BAG3 and familial dilated cardiomyopathy: Cardiac-specific knockout of BAG3 by the use of cardiomyocyte-specific α-myosin heavy chain Cre-transgenic mice (αMHC-Cre mice) significantly impaired structure and function of the contractile apparatus in cardiomyocytes resulting in DCM and premature death of these conditional Bag3 knockout mice during their first year of life [28].