Regulation of nuclear pH in cardiac myocytes by Ca2+ signals: a new means of influencing gene expression?

To produce proper cardiac function, myocytes must implement an appropriate gene expression programme. As the heart develops, as well as when it becomes diseased, gene expression can change profoundly, often in response to intracellular signals.  Acidity is among the major regulators of cardiac physiology yet little is known about its effects on gene expression.  As a first step in studying this interplay, we are developing methods for measuring nuclear pH and studying its regulation and effect on gene transcription in myocytes obtained from healthy and diseased hearts.