Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein C: At the Heart of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Humans and Domestic Cats

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a disease of the myocardium that is estimated to affect one in 500 individuals (Marian & Roberts, 2001; Maron, 2002). Additionally, it is the most common form of cardiovascular disease in the domestic cat (Kittleson et al., 1999). Mutations in the cardiac myosin binding protein C (MYBPC3) gene are the most common genetic cause of HCM in humans (Richard et al., 2003) and are currently the only gene with identified mutations in cats (Meurs et al., 2005; Meurs et al., 2007). The function of the protein encoded by the MYBPC3 gene is not well understood, but further research into this area will hopefully provide more information about the manifestation of the disease and will allow for the identification of prospective treatments. With continued investigation, more can be learned about normal cardiac function, which could be applied in understanding HCM as well as other cardiovascular diseases.