Skeletal muscle atrophy is a highly-prevalent and debilitating condition that remains poorly
understood at the molecular level. Previous work found that aging, fasting, and
immobilization promote skeletal muscle atrophy via expression of activating transcription
factor 4 (ATF4) in skeletal muscle fibers. However, the direct biochemical mechanism by
which ATF4 promotes muscle atrophy is unknown. ATF4 is a member of the basic leucine
zipper transcription factor (bZIP) superfamily. Because bZIP transcription factors are obligate …