Synemin (SYNM)

Synemin is a large, unusual intermediate filament protein essential for maintaining the structural integrity and mechanical resilience of muscle and other tissues. It interacts with other cytoskeletal proteins—such as desmin, vimentin, dystrophin, talin, vinculin, and titin—to form heteropolymers that link the myofibrillar apparatus to membrane complexes like costameres and intercalated discs in striated muscle, facilitating force transmission and stability. Synemin uniquely functions not only as a structural cytoskeletal protein but also as a signaling scaffold—serving as an A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP), organizing protein kinase A (PKA) and phosphatase interactions, and participating in PI3K-Akt signaling. Isoforms alpha and beta display tissue- and function-specific roles. Mutations in the SYNM gene cause severe cardiac disease and rare syndromes affecting multiple tissues. Synemin is widely distributed across tissues, with prominent roles in muscle, astrocytes, and certain cancers; its aberrant expression or localization correlates with several human diseases, primarily in the heart and skeletal muscle, as well as in cancer progression and resistance

Other names

DesmuslinSYNMDMNKIAA0353SYNsynemin alphasynemin betaintermediate filament proteinsynemindesmuslin