Abstract

The family of mammalian sialidases is composed of four distinct versatile enzymes
that remove negatively charged terminal sialic acid residues from gangliosides and
glycoproteins in different subcellular areas and organelles, including lysosomes,
cytosol, plasma membrane and mitochondria. In this review we summarize the growing
body of data describing the important role of sialidases in skeletal muscle, a complex
apparatus involved in numerous key functions and whose functional integrity can be
affected by various conditions, such as aging, chronic diseases, cancer and neuromuscular
disorders. In addition to supporting the proper catabolism of glycoconjugates, sialidases
can affect different signaling pathways by desialylation of many receptors and modulation
of ganglioside content in cell membranes, thus actively participating in myoblast
proliferation, differentiation and hypertrophy, insulin responsiveness and skeletal
muscle architecture.