beta 2-Syntrophin: localization at the neuromuscular junction in skeletal muscle

The syntrophins are a multigene family of proteins which bind C-terminal domains of dystrophin, utrophin and homologs thereof. We report here that antibodies specific for one isoform, beta 2-syntrophin, labeled only the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in rat skeletal muscle. Anti-alpha 1-syntrophin antibodies gave strong labeling of the sarcolemma and NMJ in normal rat and mouse muscle, and similar but much weaker labeling in dystrophin-minus mdx muscle. beta 2-Syntrophin therefore appears to be specific to the NMJ in normal muscle, as is utrophin, and may be involved in acetylcholine receptor clustering. alpha 1-Syntrophin appears to be associated mainly with dystrophin, as expected, but a small portion must be associated with another protein, possibly homologs of the electric tissue 87K protein.