Jan Evangelista Purkinje: A Passion for Discovery

Mazurak, Magdalena; Kusa, Jacek

doi:10.14503/thij-17-6351

Cited by 9 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 6 publications

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“…Cardiac Purkinje fibers (PF) are named after the famous Czech physiologist Jean Evangelista Purkinje who first described "large gray gelatinous fibers" in the sheep heart in 1845 [1,2]. These cells were later described as specialized cardiomyocytes characterized by distinct histological features with pale cytoplasm, few mitochondria, a large amount of collagen, and a low number of myofibrils [3,4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Insights into the Development and Morphogenesis of the Cardiac Purkinje Fiber Network: Linking Architecture and Function

Choquet¹,

Boulgakoff²,

Kelly³

et al. 2021

JCDD

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The rapid propagation of electrical activity through the ventricular conduction system (VCS) controls spatiotemporal contraction of the ventricles. Cardiac conduction defects or arrhythmias in humans are often associated with mutations in key cardiac transcription factors that have been shown to play important roles in VCS morphogenesis in mice. Understanding of the mechanisms of VCS development is thus crucial to decipher the etiology of conduction disturbances in adults. During embryogenesis, the VCS, consisting of the His bundle, bundle branches, and the distal Purkinje network, originates from two independent progenitor populations in the primary ring and the ventricular trabeculae. Differentiation into fast-conducting cardiomyocytes occurs progressively as ventricles develop to form a unique electrical pathway at late fetal stages. The objectives of this review are to highlight the structure–function relationship between VCS morphogenesis and conduction defects and to discuss recent data on the origin and development of the VCS with a focus on the distal Purkinje fiber network.

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