Determine if there is functional compensation during cardiac development between the Prx1 and 2 genes. I am interbreeding the two different strains of mutant mice and analyzing the progeny. The embryonic cardiac development of the mutants are being examined by traditional histological methods as well as by newer techniques such as confocal microscopy. The department has a modern imaging facility complete with confocal microscope, Silicon Graphics software, and Power Macintosh computers for 3-D analysis of the data. The mutants will also be analyzed by the departmental scanning and transmission electron microscopes.
Congenital heart defects in infants and adult cardiac diseases are a major cause of mortality.
Recent Publications Kern, M.J., Argao, E.A., Birkenmeier, E. Rowe., L., Potter, S.S. Genomic organization and chromosomal localization of the murine homeobox gene, Pmx. Homeobox Genes and Heart Development.