This special issue of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry contains original research papers as well as invited reviews dedi cated, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the inauguration of the Heart Research Group in Berlin-Buch that today forms a part there of the Max Delbriick Center for Molecular Medicine, to Professor Albert Wollenberger, founder of the Heart Research Group and for 21 years its head. The papers in this issue are written by researchers working in the field of cardiovascular research who together with Albert Wollenberger share the belief that an integrative application of advances in molecular and cellular biology will lead to new concepts for treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. We hope that this special will serve as a good source of information in this regard. We wish to thank all of the contributors for their help and cooperation. We also wish to thank Mrs. Verona Kuhle for her secretarial help. We are grateful to Dr. Naranjan S. Dhalla, Editor-in-Chief of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry for his interest and encouragement, and for agreeing to publish this issue in honor of Albert Wollenberger. ROLAND VETTER and ERNST -GEORG KRAUSE Max Delbriick Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rossle-StraBe 10, 13122 Berlin-Buch, Germany PART I CARDIAC DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 163/164: 5-11, 1996. (c) 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers.