The proteolytic systems of muscle wasting

Skeletal muscle represents one of the most plastic tissues of our body thanks to the presence of heterogeneous population of myofibers that confer to skeletal muscle the functional plasticity necessary to modulate its morpho-fuctional properties in response to a wide range of external factors. Thus, alteration in fiber type composition represents a major component in muscle wasting associated with muscle diseases. Several mechanisms have been proposed to account for the alteration in the morpho-functional properties of skeletal muscle under pathological conditions. In this review we will discuss the potential catabolic mediators of muscle atrophy and wasting.