Mutations in Alström protein impair terminal differentiation of cardiomyocytes

Cardiomyocyte cell cycle arrest is important for mammalian heart maturation, but the process is poorly understood. Here, the authors use exome sequencing to identify compound heterozygous ALMS1 mutations associated with cardiomyocyte replication and provide evidence that Alstrom protein deficiency impairs postnatal cardiomyocyte cell cycle arrest.