons are color-coded according to the domain they encode: NH₂ terminus (yellow), central rod domain (blue), cysteine-rich domain (orange), and COOH terminus (green).