Autophagy induction rescues muscular dystrophy

• Published in: Autophagy Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 426 - 428
• Main Authors: Grumati, Paolo, Coletto, Luisa, Sandri, Marco, Bonaldo, Paolo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01-04-2011
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Autophagy; Binding; Biology; Bioscience; Calcium; Cancer; Cell; Collagen Type VI - genetics; Cycle; Cyclosporine - pharmacology; Forkhead Box Protein O3; Forkhead Transcription Factors - metabolism; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - pharmacology; Landes; Mice; Mitochondria - metabolism; Models, Biological; Muscles - metabolism; Muscular Dystrophies - drug therapy; Muscular Dystrophies - genetics; Muscular Dystrophies - metabolism; Mutation; Organogenesis; Phenotype; Proteins; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum - metabolism
• ISSN: 1554-8627; 1554-8635
• DOI: 10.4161/auto.7.4.14392

Collagen VI is an extracellular matrix protein forming a microfibrillar network in the endomysium of skeletal muscles. In humans, mutations in any of the three genes coding for collagen VI cause several skeletal muscle diseases, including Bethlem myopathy (BM) and Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD). Collagen VI null (Col6a1
-/-
) mice display a myopathic phenotype resembling that of BM and UCMD patients. Muscles lacking collagen VI are characterized by the presence of dilated sarcoplasmic reticulum and dysfunctional mitochondria, which triggers apoptosis and leads to muscle wasting. We have found that accumulation of abnormal organelles is due to an impairment of autophagy. Reactivation of the autophagic flux by either nutritional approaches or by pharmacological and genetics tools removes dysfunctional organelles and greatly ameliorates the dystrophic phenotype.