Mutations in dysferlin, a protein associated with the plasma membrane, can cause muscle weakness that affects both proximal and distal muscles. The protein encoded by this gene is a type II membrane protein that is structurally similar to dysferlin. It is a member of the ferlin family and associates with both plasma and nuclear membranes. Myoferlin contains C2 domains that play a role in calcium-mediated membrane fusion events, suggesting that it may be involved in membrane regeneration and repair. Myoferlin also contains a FerA domain. FerA domains have been shown to interact with the membrane, suggesting that FerA domain in myoferlin may contribute to myoferlin's membrane interaction mechanism.[9] Myoferlin is overexpressed in several types of cancers, especially triple-negative breast cancer. Overexpression of myoferlin is associated with proliferation, migration and invasion of cancer cells and silencing myoferlin's gene in triple-negative breast cancer can significantly reduce tumor growth and metastatic progression.[10] Two transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene. Other possible variants have been detected, but their full-length natures have not been determined.[8]
^Britton S, Freeman T, Vafiadaki E, Keers S, Harrison R, Bushby K, Bashir R (Nov 2000). "The third human FER-1-like protein is highly similar to dysferlin". Genomics. 68 (3): 313–21. doi:10.1006/geno.2000.6290. PMID10995573.
