Costamere

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Costameres are structural-functional component of skeletal muscles which, according to original descriptions in the early 1980s (which are generally still accepted), are sub-sarcolemmal protein assemblies circumferentially aligned in register with the Z-disk of peripheral myofibrils. They physically couple force-generating sarcomeres with the sarcolemma in striated muscle cells and are thus considered the "Achiles hill" ie the key vulnerable point of the muscle which are defective in many myopathies ^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ James M. Ervasti Costameres: the Achilles' Heel of Herculean Muscle J. Biol. Chem. 278: 13591-13594. http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/full/278/16/13591