Conserved differential expression of DDX helicase and CPEB genes in skeletal muscles potentially influences neuromuscular junctions during aging: a computational analysis.

Locomotion in animals depends on muscle activity, controlled by the central nervous system. The neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) are specialized synapses pivotal in neural control of muscle function. Declining muscle function is a characteristic of aging (sarcopenia), and gradual loss of NMJ function could contribute to sarcopenia. The NMJs are cellular ensembles comprising presynaptic axon terminals, postsynaptic muscle cell, and the perisynaptic glial cells, and a coordination between these components is essential for NMJ development and functioning. At the molecular level, gene expression regulation is fundamental to drive these coordinated cellular processes. Though RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have emerged as a major class of regulatory factors and are also implicated in several neuromuscular disorders, there is no comprehensive understanding of their potential involvement in aging-associated loss of muscular activity. The present study aimed at analysing the expression levels of RBP transcripts showing differential expression patterns during aging and are conserved in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Danio rerio, Mus musculus, and Homo sapiens. DDX helicases from D. melanogaster and humans were found to be downregulated in young muscles, while in young mouse muscle samples, they were upregulated. Also, CPEB transcripts showed differential expression in D. melanogaster, D. rerio, M. musculus, and humans. Further, these proteins interact with other major regulatory factors, and any variations in their levels within the cell can alter the stoichiometry of these interactions, affecting diverse regulatory pathways.