Dystroglycan inside and out

Abstract

Dystroglycan connects the extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton. Key findings in the past year indicate that dystroglycan interacts with a wider repertoire of extracellular ligands than originally appreciated, that dystroglycan plays a critical role in organizing extracellular matrix molecules on the cell surface and in basement membranes, and that at least two human pathogens utilize dystroglycan to gain access to host cells. Together, these advances begin to help elucidate important biological roles for dystroglycan in development and disease.