Jie Chen, Hong Chen, Xia Dong, Tiankun Hui, Min Yan, Dongyan Ren, Suqi Zou, Shunqi Wang, Erkang Fei, Wenhua Zhang, Xinsheng Lai
Sarcopenia, a progressive and prevalent neuromuscular disorder, is characterized by age-related muscle wasting and weakening. Despite its widespread occurrence, the molecular underpinnings of this disease remain poorly understood. Herein, we report that levels of Agrin, an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein critical for neuromuscular formation, were decreased with age in the skeletal muscles of mice. The conditional loss of Agrin in myogenic progenitors and satellite cells (SCs) (Pax7 Cre:: Agrin flox/flox) causes premature muscle aging, manifesting a distinct sarcopenic phenotype in mice...
March 9, 2024: Cell Death & Disease