title: Fibroblast growth factor homologous factors in the heart: a potential locus for cardiac arrhythmias.
abstract: The four fibroblast growth factor homologous factors (FHFs; FGF11-FGF14) are intracellular proteins that bind and modulate voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs). Although FHFs have been well studied in neurons and implicated in neurologic disease, their role in cardiomyocytes was unclear until recently. This review discusses the expression profile and function of FHFs in mouse and rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. Recent data show that FGF13 is the predominant FHF in the murine heart, directly binds the cardiac VGSC α subunit, and is essential for normal cardiac conduction. FHF loss-of-function mutations may be unrecognized causes of cardiac arrhythmias, such as long QT and Brugada syndromes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine/Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Eric Q
authors.initials: EQ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Adam S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.forename: Geoffrey S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Pitt
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hennessey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D006321:Heart; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D012307:Risk Factors; D061566:Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D061566:Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors