title: Sensing stretch is fundamental.
abstract: Stretch induces changes in cardiomyocyte biology that are implicated in heart failure, but the mechanism by which stretch is sensed and signals are transduced is unknown. New understanding of the Z disc elements of contractile units are beginning to elucidate the mechanism of stretch sensing and its relation to cardiac adaptation and disease.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Physiology Section, Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. nepstein@helix.nih.gov
authors.forename: Neal D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: Julien S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D003285:Contractile Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005246:Feedback; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009210:Myofibrils / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003285:Contractile Proteins