COSTAMERE

The 'costamere' is a structural-functional component of skeletal muscle cells which, according to original descriptions in the early 1980s (which are generally still accepted), are sub-sarcolemmal protein assemblies circumferentially aligned in register with the Z-disk of peripheral myofibrils. They physically couple force-generating sarcomeres with the sarcolemma in striated muscle cells and are thus considered the "Achilles heel", i.e. the key vulnerable point of the muscle which are defective in many myopathies ^[1]
The costamere is also known as the 'dystrophin-associated protein complex (DAPC)' as well as the 'dystroglycan complex', due to the presence of the proteins that are enriched there.

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References

References

1. James M. Ervasti
Costameres: the Achilles' Heel of Herculean Muscle
J. Biol. Chem. 278: 13591-13594.
http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/full/278/16/13591