Dystroglycan (DG) is an adhesion molecule playing a crucial role for tissue stability during both early embriogenesis and adulthood and is composed by two tightly interacting subunits: R-DG, membrane-associated and highly glycosylated, and the transmembrane -DG. Recently, by solid-phase binding assays and NMR experiments, we have shown that the C-terminal domain of R-DG interacts with a recombinant extracellular fragment of -DG (positions 654-750) independently from glycosylation and that the linear binding epitope is located between residues 550 and 565 of R-DG. In order to elucidate which moieties of -DG are specifically involved in the complex with R-DG, the ectodomain has been recombinantly expressed and purified in a labeled ( 13 C, 15 N) form and studied by multidimensional NMR. Although it represents a natively unfolded protein domain, we obtained an almost complete backbone assignment. Chemical shift index, 1 H-15 N heteronuclear single-quantum coherence and nuclear Overhauser effect (HSQC-NOESY) spectra and 3 J HN,HR coupling constant values confirm that this protein is highly disordered, but 1 H-15 N steady-state NOE experiments indicate that the protein presents two regions of different mobility. The first one, between residues 659 and 722, is characterized by a limited degree of mobility, whereas the C-terminal portion, containing about 30 amino acids, is highly flexible. The binding of -DG(654-750) to the C-terminal region of the R subunit, R-DG(485-620), has been investigated, showing that the region of -DG(654-750) between residues 691 and 719 is involved in the interaction. † The financial support of CNR, target project "Biotechnology" and