Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

The congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are a heterogeneous group of disorders affecting neuromuscular transmission. Underlying mutations have been identified in at least 11 different genes. The majority of CMS patients have disorders due to mutations in postsynaptic proteins. Initial studies focused on dysfunction of the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) itself as the major cause of CMS. However, it is becoming apparent that mutations of proteins involved in clustering the AChR and maintaining neuromuscular junction structure form important subgroups. Analysis of the mutations in the AChR-clustering protein, rapsyn, show diverse causes for defective AChR localization and suggest that the common mutation rapsyn-N88K results in AChR clusters that are less stable than those generated by wild-type rapsyn. More recently, mutations in the newly identified endplate protein Dok-7 have been shown to affect AChR clustering and the generation and maintenance of specialized structures at the endplate. Dok-7 binds MuSK and many of the mutations of DOK7 impair the MuSK signaling pathway. Components of this pathway will provide attractive gene candidates for additional forms of CMS. The phenotypic characteristics of the different CMS in which muscle groups may be differentially affected not only provide clues for targeted genetic screening, but also pose further intriguing questions about underlying molecular mechanisms.

Original publication

DOI

10.1196/annals.1405.049

Type

Conference paper

Publication Date

2008

Volume

1132

Pages

99 - 103

Keywords

Animals, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Muscle Proteins, Myasthenic Syndromes, Congenital, Neuromuscular Junction, Receptors, Cholinergic