titin
Last updated 20 Nov 2025
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The TTN gene provides instructions for making a very large protein called titin. This protein plays an important role in skeletal muscles, which the body uses for movement, and in heart (cardiac) muscle. Slightly different versions (called isoforms) of titin are made from the TTN gene in different muscles.
Normal function
The TTN gene provides instructions for making a very large protein called titin. This protein plays an important role in skeletal muscles, which the body uses for movement, and in heart (cardiac) muscle. Slightly different versions (called isoforms) of titin are made from the TTN gene in different muscles.
Within muscle cells, titin is an essential component of structures called sarcomeres. Sarcomeres are the basic units of muscle tensing (contraction); they are made of proteins that generate the mechanical force needed for muscles to contract. Titin has several functions within sarcomeres. One of the protein's main jobs is to provide structure, flexibility, and stability to these cell structures. Titin interacts with other muscle proteins, including actin and myosin, to keep the components of sarcomeres in place as muscles contract and relax. Titin also contains a spring-like region that allows muscles to stretch. Additionally, researchers have found that titin plays a role in chemical signaling and in assembling new sarcomeres.
Conditions referring to this gene or chromosome
Other names
CMH9
CMPD4
CONNECTIN
EOMFC
LGMD2J
MYLK5
TITIN_HUMAN
TMD
Further reading and references
- titin; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Carmignac V, Salih MA, Quijano-Roy S, Marchand S, Al Rayess MM, Mukhtar MM, Urtizberea JA, Labeit S, Guicheney P, Leturcq F, Gautel M, Fardeau M, Campbell KP, Richard I, Estournet B, Ferreiro A. C-terminal titin deletions cause a novel early-onset myopathy with fatal cardiomyopathy. Ann Neurol. 2007 Apr;61(4):340-51. doi: 10.1002/ana.21089.
- Chauveau C, Rowell J, Ferreiro A. A rising titan: TTN review and mutation update. Hum Mutat. 2014 Sep;35(9):1046-59. doi: 10.1002/humu.22611. Epub 2014 Jul 21.
- Fukuzawa A, Lange S, Holt M, Vihola A, Carmignac V, Ferreiro A, Udd B, Gautel M. Interactions with titin and myomesin target obscurin and obscurin-like 1 to the M-band: implications for hereditary myopathies. J Cell Sci. 2008 Jun 1;121(11):1841-51. doi: 10.1242/jcs.028019. Epub 2008 May 13.
- Gerull B, Gramlich M, Atherton J, McNabb M, Trombitas K, Sasse-Klaassen S, Seidman JG, Seidman C, Granzier H, Labeit S, Frenneaux M, Thierfelder L. Mutations of TTN, encoding the giant muscle filament titin, cause familial dilated cardiomyopathy. Nat Genet. 2002 Feb;30(2):201-4. doi: 10.1038/ng815. Epub 2002 Jan 14.
- Gerull B. The Rapidly Evolving Role of Titin in Cardiac Physiology and Cardiomyopathy. Can J Cardiol. 2015 Nov;31(11):1351-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2015.08.016. Epub 2015 Aug 28.
- Hackman JP, Vihola AK, Udd AB. The role of titin in muscular disorders. Ann Med. 2003;35(6):434-41. doi: 10.1080/07853890310012797.
- Hackman P, Marchand S, Sarparanta J, Vihola A, Penisson-Besnier I, Eymard B, Pardal-Fernandez JM, Hammouda el-H, Richard I, Illa I, Udd B. Truncating mutations in C-terminal titin may cause more severe tibial muscular dystrophy (TMD). Neuromuscul Disord. 2008 Dec;18(12):922-8. doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2008.07.010. Epub 2008 Oct 22.
