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Cervantes-Villagrana RD, García-Jiménez I, Vázquez-Prado J. Guanine nucleotide exchange factors for Rho GTPases (RhoGEFs) as oncogenic effectors and strategic therapeutic targets in metastatic cancer. Cell Signal 2023; 109:110749. [PMID: 37290677 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2023.110749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Metastatic cancer cells dynamically adjust their shape to adhere, invade, migrate, and expand to generate secondary tumors. Inherent to these processes is the constant assembly and disassembly of cytoskeletal supramolecular structures. The subcellular places where cytoskeletal polymers are built and reorganized are defined by the activation of Rho GTPases. These molecular switches directly respond to signaling cascades integrated by Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs), which are sophisticated multidomain proteins that control morphological behavior of cancer and stromal cells in response to cell-cell interactions, tumor-secreted factors and actions of oncogenic proteins within the tumor microenvironment. Stromal cells, including fibroblasts, immune and endothelial cells, and even projections of neuronal cells, adjust their shapes and move into growing tumoral masses, building tumor-induced structures that eventually serve as metastatic routes. Here we review the role of RhoGEFs in metastatic cancer. They are highly diverse proteins with common catalytic modules that select among a variety of homologous Rho GTPases enabling them to load GTP, acquiring an active conformation that stimulates effectors controlling actin cytoskeleton remodeling. Therefore, due to their strategic position in oncogenic signaling cascades, and their structural diversity flanking common catalytic modules, RhoGEFs possess unique characteristics that make them conceptual targets of antimetastatic precision therapies. Preclinical proof of concept, demonstrating the antimetastatic effect of inhibiting either expression or activity of βPix (ARHGEF7), P-Rex1, Vav1, ARHGEF17, and Dock1, among others, is emerging.
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Guardia T, Zhang Y, Thompson KN, Lee SJ, Martin SS, Konstantopoulos K, Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos A. OBSCN restoration via OBSCN-AS1 long-noncoding RNA CRISPR-targeting suppresses metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2215553120. [PMID: 36877839 PMCID: PMC10089184 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215553120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence implicates the giant, cytoskeletal protein obscurin (720 to 870 kDa), encoded by the OBSCN gene, in the predisposition and development of breast cancer. Accordingly, prior work has shown that the sole loss of OBSCN from normal breast epithelial cells increases survival and chemoresistance, induces cytoskeletal alterations, enhances cell migration and invasion, and promotes metastasis in the presence of oncogenic KRAS. Consistent with these observations, analysis of Kaplan-Meier Plotter datasets reveals that low OBSCN levels correlate with significantly reduced overall and relapse-free survival in breast cancer patients. Despite the compelling evidence implicating OBSCN loss in breast tumorigenesis and progression, its regulation remains elusive, limiting any efforts to restore its expression, a major challenge given its molecular complexity and gigantic size (~170 kb). Herein, we show that OBSCN-Antisense RNA 1 (OBSCN-AS1), a novel nuclear long-noncoding RNA (lncRNA) gene originating from the minus strand of OBSCN, and OBSCN display positively correlated expression and are downregulated in breast cancer biopsies. OBSCN-AS1 regulates OBSCN expression through chromatin remodeling involving H3 lysine 4 trimethylation enrichment, associated with open chromatin conformation, and RNA polymerase II recruitment. CRISPR-activation of OBSCN-AS1 in triple-negative breast cancer cells effectively and specifically restores OBSCN expression and markedly suppresses cell migration, invasion, and dissemination from three-dimensional spheroids in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Collectively, these results reveal the previously unknown regulation of OBSCN by an antisense lncRNA and the metastasis suppressor function of the OBSCN-AS1/OBSCN gene pair, which may be used as prognostic biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets for metastatic breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia Guardia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD21201
| | - Yuqi Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
| | - Keyata N. Thompson
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD21201
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
| | - Se Jong Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
| | - Stuart S. Martin
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD21201
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
| | - Konstantinos Konstantopoulos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
| | - Aikaterini Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD21201
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Guardia T, Eason M, Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos A. Obscurin: A multitasking giant in the fight against cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1876:188567. [PMID: 34015411 PMCID: PMC8349851 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Giant obscurins (720-870 kDa), encoded by OBSCN, were originally discovered in striated muscles as cytoskeletal proteins with scaffolding and regulatory roles. Recently though, they have risen to the spotlight as key players in cancer development and progression. Herein, we provide a timely prudent synopsis of the expanse of OBSCN mutations across 16 cancer types. Given the extensive work on OBSCN's role in breast epithelium, we summarize functional studies implicating obscurins as potent tumor suppressors in breast cancer and delve into an in silico analysis of its mutational profile and epigenetic (de)regulation using different dataset platforms and sophisticated computational tools. Lastly, we formally describe the OBSCN-Antisense-RNA-1 gene, which belongs to the long non-coding RNA family and discuss its potential role in modulating OBSCN expression in breast cancer. Collectively, we highlight the escalating involvement of obscurins in cancer biology and outline novel potential mechanisms of OBSCN (de)regulation that warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia Guardia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Matthew Eason
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Aikaterini Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA.
