Freeze-fracture studies of myofiber plasma membrane in X chromosome-linked muscular dystrophy (mdx) mice.

The structure of the muscle plasma membrane of extensor digitorum longus muscles of X chromosome-linked muscular dystrophy (mdx) mice was studied by freeze-fracture technique at several time points after birth. The common denominator of the abnormalities was the decreased density of orthogonal arrays throughout all the time points examined. The results demonstrated that the ultrastructural features of the muscle plasma membrane alterations in mdx mice were similar to those in Duchenne dystrophy.