Figure 6

Markers of heart dysfunction. (A) Csrp2 nulls show less pronounced alterations in the distribution of intercalated disc-associated proteins than observed in Csrp3/Mlp disrupted mice. Micrographs of longitudinal frozen sections of ventricular tissues from wild-type (panel A, D, G), Csrp3/Mlp^-/- (panel B, E, H) and Csrp2^-/- (panel C, F, I) mice, stained with antibodies against β-catenin (panel A-C), connexin-43 (panel D-F) and N-RAP (panel G-I) antibodies. While β-catenin and N-RAP expression are significantly upregulated in Csrp3/Mlp deficient mice (panel B, H) and to a lesser extent in Csrp2^-/- mice (panel C, I), connexin-43 expression is reduced in Csrp3/Mlp^-/- as well as Csrp2^-/- mice (panel F). The space bar represents 10 μM.(B) Western blot analysis of N-RAP and β-catenin. Heart extracts from normal (WT), Csrp2- and MLP-deficient mice were probed with antibodies specific for N-RAP and β-catenin. Equal loading was demonstrated in Ponceau Red stain.