Characterization and investigation of zebrafish models of filamin-related myofibrillar myopathy

Hum Mol Genet. 2012 Sep 15;21(18):4073-83. doi: 10.1093/hmg/dds231. Epub 2012 Jun 16.

Abstract

Myofibrillar myopathies are a group of muscle disorders characterized by the disintegration of skeletal muscle fibers and formation of sarcomeric protein aggregates. All the proteins known to be involved in myofibrillar myopathies localize to a region of the sarcomere known as the Z-disk, the site at which defects are first observed. Given the common cellular phenotype observed in this group of disorders, it is thought that there is a common mechanism of pathology. Mutations in filamin C, which has several proposed roles in the development and function of skeletal muscle, can result in filamin-related myofibrillar myopathy. The lack of a suitable animal model system has limited investigation into the mechanism of pathology in this disease and the role of filamin C in muscle development. Here, we characterize stretched out (sot), a zebrafish filamin Cb mutant, together with targeted knockdown of zebrafish filamin Ca, revealing fiber dissolution and formation of protein aggregates strikingly similar to those seen in filamin-related myofibrillar myopathies. Through knockdown of both zebrafish filamin C homologues, we demonstrate that filamin C is not required for fiber specification and that fiber damage is a consequence of muscle activity. The remarkable similarities in the myopathology between our models and filamin-related myofibrillar myopathy makes them suitable for the study of these diseases and provides unique opportunities for the investigation of the function of filamin C in muscle and development of therapies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Base Sequence
  • Body Patterning / genetics
  • Codon, Nonsense
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian / metabolism
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian / pathology
  • Filamins
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Genetic Linkage
  • Humans
  • Likelihood Functions
  • Microfilament Proteins / genetics*
  • Microfilament Proteins / metabolism
  • Microfilament Proteins / physiology
  • Muscle Contraction
  • Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch / metabolism
  • Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch / pathology
  • Muscular Dystrophies / embryology
  • Muscular Dystrophies / genetics*
  • Mutagenesis
  • Myosins / metabolism
  • Phenotype
  • Phylogeny
  • Protein Isoforms / genetics
  • Protein Isoforms / metabolism
  • Protein Isoforms / physiology
  • Zebrafish / embryology
  • Zebrafish / genetics*
  • Zebrafish Proteins / genetics*
  • Zebrafish Proteins / metabolism
  • Zebrafish Proteins / physiology

Substances

  • Codon, Nonsense
  • Filamins
  • Flncb protein, zebrafish
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Zebrafish Proteins
  • Myosins

Supplementary concepts

  • Filaminopathy, autosomal dominant