dystrophin

Term: dystrophin

Literally meaning: “malnutrition ”

Origin: Anc Greek

+δυσ-/dys-(=prefix used with a negative sense meaning “difficult”, “bad”, “abnormal”, “misfortune”) > δύω/dyo(=decline) δύση/dysi(=sundown)

+ τροφή/trophe(=food, nourishment )> δρέπω/drepo(=gather))

Coined/History

In the 1860s   French physician Guillaume Duchenne (1806-1875) noticed that the muscles in some young boys were weakening as he believed that dystrophy progressed as muscles continued to develop without the nutrients they needed. In 1987 a protein was identified that named dystrophin because of its abnormal form causes muscular dystrophy.

Sourse

 Hoffman E, Brown R, Kunkel L (1987). "Dystrophin: the protein product of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy locus". Cell 51 (6): 919–28. 

Definition

Dystrophin is a large (427kDa) muscle cytoskeleton protein, 3684 aminoacids long, with significant role in the maintance of cellular structure. In humans, the absence or abnormality of dystrophin leads to Duchenne or Becker muscular dystropy.