© 2004 by European Society of Cardiology
Copyright © 2004, European Society of Cardiology
Genetically modified mice: tools to decode the functions of connexins in the heart—new models for cardiovascular research
Laboratoire de Génétique et Physiologie du Développement (UMR CNRS 6545), Campus de Luminy, Case 907, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseilles cedex 13288, France
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +33-491-26-97-32; fax: +33-491-26-97-26. Email address: gros{at}ibdm.univ-mrs.fr
It has long been known that gap junctions are required for the propagation of electrical impulse in the heart. A good deal later, the connexins (Cxs), which are probably exclusive components of the junctional channels that constitute the gap junctions, were identified. More recently, the in vivo functions of cardiac Cxs have been investigated by the analysis of genetically modified mice. These studies have confirmed that Cxs are involved in cardiac impulse conduction, and, unexpectedly, in heart morphogenesis. In addition, cardiac abnormalities described in mice genetically modified for Cx genes, and those observed in certain human cardiac diseases, have been proven to be similar.
KEYWORDS Connexins; Arrhythmia (mechanisms); Conduction (block); Sudden death; Developmental biology
1 Present address: National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, UK.
2 Present address: Laboratoire de Physiopathologie et Pharmacologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire (U INSERM 533), Nantes, France.
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