Dystrophin and utrophin do not play crucial roles in nonmuscle tissues in mice

The loss of full-length dystrophin from skeletal muscle leads to the clinic al features of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Both Dp71, a C-terminal dystrop hin isoform, and the dystrophin-related protein, utrophin, are present at h igh levels in many nonmuscle tissues. To investigate the roles of these pro teins in nonmuscle tissues, mice were generated null for utrophin, and defi cient in all dystrophin isoforms. These mice reach adulthood and do not app ear to have any devastating pathology in nonmuscle tissues. (C) 1999 John W iley & Sons, Inc.