Figure reproduced from: Arnaout, R., Ferrer, T., Huisken, J., Spitzer, K., Stainier, D. Y., Tristani-Firouzi, M. and Chi, N. C. (2007). Zebrafish model for human long QT syndrome. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA104, 11316–11321.
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) involves delayed repolarisation of the heart, causing heart problems or sudden death. It can be congenital (usually due to mutations in genes encoding cardiac ion channels, such as KCNH2) or acquired, and is also a side effect of many drugs, but there are limited treatment options. Among model organisms, the zebrafish offers many advantages for analysing LQTS. Peal et al. carried out an in vivo functional screen using the zebrafish breakdance mutant, which displays many features of human LQTS owing to a mutation in kcnh2, and identified two drugs that correct the cardiac phenotype. These results and future in vivo screens will contribute to the development of novel targeted therapeutics for LQTS patients.
