In vitro interactions of Caenorhabditis elegans dystrophin with dystrobrevin and syntrophin

Dystrophin, the product of the gene mutated in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is bound by its C-terminus to a protein complex including the related protein dystrobrevin. Both proteins contain a putative coiled-coil domain consisting of two cr-helices. It has been reported that the two proteins bi nd to each other by the first one of the two alpha -helices. We have revisi ted this question using the Caenorhabdiutis elegans homologs of dystrophin and dystrobrevin. In vitro interaction occurs through the more conserved se cond helix, We propose a new model of dystrophin interactions with associat ed proteins. (C) 1999 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.