“…Indeed, within the abnormal DRM linked protein inclusions, desmin co-aggregates consistently with numerous proteins, associated directly or indirectly with the desmin network, including αB-crystallin, hsp27, synemin, syncoilin, nestin, plectin, filamin C, hsp72/73, myotilin, dystrophin, utrophin, α & β-dystroglycan, α, β, γ & δ-sarcoglycans, caveolin, dysferlin, actin, actinin, N-CAM, NOS, collagen VI, laminin, β-spectrin, and ubiquitin (reviewed in [7]). Some of these data were recently confirmed by a proteomic analysis of skeletal muscle biopsies of DRM patients which identified 22 proteins significantly over-represented in the aggregates, with desmin and filamin C having the highest spectral index, followed by Xirp2, αB-crystallin, N-RAP, Xin and Hsp27 [28]. On the other hand, besides desmin, human mutations in most of the above proteins and some additional ones (such as myotubularin [29] and the nuclear lamins A/C, emerin and LAP2a), lead to myopathy and cardiomyopathy, strongly suggesting that desmin might be a common denominator in most of these cases, regardless of the mutated protein.…”