Roles of Lim Proteins in Cardiac Hypertrophy

Cardiac hypertrophy is caused by hypertension, myocardial infarction, endocrine disorders, and perturbations in sarcomeric function, and has become a major cause of human morbidity and mortality. The generation of cardiac hypertrophy is associated with regulation of a cardiac gene program by cardiac transcription factors. The LIM proteins have been discovered to play an important role in cardiac hypertrophy. The LIM proteins contain one, two or multiple LIM domains and can be divided into different classes according to their amino acid sequence homologies. The LIM-only proteins, muscle LIM protein and human heart LIM protein are involved in cardiac hypertrophy by functioning as either an integrator of protein assembly of the actin-based cytoskeleton or tissue-specific coactivator of the receptor and the transcription factors. There have been many recent developments in the functions of LIM proteins related to cardiac hypertrophy and their interactions. It is hoped that the knowledge of LIM proteins will at least provide a greater choice of therapies and improved our management of cardiac hypertrophy.