Danio rerio Transcriptome or Gene expression

Atrial cardiomyopathy, which often comes with underlying genetic defects, has been recognized as a possible substrate of atrial fibrillation. MYH6 encodes a-myosin heavy chain (a-MHC), predominantly expressed in the atria and pivotal in sarcomere organization and muscle contraction. However, the role of MYH6 in atrial diseases has not been fully elucidated and the genetic cause of atrial cardiomyopathy needs further investigation. Here, we employed CRISPR/Cas9 to generate myh6 knockout zebrafish, assessing cardiac function through diverse methodologies, including video analysis, ECG, echocardiography, transmission electron microscopy, and transcriptomic sequencing. Our findings revealed that myh6 defects in zebrafish led to impaired atrial and ventricular function and disordered sarcomere. This research underscores the pivotal role of MYH6 in maintaining atrial function and development. The observed connections between sarcomeric gene variants and atrial cardiomyopathy contribute to our understanding of the genetic basis of atrial fibrillation.