Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) can mediate both cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesions, aswelt as govern the most fundamental properties within multicellular organisms, including cell morphology,migration, proliferation, differentiation, tissue morphogenesis, and embryonic development. Recent studieshave now also revealed that mutations in genes encoding CAMs are found and associated with variousdiseases, including cancers, autoimmune diseases as well as cardiomyopathiesThis proposal is to test the central hypothesis that cardiac components of cell-cell (ie. plakoglobin), and/orcell-ECM (ie.PINCH) adhesion complexes play important roles in the etiology of arrhythmogenic rightventricular dysplasia/ cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) and cardiac function and/or repair. Accordingly, the specificaims are:
Specific Aim 1 : To understand the molecular mechanism by which the human plakoglobin mutation results inNaxos disease, a recessive form of ARVD/C.
Specific Aim 2 : To determine whether the ARVD/C phenotype results from a cell autonomous requirementfor plakoglobin in cardiomyocytes and to understand the role of ICD and cytoplasmic/nuclear plakoglobin inthis disease.
Specific Aim 3 : To study the functional role of PINCH in cardiac development, injury, and repair.
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