Nuclear plakoglobin is essential for differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells to adipocytes in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Rationale: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a disease of desmosome proteins characterized by fibroadipogenesis in the myocardium. We have implicated signaling properties of junction protein plakoglobin (PG) in the pathogenesis of ARVC.

Objective: To delineate the pathogenic role of PG in adipogenesis in ARVC.