Duchenne Dystrophy: Alteration in Muscle Plasma Membrane Structure

Freeze fracture studies of skeletal muscle from eight patients with Duchenne dystrophy showed nonuniform distribution and depletion of particles on both protoplasmic and extracellular faces of the muscle plasma membrane. The findings support the view that the muscle surface membrane is abnormal in this disorder and indicate that alterations are present in the internal molecular architecture of the membrane.