Gene expression analysis of cardiac left-ventricle tissue from hybrid mice harboring the Scn5a-1798insD/+ mutation

Prolonged electrocardiographic indices reflecting myocardial impulse conduction and repolarization are risk factors for sudden cardiac death and drug-induced arrhythmia. The PR-interval, QRS-duration and QT-interval are heritable traits influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors. The genetic underpinnings of these traits are still largely unknown. In this study, we leveraged the variability in cardiac gene expression and the variation in PR-, QRS- and QT-intervals among F2 mice harboring the cardiac sodium ion-channel mutation Scn5a-1798insD/+ derived from the 129P2-Scn5a1798insD/+ and FVB/NJ-Scn5a1798insD/+ cross, to isolate novel genes and biological pathways impacting on cardiac conduction and repolarization. Cardiac left-ventricle total RNA from 120 F2-(129P2xFVBN/J)-Scn5a-1798insD/+ mice at 12 to 14 weeks old.