Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an inherited autosomal dominant disorder of heart muscle characterized by unexplained ventricular hypertrophy with myofibrilar disarray. We have recently mapped the gene bearing defects responsible for this disorder in two unrelated families (families A and B) to chromosome 14 band q11. Further, we have very suggestive evidence that affected members of family B bear defects in a cardiac myosin heavy chain gene (located on chromosome 14 band q11). Here we propose to confirm that the gene defect responsible for FHC in affected members of the unrelated family A, is also in a myosin heavy chain gene (Alpha or Beta). Further we will determine whether expression of defective human cardiac myosin genes in rat cytes causes myofibrillar disarray and whether expression of this gene in a transgenic mouse causes cardiac hypertrophy. Finally we will attempt to define the features of myosin that can count for this disorder. Specifically we propose to: 1. Define the structure of the cardiac myosin heavy chain genes in affected members of A and other families whose FHC locus is genetically linked to chromosome 14. 2. Determine whether the altered nucleotide sequences found in the mutant myosin genes cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. 3. Construct variants of the cardiac myosin heavy chain genes and define those regions that can cause cardiac hypertrophy. 4. Demonstrate that a defective myosin molecule is present in cardiac tissue of affected individuals.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HL046320-03
Application #
3365424
Study Section
Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research A Study Section (CVA)
Project Start
1991-06-11
Project End
1995-05-31
Budget Start
1993-06-01
Budget End
1994-05-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1993
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Harvard University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
082359691
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02115
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Anan, R; Greve, G; Thierfelder, L et al. (1994) Prognostic implications of novel beta cardiac myosin heavy chain gene mutations that cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. J Clin Invest 93:280-5
MacRae, C A; Watkins, H C; Jarcho, J A et al. (1994) An evaluation of ribonuclease protection assays for the detection of beta-cardiac myosin heavy chain gene mutations. Circulation 89:33-5
Thierfelder, L; Watkins, H; MacRae, C et al. (1994) Alpha-tropomyosin and cardiac troponin T mutations cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a disease of the sarcomere. Cell 77:701-12
Watkins, H; MacRae, C; Thierfelder, L et al. (1993) A disease locus for familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy maps to chromosome 1q3. Nat Genet 3:333-7
Watkins, H; Thierfelder, L; Anan, R et al. (1993) Independent origin of identical beta cardiac myosin heavy-chain mutations in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Am J Hum Genet 53:1180-5
Thierfelder, L; MacRae, C; Watkins, H et al. (1993) A familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy locus maps to chromosome 15q2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 90:6270-4
Watkins, H; Thierfelder, L; Hwang, D S et al. (1992) Sporadic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy due to de novo myosin mutations. J Clin Invest 90:1666-71
Watkins, H; Rosenzweig, A; Hwang, D S et al. (1992) Characteristics and prognostic implications of myosin missense mutations in familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. N Engl J Med 326:1108-14
Watkins, H; Seidman, C E; MacRae, C et al. (1992) Progress in familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: molecular genetic analyses in the original family studied by Teare. Br Heart J 67:34-8

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