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Hu LYR, Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos A. Proteomic Analysis of Myocardia Containing the Obscurin R4344Q Mutation Linked to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Front Physiol 2020; 11:478. [PMID: 32528308 PMCID: PMC7247546 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Obscurin is a giant cytoskeletal protein with structural and regulatory roles encoded by the OBSCN gene. Recently, mutations in OBSCN were associated with the development of different forms of cardiomyopathies, including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We previously reported that homozygous mice carrying the HCM-linked R4344Q obscurin mutation develop arrhythmia by 1-year of age under sedentary conditions characterized by increased heart rate, frequent incidents of premature ventricular contractions, and episodes of spontaneous ventricular tachycardia. In an effort to delineate the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the observed arrhythmic phenotype, we subjected protein lysates prepared from left ventricles of 1-year old R4344Q and wild-type mice to comparative proteomics analysis using tandem mass spectrometry; raw data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD017314. We found that the expression levels of proteins involved in cardiac function and disease, cytoskeletal organization, electropotential regulation, molecular transport and metabolism were significantly altered. Moreover, phospho-proteomic evaluation revealed changes in the phosphorylation profile of Ca2+ cycling proteins, including sAnk1.5, a major binding partner of obscurin localized in the sarcoplasmic reticulum; notably, this is the first report indicating that sAnk1 undergoes phosphorylation. Taken together, our findings implicate obscurin in diverse cellular processes within the myocardium, which is consistent with its multiple binding partners, localization in different subcellular compartments, and disease association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Yen R Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Silva-Evangelista C, Barret E, Ménez V, Merlevede J, Kergrohen T, Saccasyn A, Oberlin E, Puget S, Beccaria K, Grill J, Castel D, Debily MA. A kinome-wide shRNA screen uncovers vaccinia-related kinase 3 (VRK3) as an essential gene for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma survival. Oncogene 2019; 38:6479-6490. [DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-0884-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Grogan A, Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos A. Unraveling obscurins in heart disease. Pflugers Arch 2018; 471:735-743. [PMID: 30099631 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-018-2191-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Obscurins, expressed from the single OBSCN gene, are a family of giant, modular, cytoskeletal proteins that play key structural and regulatory roles in striated muscles. They were first implicated in the development of heart disease in 2007 when two missense mutations were found in a patient diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Since then, the discovery of over a dozen missense, frameshift, and splicing mutations that are linked to various forms of cardiomyopathy, including HCM, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC), has highlighted OBSCN as a potential disease-causing gene. At this time, the functional consequences of the identified mutations remain largely elusive, and much work has yet to be done to characterize the disease mechanisms of pathological OBSCN variants. Herein, we describe the OBSCN mutations known to date, discuss their potential impact on disease development, and provide future directions in order to better understand the involvement of obscurins in heart disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Grogan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 108 N. Greene St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
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Wang L, Geist J, Grogan A, Hu LYR, Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos A. Thick Filament Protein Network, Functions, and Disease Association. Compr Physiol 2018; 8:631-709. [PMID: 29687901 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c170023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sarcomeres consist of highly ordered arrays of thick myosin and thin actin filaments along with accessory proteins. Thick filaments occupy the center of sarcomeres where they partially overlap with thin filaments. The sliding of thick filaments past thin filaments is a highly regulated process that occurs in an ATP-dependent manner driving muscle contraction. In addition to myosin that makes up the backbone of the thick filament, four other proteins which are intimately bound to the thick filament, myosin binding protein-C, titin, myomesin, and obscurin play important structural and regulatory roles. Consistent with this, mutations in the respective genes have been associated with idiopathic and congenital forms of skeletal and cardiac myopathies. In this review, we aim to summarize our current knowledge on the molecular structure, subcellular localization, interacting partners, function, modulation via posttranslational modifications, and disease involvement of these five major proteins that comprise the thick filament of striated muscle cells. © 2018 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 8:631-709, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Janelle Geist
