Gap junctions are essential to the function of multicellular animals, which require a high
degree of coordination between cells. In vertebrates, gap junctions comprise connexins and …

The connexin family of channel-forming proteins is present in every tissue type in the human
anatomy. Connexins are best known for forming clustered intercellular channels, structurally …

Abstract Moorman, Antoon FM, and Vincent M. Christoffels. Cardiac Chamber Formation:
Development, Genes, and Evolution. Physiol Rev 83: 1223-1267, 2003; 10.1152/physrev …

Adjacent cells share ions, second messengers and small metabotes through intercellular
channels which are present in gap junctions. This type of intercellular communication …

The therapeutic success of human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes critically depends on
their ability to respond to and integrate with the surrounding electromechanical environment …

The sinus node (or sinoatrial node [SAN]), the pacemaker of the heart, is a functionally and
structurally heterogeneous tissue, which consists of a large “head” within the right caval vein …

Objective: The molecular mechanisms that regulate the formation of the conduction system
are poorly understood. We studied the developmental expression pattern and functional …

Genetic approaches have succeeded in defining the molecular basis of an increasing array
of heart diseases, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the long-QT syndromes …

During heart development, chamber myocardium forms locally from the embryonic
myocardium of the tubular heart. The atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) gene is specifically …

Rationale: Human embryonic stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) exhibit either
a “working” chamber or a nodal-like phenotype. To generate optimal hESC-CM preparations …