Monthly Archives: December 2011

Dystrophin/dysferlin null mice as useful therapeutic models

It is well known that some forms of muscular dystrophies are caused by mutations in the genes coding for dystrophin and dysferlin – two proteins which both have important roles in the correct functioning of skeletal muscle. The dystrophin protein is located in the plasma membrane of skeletal muscle, and is an integral part of… Read more »

Christmas comments from ‘Mark my words’

Mark Jobling, a welcome trust senior research fellow, and professor of genetics at Leicester University, presents a series of short commentaries published in Investigative Genetics every two months. His column provides a thoughtful discussion of the world of genetics, across a varied  range of topics- reflecting the wide scope of the journal. In this month’s… Read more »

EvoDevo: can cytasters shed light on eumetazoan phylogeny?

Cytasters (or cytoplasmic asters) can be found in the cortical cytoplasm of the bilaterian egg and zygote; they are centriole-based nucleation centers of microtubule polymerization. Cytasters play an important role in development, and are thought to be responsible for the organization of the ectoplasmic domain where networks of connected cytasters form the cortical microtubule cytoskeleton… Read more »