PBIO SEMINAR SERIES

Engraftment of embryonic cardiomyocytes augments conduction and decreases arrhythmias in infarcted mouse hearts: genetic tools to probe complex function.

Wednesday - October 18, 2006
06-07 Seminar Series

Michael Kotlikoff
Professor and Chair Cornell University
Speaker's website

Host: Fernando Santana

The seminar will cover recent advances in the design of genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators, their expression in mice, and their use in vivo. The second half of the seminar will cover our recent work which uses cells from mice expressing these indicators to understand the functional effect of cell replacement in the injured heart. Data will be presented demonstrating a prominent anti-arrhythmic effect of the engraftment of embryonic cardiomyocytes, but not skeletal myoblasts or fibroblasts, and describe the mechanism of this protection by the examination of the electrical coupling of engrafted cells.