REVIEW Transcription factors and atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent cardiac arrhythmiawith a significant genetic component. In recent years, familial and population-based genetic studies in AF have led to the emergence of transcription factors as potentially important contributors to arrhythmia susceptibility. Further evi-dence to implicate transcription factors in AF has come from studies in animal models, which demonstrate that these proteins play critical roles duringAF-relatedatrial remodelling. Transcription factorshave thepotential to create apro-arrhythmogenic substrate in thepulmonaryveins and the atrium.However, further research is necessary to fully characterize themechanistic links between these proteins andAF pathogenesis. In the future, such studies could potentially lead to the development of novel therapies for the arrhythmia. This review focuses on the association between transcription factors and AF