Abstract
The heart of higher vertebrates becomes functional during early development and is essential to support embryonic life. When other tissues are still in the process of determination, cardiac cells are already functional and contract. Any impairment of their performance is fatal for the embryo, as shown by the many cases of embryonic lethality in knockout mice due to malfunction of the heart. Cardiomyocytes are highly specialized cells, able to convert chemical energy into mechanical contraction, and their work is essential to move body fluids already in the very primitive embryo. During the cardiac developmental program, cells accumulate sarcomeric proteins in a characteristic mixture in the cytoplasm. Their cytoarchitecture develops and myofibrils, with their basic functional units—the sarcomeres—are assembled with astonishing precision. A sarcomere spans between two Z-disks, where the thin (actin) filaments are anchored. In the middle of the sarcomere is a defined structure called the M-band, which serves for the integration of the thick (myosin) filaments. The third filament system is composed of individual titin molecules that stretch from the Z-disk all the way to the M-band. Although the general organization appears to be identical in heart and skeletal muscle, there are slight adaptations to ensure optimal function.
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Ehler, E., Perriard, JC. (2002). Emergence of the First Myofibrils and Targeting Mechanisms Directing Sarcomere Assembly in Developing Cardiomyocytes. In: Dube, D.K. (eds) Myofibrillogenesis. Cardiovascular Molecular Morphogenesis. Birkhäuser, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-0199-1_3
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