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Molecular and Cellular Biology, November 2001, p. 7442-7448, Vol. 21, No. 21
MRC Functional Genetics
Unit,3 Department of Human Anatomy and
Genetics,1 University of Oxford, Oxford OX1
3QX, and Centre for Genome Research, The University of
Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ,2 United
Kingdom
Received 27 July 2001/Accepted 31 July 2001
0270-7306/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/MCB.21.21.7442-7448.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Role of
-Dystrobrevin in Nonmuscle
Dystrophin-Associated Protein Complex-Like Complexes in Kidney
and Liver


-Dystrobrevin is a dystrophin-related and -associated protein
that is highly expressed in brain, kidney, and liver. Recent studies
with the kidneys of the mdx3Cv mouse, which lacks all dystrophin isoforms, suggest that
-dystrobrevin, and not the dystrophin isoforms, may be the key component in the assembly of
complexes similar to the muscle dystrophin-associated protein complexes
(DPC) in nonmuscle tissues. To understand the role of
-dystrobrevin
in the function of nonmuscle tissues, we generated
-dystrobrevin-deficient (dtnb
/
) mice by
gene targeting. dtnb
/
mice are healthy,
fertile, and normal in appearance. No
-dystrobrevin was detected in
these mice by Western blotting or immunocytochemistry. In addition, the
levels of several
-dystrobrevin-interacting proteins, namely Dp71
isoforms and the syntrophins, were greatly reduced from the basal
membranes of kidney tubules and liver sinusoids and on Western blots of
crude kidney and liver microsomes of
-dystrobrevin-deficient mice.
However, no abnormality was detected in the ultrastructure of membranes
of kidney and liver cells or in the renal function of these mice.
-Dystrobrevin may therefore be an anchor or scaffold for Dp71 and
syntrophin isoforms, as well as other associating proteins at the basal
membranes of kidney and liver, but is not necessary for the normal
function of these mice.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Human Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks
Rd., Oxford OX1 3QX, United Kingdom. Phone: (1865) 272179. Fax: (1865)
272420. E-mail: kay.davies{at}human-anatomy.ox.ac.uk.
Present address: Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John
Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom.
Present address: Deutsches Krcbsforschungszentrum Heidelberg,
Abteilung Molekularbiologie der Zelle 1, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
§
Present address: Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford,
Oxford OX1 3QT, United Kingdom.
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