The Role of a -Catenin - FMRP Complex In Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle consists of multinucleated myofibers which generate contractile force and regulate glucose levels in the human body. Over time, skeletal muscle can become damaged and therefore requires a robust capacity to self-renew. One of the emerging areas of skeletal muscle research involves studying the post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene regulation which mediate this self-renewal pathway. In this study we present the role of the -catenin-FMRP complex in skeletal muscle.

First, we confirmed that -catenin and FMRP interacted through biochemical assays and overexpression of -catenin and FMRP fluorescent fusion proteins. Next, we found that knockdown of -catenin in C2C12 myoblasts undergoing the growth phase led to a significant increase in global translational activity. Finally we identified the presence of -catenin at the translational machinery. In conclusion, this study suggests that the -catenin-FMRP complex may serve as a potential pharmacological target in muscle wasting disorders where protein synthesis is greatly impaired.