Signal transduction by G proteins in cardiac tissues

Abstract

The role of G proteins in mediating the responses of the heart to circulating catecholamines and to the influences of the autonomic nervous system is of special interest to cardiologists. It is evident that G proteins are essential links in the cascade of biochemical events that ensue when neurotransmitters and hormones interact with receptors on myocardial cells. It is unlikely that dysfunction of G proteins plays a role in cardiovascular pathophysiology. With current methologies, especially molecular biological and recombinant DNA techniques, and with transgenic animal models that can relate physiological function and specific gene dosage,133 some cardiovascular diseases may be traced to G protein-related defects.