Cardiac-specific loss of N-cadherin leads to alteration in connexins with conduction slowing and arrhythmogenesis.
Circ Res
; 97(5): 474-81, 2005 Sep 02.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-16100040
ABSTRACT
The remodeling of ventricular gap junctions, as defined by changes in size, distribution, or function, is a prominent feature of diseased myocardium. However, the regulation of assembly and maintenance of gap junctions remains poorly understood. To investigate N-cadherin function in the adult myocardium, we used a floxed N-cadherin gene in conjunction with a cardiac-specific tamoxifen-inducible Cre transgene. The mutant animals appeared active and healthy until their sudden death approximately 2 months after deleting N-cadherin from the heart. Electrophysiologic analysis revealed abnormal conduction in the ventricles of mutant animals, including diminished QRS complex amplitude consistent with loss of electrical coupling in the myocardium. A significant decrease in the gap junction proteins, connexin-43 and connexin-40, was observed in N-cadherin-depleted myocytes. Perturbation of connexin function resulted in decreased ventricular conduction velocity, as determined by optical mapping. Our data suggest that perturbation of the N-cadherin/catenin complex in heart disease may be an underlying cause, leading to the establishment of the arrythmogenic substrate by destabilizing gap junctions at the cell surface.
Search on Google
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Arrhythmias, Cardiac
/
Cadherins
/
Connexins
/
Connexin 43
/
Myocytes, Cardiac
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Circ Res
Year:
2005
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States