PROTOONCOGENES AND CARDIAC DEVELOPMENT

Proto-oncogene products participate in signaling processes that extend from the cell surface to the nucleus. Recent investigations have focu sed attention on the role that proto-oncogenes play in the proliferati on, differentiation, and hypertrophic growth of cardiac myocytes. Such studies suggest a cause-and-effect relationship between aberrations i n proto-oncogene expression and abnormalities in myocyte growth and di fferentiation.