Fig. 1

Severe DCM phenotypes and impaired cardiac function in t/t hearts. a Slide of coronally sectioned heart shows dilated atrium and ventricles in t/t heart. b Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was evidenced by a significant increase in heart-to-body weight ratio (n = 19 and 22 in WT and t/t respectively). c Myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform shifted from type α to β, and no cMyBP-C protein was detected in t/t heart sample (bottom). Cardiac function was examined by M-mode echocardiography. d Representative short-axis M-mode echocardiographic images of WT and t/t hearts. In t/t, fractional shortening (e) decreased, but left ventricle internal diameters during end-systole (f) and end-diastole (g) increased compared with those of WT. Scale bar: 1 mm and **P < 0.01. n = 8 in each group