Sarcolemma

The sarcolemma is the cell membrane of a muscle cell. The membrane is designed to receive and conduct stimuli. Alterations in the sarcolemmal membrane stability and repair system can lead to muscular dystrophy. The mechanism of muscular dystrophy is lack of functional dystrophin. This means that the sarcolemma is not attached to the cytoskeleton. Therefore during muscle contraction, the sarcolemma is not synchronized with the interior of the cell. The looseness of the sarcolemma permits membrane calcium channels to open. The rise in internal calcium ions causes activation of the proteolytic enzyme calpain, which digests proteins including contractile proteins, rendering the muscle much weaker.The sarcolemma invaginates into the cytoplasm of the muscle cell, forming membranous tubules called transverse tubules . Sarcoplasmic reticulum is the enlargement of smooth endoplasmic reticulum found in muscle cells on either side of the transverse tubules. The triad of transverse tubules surrounded by two smooth ER cisternae transmit altered membrane permeability down the tubules. The nuclei lie just adjacent to the sarcolemma, at the periphery of the fiber.This membrane is extensible and encloses the contractile substance of a muscle fiber. (From the Wikpedia article Sarcolemma.)

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Recent Publications on Sarcolemma:
Analysis of skeletal muscle function in the C57BL6/SV129 syncoilin knockout mouse. Syncoilin is a 64-kDa intermediate filament protein expressed in skeletal...	3rd July, 2008	MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and	Mamm Genome. 2008 Jul 2;. DOI Direct Link
Recombinant Adeno-associated Virus Type 8-Mediated Extensive Therapeutic Gene Delivery into Skeletal Muscle of alpha-Sarcoglycan-Deficient Mice. Autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2D (LGMD 2D) is...	27th June, 2008	Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience,	Hum Gene Ther. 2008 Jun 25;. DOI Direct Link
Costameric proteins in human skeletal muscle during muscular inactivity. Costameres are regions that are associated with the sarcolemma of skeletal...	10th June, 2008	Department of Biomorphology and Biotechnologies, University of Messina,	J Anat. 2008 Jun 5;. DOI Direct Link
Morphological alterations in skeletal muscle of spontaneously hypertensive rats. The Extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and the soleus muscles of...	6th June, 2008	Institute of Experimental Medicine, Section of Muscle Adaptation, Central	Invest Clin. 2008 Mar;49(1):79-91.
Additive cardioprotection by ethanol and sevoflurane: are sarcolemmal K ATP channels also involved? To investigate the defective calcium regulation of dystrophin-deficient...	6th June, 2008		Anesth Analg. 2008 Jun;106(6):1926; author reply 1926-7. DOI Direct Link
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Sarcolemma Patents:
US Patent No.	Title
6875418	Method of early detection of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular disease
7060871	Use of exogenous .beta.-adrenergic receptor and .beta.-adrenergic receptor kinase gene constructs to enhance myocardial function
7075640	Consumable for laser capture microdissection
7091238	Thienylhydrazon with digitalis-like properties (positive inotropic effects)
7112321	Adeno-associated virus-mediated delivery of GDNF to skeletal muscles
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