Figure 1 | Gene Therapy

Figure 1

From: Cardiac gene therapy: Pumping up the heart

Figure 1

Contractile function of heart cells. (a) Normal heart, resting. Nonphosphorylated phospholamban binds to sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA), suppressing Ca2+ cycling, maintaining a resting level of contractility. (b) Normal heart, activated. Phosphorylation of phospholamban removes the resting SERCA suppression, enhances SERCA-mediated Ca2+ cycling, and thus contractility. (c) Gene therapy with S16E phospholamban. Gene transfer of a pseudophosphorylated form of phospholamban (S16E) results in persistent SERCA-mediated Ca2+ cycling, and thus persistent enhanced contractility.

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