Muscle Protein Found to Preserve Nerve-Muscle Connections with Age
The research article provides insights into the relationship between muscle protein, nerve-muscle connections, and ageing
Here are the findings of the research put in plain language
New study shows Calcium-binding protein 7 protects neuromuscular junctions to maintain muscle strength and function.
The body’s muscles are connected to the brain and spinal cord by nerve cells called motor neurons. These motor neurons connect to muscle cells at special junctions called neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). NMJs are essential for allowing the brain to control muscle movement.
As we age, NMJs can start to deteriorate, which can lead to muscle weakness and problems with movement.
Scientists have been studying the molecules and processes involved in forming and maintaining healthy NMJs to try to find ways to prevent this age-related degeneration.
A new study focused on a protein called Calcium-binding protein 7 (Cabp7) that is made specifically in muscle cells, and the researchers found that Cabp7 is important for keeping NMJs healthy as mice age. When they genetically engineered mice to lack Cabp7 in their muscle cells, these mice showed earlier and more severe NMJ degeneration as they got older.
This led to muscle weakness, muscle loss, and problems with movement control and lifespan compared to normal mice.
The scientists found that Cabp7 helps suppress a particular molecule called p25 that can promote NMJ degeneration, and without Cabp7, p25 levels increased in muscle cells. When they treated the mice lacking Cabp7 with a drug that blocks p25, it prevented the NMJ degeneration and reversed the muscle weakness and muscle loss.
This study shows that the protein Cabp7 made by muscle cells plays a key role in maintaining healthy NMJs and muscle as we age. Cabp7 works by keeping in check other molecules like p25 that can otherwise cause NMJ breakdown.
These findings suggest potential new approaches to prevent or treat age-related decline in muscle function.
1. Neuromuscular Junction and Ageing: The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) plays a crucial role in musculoskeletal impairment associated with ageing. Changes in the NMJ, such as denervation and re-innervation processes, contribute to the decline in muscle mass and strength as the body gets older.
2. Dystrophin Complex: The dystrophin complex stabilizes muscle cell membranes. Mutations in the DMD gene, which encodes dystrophin, lead to conditions like Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy. Restoring dystrophin levels can improve muscle function and strength.
3. Restoring Nerve-Muscle Connections: Research has shown that a drug blocking an ageing-associated enzyme can restore lost connections between nerves and muscles in older mice, potentially combating muscle weakness due to increased age or disease. This restoration of neuromuscular junctions can enhance muscle strength and function
These studies highlight the importance of maintaining nerve-muscle connections, such as through proteins like dystrophin, to preserve muscle mass and function with age.
Sources:
The Neuromuscular Junction: Aging at the Crossroad between Nerves and Muscle — PMC (nih.gov)
