question: Is desmin an intermediate filament protein involved in Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)?
answer: According to the predominant view, desmin mutations cause dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Mice deficient in desmin, the muscle-specific member of the intermediate filament gene family, display defects in all muscle types and particularly in the myocardium. Desmin null hearts develop cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) characterized by extensive myocyte cell death, calcific fibrosis and multiple ultrastructural defects. Desmin defects were also recently identified in 1 familial dilated cardiomyopathy.