Receptors coupled to Gα q play a key role in the development of heart failure. Studies using
genetically modified mice suggest that Gα q mediates a hypertrophic response in cardiac
myocytes. Gα q signaling in these models is modified during early growth and development,
whereas most heart failure in humans occurs after cardiac damage sustained during
adulthood. To determine the phenotype of animals that express increased Gα q signaling
only as adults, we generated transgenic mice that express a silent Gα q protein (Gα q Q209L …