The research report describing our tropomodulin transgenic mice is the featured cover article in the Journal of Clinical Investigation published in January 1998 (Volume 101, number 1, pages 51-61). The legend describing the cover (shown below the cover photo) is printed below the table of contents for the issue.

We would like to thank JCI and compliment them on their choice of cover artwork!

Click on the cover to see it in detail!


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The research report describing our work on the effect of altered tropomodulin expression upon myofibril structure in cardiomyocytes is the featured article in Circulation Research published in January 1998 (Volume 82, number 1, pages 94-105).

This is the first issue of Circulation Research to show a photo on the cover!

We would like to thank Circulation Research and compliment them on their choice of cover artwork!

Click on the cover to see it in detail!


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These are views of hearts from transgenic mice which overexpress tropomodulin compared to nontransgenic control mice. The most prominent feature in a transgenic heart (A) is marked enlargement of the right atrium (ra) and right ventricle (rv). The right ventricle is translucent due to thinning of the wall, and the heart is significantly larger than control hearts from nontransgenic siblings (A, inset, transgenic heart on right with two nontransgenic hearts). Age matched hearts (B) from control and transgenic mice are bisected (without prior fixation) to show significant increases in chamber sizes throughout the heart, particularly dilation of the right ventricle. Size matched hearts (C) from a 14 week old control and 3.5 week old transgenic mouse are bisected (after formalin fixation) to show overall thinning of myocardium, dilation of chambers, and thrombus formation in the left atrium.

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This is a single cardiomyocyte isolated from the heart of a normal mouse which has been labeled with antibodies to two different proteins which are normally present in myofibrils. The alternating bands of tropomodulin (green) and alpha-actinin (red) show the dense packing of myofibril throughout the interior of the cell.

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This is another single cardiomyocyte, but this cell was isolated from the heart of a transgenic mouse which overexpresses tropomodulin. Like the cell shown above, it has been labeled with antibodies to tropomodulin (green) and alpha-actinin (red). The normal alternating pattern of tropomodulin and alpha-actinin immunoreactivity has been disturbed. The yellow color indicates colocalization of both red and green labels (an abnormal distribution). Transgenic mice with this level of tropomodulin overexpression suffer from cardiomyopathy, and our ongoing studies are directed at understanding the mechanism of cardiac failure in these mice.

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This cardiomyocyte has been stained with three different labels to show sarcomeric structure. The colors shown represent tropomodulin (blue), alpha-actinin (red), and actin filaments (green). Both tropomodulin and alpha-actinin were labeled with antibodies, whereas actin filaments were labeled with fluorescent-tagged phalloidin.

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Another triple labeled cardiomyocyte as described above.

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