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Alyssa Grogan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Li-Yen R Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Rajendran BK, Deng CX. A comprehensive genomic meta-analysis identifies confirmatory role of OBSCN gene in breast tumorigenesis. Oncotarget 2017; 8:102263-102276. [PMID: 29254242 PMCID: PMC5731952 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The giant multifunctional protein "OBSCURIN" is encoded by OBSCN gene and is mostly expressed in cardiac and other skeletal muscles responsible for myofibrils organization. Loss of OBSCURIN affects the entire downstream pathway proteins vital for various cellular functions including cell integration and cell adhesion. The OBSCN gene mutations are more frequently observed in various muscular diseases, and cancers. Nevertheless, the direct role of OBSCN in tumorigenesis remains elusive. Interestingly, in clinical breast cancer samples a significant number of function changing mutations have been identified in OBSCN gene. In this study, we identified a significant role of OBSCN by conducting an integrative analysis of copy number alterations, functional mutations, gene methylation and expression data from various BRCA cancer projects data available on cBioPortal and TCGA firebrowse portal. Finally, we carried out genetic network analysis, which revealed that OBSCN gene plays a significant role in GPCR, RAS, p75 or Wnt signaling pathways. Similarly, OBSCN gene interacts with many cancer-associated genes involved in breast tumorigenesis. The OBSCN gene probably regulates breast cancer progression and metastasis and the prognostic molecular signatures such as copy number alterations and gene expression of OBSCN may serve as a tool to identify breast tumorigenesis and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barani Kumar Rajendran
- Cancer Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Chu-Xia Deng
- Cancer Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
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Stroka KM, Wong BS, Shriver M, Phillip JM, Wirtz D, Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos A, Konstantopoulos K. Loss of giant obscurins alters breast epithelial cell mechanosensing of matrix stiffness. Oncotarget 2017; 8:54004-54020. [PMID: 28903319 PMCID: PMC5589558 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Obscurins are a family of RhoGEF-containing proteins with tumor and metastasis suppressing roles in breast epithelium. Downregulation of giant obscurins in normal breast epithelial cells leads to reduced levels of active RhoA and of its downstream effectors. Herein, we elucidate how depletion of giant obscurins affects the response of breast epithelial cells to changes in the mechanical properties of the microenvironment. We find that knockdown of obscurins increases cell morphodynamics, migration speed, and diffusivity on polyacrylamide gels of ≥ 1 kPa, presumably by decreasing focal adhesion area and density as well as cell traction forces. Depletion of obscurins also increases cell mechanosensitivity on soft (0.4-4 kPa) surfaces. Similar to downregulation of obscurins, pharmacological inhibition of Rho kinase in breast epithelial cells increases migration and morphodynamics, suggesting that suppression of Rho kinase activity following obscurin knockdown can account for alterations in morphodynamics and migration. In contrast, inhibition of myosin light chain kinase reduces morphodynamics and migration, suggesting that temporal changes in cell shape are required for efficient migration. Collectively, downregulation of giant obscurins facilitates cell migration through heterogeneous microenvironments of varying stiffness by altering cell mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly M. Stroka
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Bin Sheng Wong
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Marey Shriver
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Jude M. Phillip
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Denis Wirtz
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Aikaterini Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum National Cancer Institute Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Konstantinos Konstantopoulos
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
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Randazzo D, Pierantozzi E, Rossi D, Sorrentino V. The potential of obscurin as a therapeutic target in muscle disorders. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2017; 21:897-910. [DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2017.1361931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Randazzo
- Light Imaging Section, Office of Science and Technology, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
| | - Enrico Pierantozzi
- Molecular Medicine Section, Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Daniela Rossi
- Molecular Medicine Section, Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Sorrentino
- Molecular Medicine Section, Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
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Manring HR, Carter OA, Ackermann MA. Obscure functions: the location-function relationship of obscurins. Biophys Rev 2017; 9:245-258. [PMID: 28510116 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-017-0254-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The obscurin family of polypeptides is essential for normal striated muscle function and contributes to the pathogenesis of fatal diseases, including cardiomyopathies and cancers. The single mammalian obscurin gene, OBSCN, gives rise to giant (∼800 kDa) and smaller (∼40-500 kDa) proteins that are composed of tandem adhesion and signaling motifs. Mammalian obscurin proteins are expressed in a variety of cell types, including striated muscles, and localize to distinct subcellular compartments where they contribute to diverse cellular processes. Obscurin homologs in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila possess a similar domain architecture and are also expressed in striated muscles. The long sought after question, "what does obscurin do?" is complex and cannot be addressed without taking into consideration the subcellular distribution of these proteins and local isoform concentration. Herein, we present an overview of the functions of obscurins and begin to define the intricate relationship between their subcellular distributions and functions in striated muscles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather R Manring
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Olivia A Carter
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Maegen A Ackermann
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. .,Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
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