Altered focal adhesion regulation correlates with cardiomyopathy in mice expressing constitutively active rac1
J. Clin. Invest. Mark A. Sussman, et al. 105:875 doi:10.1172/JCI8497 [Go to this article.]

Figure 1
Expression level of rac1 and V12rac1 transgene in heart lysates by immunoblot. Control and racET heart lysates were separated by SDS-PAGE, blotted, and the region corresponding to the molecular mass of rac1 (21 kDa) was excised for antibody labeling. GAPDH signal shows loading of samples between lanes. (a) Ntg (control) or racET samples were labeled for rac1 (rac) or myc (myc) to reveal presence of myc-tagged transgene. The control shows a single band of rac1, whereas the racET shows a doublet. The lower band of the doublet corresponds to endogenous rac1, and the upper band is myc-tagged transgene. An identically prepared blot shows myc-tagged protein appearing as a single band in the racET lysate. (b) Comparison of transgene expression between racET and control shows increased rac1 transgene expression in dilated samples. Arrows indicate position of transgenic (tg) or endogenous (wt) rac1. (c) Comparison of transgene expression between lysates from ntg (control), T³ supplemented (T³ sup), and dilated or nondilated racET hearts. T³ supplementation elevated expression relative to control, resembling the level in dilated racET mice, whereas the nondilated sample shows less protein. (d) Rac1 expression in ntg (control) or racET hearts ranging in age from 45 to 226 days after birth. Variable but persistent transgene expression is evident in racET lysates, whereas only endogenous rac1 is observed in control samples.