The principal focus of our lab addresses two fundamental areas of muscle biology: (1) the functional significance for the production of different tropomyosin isoforms in vertebrates; and (2) the structural, physiological, and molecular effects on the heart following overexpression or ablation of normal or disease-associated tropomyosins. Using recombinant DNA technology, coupled with manipulations of the mouse genome, we address the developmental and physiological significance of these tropomyosin isoforms. We conduct these investigations by generating transgenic mice which overexpress a specific tropomyosin isoform (or which have had a tropomyosin isoform removed from their genome) and conduct morphological and physiological measurements on their hearts. In addition to these exciting studies, we also investigate how specific tropomyosin mutations which are associated with human diseases affect muscle assembly and function, and thus provide animal models for understanding diseases associated with the cardiovascular and skeletal muscle systems. Support for trainees is available from a Training Grant in Cardiovascular Research. This training program can be viewed at the following web site: CV Training Grant