Histidine-rich Ca binding protein: a regulator of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium sequestration and cardiac function.

Defects in the pathways that regulate cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium (Ca) cycling represent prime targets for driving the deterioration of function and progression to heart failure. We hypothesized that the histidine-rich Ca binding protein (HRC) in the SR may be involved in SR Ca cycling and that alterations in HRC levels would result in abnormal cardiac Ca homeostasis. In order to test this hypothesis, we generated transgenic mice with cardiac overexpression (3-fold) of HRC.