Mechanisms of protein degradation in atrophying muscles: What have we learned during the past decade?

Skeletal muscle atrophy is associated with an imbalance between protein synthesis and degradation, driven by excessive proteolysis.

• Muscle atrophy is linked to conditions like aging, disuse, and chronic diseases.
• Excessive breakdown of proteins leads to loss of muscle contractile proteins, resulting in weakness and metabolic decline.
• Recent advances have revealed that components of muscle structure are degraded by specific cellular processes involving ubiquitin ligases and autophagy.
• Mechanical loading plays a crucial role in regulating protein balance, connecting physical tension to muscle-building signals.
• Transcriptional and epigenetic factors, including specific growth factors and non-coding RNAs, also play a role in muscle wasting.
• Potential therapeutic strategies include restoring mitochondrial function and targeting RNA networks to help preserve muscle mass.

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