Fig. 3.

Schematic representation of signalling events in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The two major sensors of mechanical stress are the intercalated discs (1) and the Z-disc, I-band and M-band region of the sarcomeres (3). Several signalling cascades (2, 4) lead to altered gene expression (5), which eventually results in a different composition of the intercalated disc (upregulation of actin-anchoring proteins) and the sarcomeres (re-expression of more elastic embryonic isoforms of titin and myomesin) and changes in overall cytoarchitecture such as an altered shape, loss of strict size control and loss of high degree of plasma membrane organisation (6). Mitochondria are represented as mottled ovals.