Mutations in dysferlin cause muscular dystrophy, and the mechanism by which loss of dysferlin leads to muscular dystrophy is a fundamentally different than other forms of muscular dystrophy. Dysferlin is a membrane-associated protein that participates in vesicle trafficking events. In muscle this includes vesicle movement important for plasma membrane repair. Our work has also shown that dysferlin, like other members of the ferlin family, regulates vesicle recycling. We characterized myoferlin and Fer1L5, two highly related proteins to dysferlin to understand whether these proteins have overlapping function to substitute for dysferlin. These ferlin proteins each have at least six C2 domains, domains important for protein-membrane and protein-protein interactions. We identified that the first C2 domain of dysferlin binds negatively charged phospholipids in a calcium sensitive manner. We subsequently showed that ferlin C2 domains bind directly to carboxy-terminal Eps 15 Homology Domain (EHD) proteins, and that EHD proteins are required for ferlin intracellular trafficking. EHD proteins can induce tubule formation in vitro and in cell. We will study the interaction between ferlins, EHD, and Bin1 in the genesis of transverse tubule in muscle. We will then examine the mechanisms by which loss of ferlin proteins renders the muscle susceptible to detubulation and the molecular requirements to restore tubule formation and function. Finally, we will examine recycling events mediated by ferlin proteins. In each step, we will determine the domains of dysferlin, or the related myoferlin and Fer1L5 that mediate these events and assess whether restoration of these functions corrects the underlying pathology in dysferlin-associated muscular dystrophy.

Public Health Relevance

Mutations in dysferlin lead to Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. Although this form of disease is not common, the pathway by which dysferlin works in muscle may be very important for muscle growth during development and during muscle repair. Even in normal individuals muscle mass declines with age and recovery from injury is slower. Understanding dysferlin action in muscle will shed light on mechanisms by which we can improve muscle disease and muscle mass.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS047726-09
Application #
8699848
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Nuckolls, Glen H
Project Start
2003-07-01
Project End
2017-05-31
Budget Start
2014-06-01
Budget End
2015-05-31
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Chicago
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60637
Quattrocelli, Mattia; Capote, Joanna; Ohiri, Joyce C et al. (2017) Genetic modifiers of muscular dystrophy act on sarcolemmal resealing and recovery from injury. PLoS Genet 13:e1007070
Quattrocelli, Mattia; Barefield, David Y; Warner, James L et al. (2017) Intermittent glucocorticoid steroid dosing enhances muscle repair without eliciting muscle atrophy. J Clin Invest 127:2418-2432
Demonbreun, Alexis R; McNally, Elizabeth M (2017) Muscle cell communication in development and repair. Curr Opin Pharmacol 34:7-14
Quattrocelli, Mattia; Salamone, Isabella M; Page, Patrick G et al. (2017) Intermittent Glucocorticoid Dosing Improves Muscle Repair and Function in Mice with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. Am J Pathol 187:2520-2535
Demonbreun, Alexis R; McNally, Elizabeth M (2016) Plasma Membrane Repair in Health and Disease. Curr Top Membr 77:67-96
Demonbreun, Alexis R; Quattrocelli, Mattia; Barefield, David Y et al. (2016) An actin-dependent annexin complex mediates plasma membrane repair in muscle. J Cell Biol 213:705-18
Lamar, Kay-Marie; Miller, Tamari; Dellefave-Castillo, Lisa et al. (2016) Genotype-Specific Interaction of Latent TGF? Binding Protein 4 with TGF?. PLoS One 11:e0150358
Demonbreun, Alexis R; Allen, Madison V; Warner, James L et al. (2016) Enhanced Muscular Dystrophy from Loss of Dysferlin Is Accompanied by Impaired Annexin A6 Translocation after Sarcolemmal Disruption. Am J Pathol 186:1610-22
Gao, Quan Q; Wyatt, Eugene; Goldstein, Jeff A et al. (2015) Reengineering a transmembrane protein to treat muscular dystrophy using exon skipping. J Clin Invest 125:4186-95
Demonbreun, Alexis R; Swanson, Kaitlin E; Rossi, Ann E et al. (2015) Eps 15 Homology Domain (EHD)-1 Remodels Transverse Tubules in Skeletal Muscle. PLoS One 10:e0136679

Showing the most recent 10 out of 30 publications