[Modulation of cardiac contractility in myogenesis using antidesmin monoclonal antibody].

The cytoskeleton of the myocardiocyte is a complex network of protein filaments. The intermediate filaments, consisting fundamentally of desmin, are considered markers of cellular differentiation. We used indirect immunofluorescence with specific monoclonal antibody to characterize the expression of desmin during the different phases of heart maturation, and demonstrated a direct relationship between the expression of this protein and myocardiocyte development. Our results show that in auricular myocardiocytes, desmin is present in early stages of development, whereas in ventricular myocardiocytes, this protein, which is intimately involved in contractile function, first appears in HH stage 25.