Topic: Matrix metalloproteinases

The brain extracellular matrix (ECM) is a lattice-like structure that occupies the intercellular space in the central nervous system (CNS). The ECM constituents are extremely long-lived and are widely believed to stabilize neurons and synapses in the brain. They are thought to be renewed only rarely, dependent on neuronal activity, by the activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that cleave the existing ECM components, followed by de novo ECM protein synthesis. However, various studies have demonstrated that synapses change their structural organization on minutes to hours time scale, ca

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked neuromuscular disease characterized by the absence of the cytoskeletal protein dystrophin (Dp427). Short isoforms, such as Dp116 in myelinating Schwann cells (SCs), exist in specific cell types. In SCs, Dp116 binds to the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex (DGC), which crucially contributes to myelin integrity and fiber conduction properties. Our prior research on the sciatic nerve (SN) of wild-type and mdx mice, a DMD animal model lacking Dp427, revealed a significant decrease in all myelin protein levels, indicating compromised myelin