Intranet Campus web

LECTURE "Evolutionary origin of the ventricular septum and conduction system in Squamate reptiles"


The evolutionary origin of the ventricular septum remains largely unresolved. The cardiac conduction system (CCS) resides in the ventricular septum of mammals and birds and can be identified by Human Natural Killer-1 (HNK-1) antibody. By combined staining with HNK-1 and optical mapping, we investigated a range of developing reptile ventricles to elucidate if there are any CCS-like structures, and where to look for them, when there is no clear interventricular septum as it is known in the endotherms.