- Hackman P, Vihola A, Haravuori H, Marchand S, Sarparanta J, De Seze J, Labeit S, Witt C, Peltonen L, Richard I, Udd B. Tibial muscular dystrophy is a titinopathy caused by mutations in TTN, the gene encoding the giant skeletal-muscle protein titin. Am J Hum Genet. 2002 Sep;71(3):492-500. doi: 10.1086/342380. Epub 2002 Jul 26.
- Herman DS, Lam L, Taylor MR, Wang L, Teekakirikul P, Christodoulou D, Conner L, DePalma SR, McDonough B, Sparks E, Teodorescu DL, Cirino AL, Banner NR, Pennell DJ, Graw S, Merlo M, Di Lenarda A, Sinagra G, Bos JM, Ackerman MJ, Mitchell RN, Murry CE, Lakdawala NK, Ho CY, Barton PJ, Cook SA, Mestroni L, Seidman JG, Seidman CE. Truncations of titin causing dilated cardiomyopathy. N Engl J Med. 2012 Feb 16;366(7):619-28. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1110186.
- Lange S, Xiang F, Yakovenko A, Vihola A, Hackman P, Rostkova E, Kristensen J, Brandmeier B, Franzen G, Hedberg B, Gunnarsson LG, Hughes SM, Marchand S, Sejersen T, Richard I, Edstrom L, Ehler E, Udd B, Gautel M. The kinase domain of titin controls muscle gene expression and protein turnover. Science. 2005 Jun 10;308(5728):1599-603. doi: 10.1126/science.1110463. Epub 2005 Mar 31.
- Linke WA. Sense and stretchability: the role of titin and titin-associated proteins in myocardial stress-sensing and mechanical dysfunction. Cardiovasc Res. 2008 Mar 1;77(4):637-48. doi: 10.1016/j.cardiores.2007.03.029.
- Norton N, Li D, Rampersaud E, Morales A, Martin ER, Zuchner S, Guo S, Gonzalez M, Hedges DJ, Robertson PD, Krumm N, Nickerson DA, Hershberger RE; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute GO Exome Sequencing Project and the Exome Sequencing Project Family Studies Project Team. Exome sequencing and genome-wide linkage analysis in 17 families illustrate the complex contribution of TTN truncating variants to dilated cardiomyopathy. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2013 Apr;6(2):144-53. doi: 10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.111.000062. Epub 2013 Feb 15.
- Palmio J, Evila A, Chapon F, Tasca G, Xiang F, Bradvik B, Eymard B, Echaniz-Laguna A, Laporte J, Karppa M, Mahjneh I, Quinlivan R, Laforet P, Damian M, Berardo A, Taratuto AL, Bueri JA, Tommiska J, Raivio T, Tuerk M, Golitz P, Chevessier F, Sewry C, Norwood F, Hedberg C, Schroder R, Edstrom L, Oldfors A, Hackman P, Udd B. Hereditary myopathy with early respiratory failure: occurrence in various populations. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2014 Mar;85(3):345-53. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2013-304965. Epub 2013 Apr 19.
- Penisson-Besnier I, Hackman P, Suominen T, Sarparanta J, Huovinen S, Richard-Cremieux I, Udd B. Myopathies caused by homozygous titin mutations: limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2J and variations of phenotype. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2010 Nov;81(11):1200-2. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2009.178434. Epub 2010 Jun 22.
- Savarese M, Sarparanta J, Vihola A, Udd B, Hackman P. Increasing Role of Titin Mutations in Neuromuscular Disorders. J Neuromuscul Dis. 2016 Aug 30;3(3):293-308. doi: 10.3233/JND-160158.
- Udd B, Vihola A, Sarparanta J, Richard I, Hackman P. Titinopathies and extension of the M-line mutation phenotype beyond distal myopathy and LGMD2J. Neurology. 2005 Feb 22;64(4):636-42. doi: 10.1212/01.WNL.0000151853.50144.82.
- Udd B. Distal myopathies. Handb Clin Neurol. 2007;86:215-41. doi: 10.1016/S0072-9752(07)86011-8. No abstract available.
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