Transcriptome changes in adult Rbfox1 and Rbfox2 double knockout muscles (extensor digitorum longus or EDL and soleus)

An understanding of mechanisms important for maintaining skeletal muscle mass will inform strategies to combat muscle atrophies, cachexia, and muscle loss in aging (sarcopenia). Maintenance of skeletal muscle mass requires a dynamic balance between protein synthesis and tightly controlled protein degradation by the calpain, autophagy-lysosome and ubiquitin-proteasome systems (proteostasis). The Rbfox family of RNA binding proteins are highly conserved and regulate tissue-specific splicing. Our results indicate that the Rbfox splicing factors are essential for maintenance of skeletal muscle mass and proteostasis.