Irx3 is required for postnatal maturation of the mouse ventricular conduction system.

ABSTRACT: The ventricular conduction system (VCS) orchestrates the harmonious contraction in every heartbeat. Defects in the VCS are often associated with life-threatening arrhythmias and also promote adverse remodeling in heart disease. We have previously established that the Irx3 homeobox gene regulates rapid electrical propagation in the VCS by modulating the transcription of gap junction proteins Cx40 and Cx43. However, it is unknown whether other factors contribute to the conduction defects observed in Irx3 knockout (Irx3(-/-)) mice. In this study, we show that during the early postnatal period, Irx3(-/-) mice develop morphological defects in the VCS which are temporally dissociated from changes in gap junction expression. These morphological defects were accompanied with progressive changes in

SUBMITTER: Kim KH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4726432 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature