Patent ID: 7034200

Claim:
A method for producing a transgenic mouse, the method comprising the steps of: a) introducing a polynucleotide into a mouse cell, wherein said polynucleotide is operably linked to a heart-specific promoter and encodes a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2; b) allowing said cell from step a) to develop into a transgenic mouse, wherein said cell of step a) is a pronuclei of a fertilized oocyte, said method further comprising implanting said fertilized oocyte into a pseudopregnant mouse; or wherein said cell of step a) is an embryonic stem cell; said polynucleotide is integrated into a genomic DNA of said embryonic stem cell; and said embryonic stem cell is introduced into a developing embryo, and wherein the transgenic mouse overexpresses the polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 2 and develops myocyte hypertrophy or heart fibrosis during its life time.