The interaction betweena-dystroglycan (a-DG) andb-dystroglycan (b-DG), the two constituent subunits of the adhesion complex dystroglycan, is crucial in maintaining the integrity of the dystrophin–glycoprotein complex. The importance of the a–binterface can be seen in the skeletal muscle of humans affected by severe conditions, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, where thea–binteraction can be secondarily weakened or completely lost, causing sarcolemmal instability and muscular necrosis.
