Paradigm Shifts in Cardiovascular Research From Caenorhabditis elegans Muscle

Research on Caenorhabditis elegans has led to the discovery of the consequences of mutation in myosin, its associated proteins, and the extracellular matrix–membrane cytoskeleton complex. Key results include understanding thick filament structure and assembly, the regulation of sarcomeric protein turnover, and the organization of thick and thin filaments into ordered sarcomeres. These results are critical to studies of cardiovascular diseases such as the cardiomyopathies, congenital septal defects, aneurysms of the thoracic aorta, and cardiac remodeling in heart failure.