Myofilament Dynamics Modulate Cellular Drivers of Arrhythmogenesis in Human Cardiac Disease

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Myofilament Dynamics Modulate Cellular Drivers of Arrhythmogenesis in Human Cardiac Disease MYOFILAMENT DYNAMICS MODULATE CELLULAR DRIVERS OF ARRHYTHMOGENESIS IN HUMAN CARDIAC DISEASE by Melanie Anne Zile A dissertation submitted to Johns Hopkins University in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Baltimore, Maryland October, 2017 © Melanie Anne Zile 2017 All rights reserved Abstract Cardiac arrhythmia is common in cardiac disease, but our understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying arrhythmia is incomplete. Alternans, the beat-to-beat alteration in cardiac electrical or mechanical signals, has been linked to susceptibility to lethal arrhythmias in human heart failure (HF) as well as in human chronic atrial fibrillation (cAF). In addition, early afterdepolarizations (EADs), a type of aberrant cellular behavior that causes spontaneous slowing or reversal of normal repolarization, have been implicated as an arrhythmogenic trigger in human hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Abnormal myofilament dynamics has been observed in human HF, HCM, and cAF, but whether this aberrant behavior alters the formation of alternans or EADs remains unknown. To address this gap in understanding, a computational modeling approach was taken. Three mechanistically-based bidirectionally coupled human electromechanical myocyte models were constructed, under the conditions of HF, HCM, or cAF. Our goal was to elucidate whether aberrant myofilament dynamics modulate the cellular drivers of arrhythmogenesis in human cardiac disease. In simulations with our human HF ventricular myocyte model, we found that the magnitudes of force, calcium, and action potential voltage alternans were modulated by heart failure induced-remodeling of mechanical parameters and sarcomere length due to the presence of myofilament feedback (MEF) at clinically-relevant pacing rates. In simulations with our human HCM ventricular myocyte model, we found that incorporating MEF diminished the degree of repolarization reserve reduction necessary for EADs to emerge and increased the frequency of EAD occurrence, especially at faster pacing rates. Longer sarcomere lengths and HCM-induced enhanced ii thin filament activation diminished the effects of MEF on EADs. Finally, in simulations with our human cAF atrial myocyte model, we found that MEF, via cooperativity in Troponin C buffering of cytoplasmic Ca2+, diminished the magnitude of action potential duration alternans. Also, enhanced thin filament activation, via either cAF-induced myofilament remodeling or longer sarcomere lengths, enhanced action potential duration alternans. Together, this thesis provides evidence that myofilament protein dynamics mechanisms play an important role in EAD and alternans formation, suggesting that targeting MEF or reversing disease induced myofilament remodeling may be alternative treatment approaches for prevention of arrhythmia in cAF patients. Advisor: Natalia A. Trayanova, Ph.D. Readers: Natalia A. Trayanova, Ph.D., Raimond L. Winslow, Ph.D. Thesis Committee: Feilim Mac Gabhann, Ph.D., Natalia A. Trayanova, Ph.D., Raimond L. Winslow, Ph.D. iii Acknowledgements The work presented here in my thesis would not have been possible with the support and mentorship of my advisor, Dr. Natalia Trayanova. I thank her for her guidance and for teaching me how to become a better scientist and writer. I would also like to thank the other members of my thesis committee, Dr. Raimond Winslow and Dr. Feilim Mac Gabhann, who have provided invaluable insight and guidance on my thesis work. I thank the Computational Cardiology Lab (Trayanova Lab) for their help over the years and for being a fantastically fun group of friends. I will miss the lab pushups, the “Crying Tom Brady” birthday cards, and the happy hours at Rocket to Venus. In particular, I would like to thank Dr. Patrick Boyle for his helpful critique of my papers, posters, and presentations, Robert Blake for creating and editing the “mech_bench” code, and Dr. Yasser Aboelkassem for his help brainstorming ideas and discussing the minutia of myofilament processes. Most importantly, I would like to thank my fantastic family, without whom I would have never had the confidence, support, nor opportunity to achieve all of the many successes in my life. Billy, Mom and Steve, Dad and Jill, Gram and Gramps, and GBob, to you I owe a lifetime of thanks. Thank you for your unconditional love and encouragement during the best and the worst of times, as well as all of the times in between. I am truly blessed to have such an amazing family. And finally, I would like to thank my wonderful friends who have turned Baltimore into my home. iv Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements .............................................................................................. iv Contents ................................................................................................................. v List of Tables ......................................................................................................... x List of Figures ....................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1 Introduction......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Organization and Summary of the Thesis ...................................................... 2 Chapter 2 Background: ........................................................................................ 4 Basic Cardiac Electrophysiology and Electromechanics .................................. 4 2.1 Blood Flow and the Healthy Human Heart.................................................... 5 2.2 Electrophysiology and Electromechanics of the Healthy Human Heart ....... 6 2.2.1 Normal Cardiac Rhythm 6 2.2.2 Cardiac Action Potential 7 2.2.3 Excitation-Contraction Coupling 9 2.2.4 Mechanoelectric Feedback 12 2.3 Electrophysiology and Electromechanics of the Diseased Human Heart .... 13 2.3.1 Arrhythmias 14 2.3.2 Cardiac Alternans 15 v 2.3.3 Afterdepolarizations 16 Chapter 3 Background: Computational Modeling .......................................... 18 3.1 Rationale for Computational Modeling of Cardiac Myocytes ..................... 19 3.2 Modeling Cell Membrane Kinetics .............................................................. 19 3.3 Modeling Calcium Handling........................................................................ 21 3.4 Modeling Cardiac Myofilament Dynamics ................................................. 21 Chapter 4 Study 1: .............................................................................................. 23 Rate-dependent force, intracellular calcium, and action potential voltage alternans are modulated by sarcomere length and heart failure induced-remodeling of thin filament regulation in human heart failure: A myocyte modeling study ........................................................................ 23 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 24 4.2 Methods........................................................................................................ 27 4.2.1 Human Electromechanical Myocyte Model 27 4.2.2 Incorporating Heart Failure Remodeling 30 4.2.3 Alternans Protocol 33 4.2.4 Alternans Analysis 35 4.3 Results .......................................................................................................... 35 4.3.1 Abnormal Intracellular Calcium Handling Results in Force Alternans 35 4.3.2 Sensitivity of Alternans to Pacing Rate 38 4.3.3 Dependence of Force, Calcium and Voltage Alternans on Sarcomere Length 40 vi 4.3.4 Effect of Heart Failure Induced- Remodeling of Mechanical Parameters on Force, Calcium and Voltage Alternans 44 4.4 Discussion .................................................................................................... 47 4.4.1 Calcium Alternans Link Action Potential Voltage Alternans to Force Alternans 47 4.4.2 Force Alternans Are Large at Slow Pacing Rates and May Be Undetectable at Faster Pacing Rates 48 4.4.3 Implications of Heart Failure-Induced Mechanical Remodeling for Alternans Severity 49 4.5 Conclusions .................................................................................................. 50 Chapter 5 Study 2: .............................................................................................. 52 Myofilament Protein Dynamics Modulate EAD Formation in Human Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy ................................................................ 52 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 53 5.2 Methods........................................................................................................ 56 5.2.1 Human Electrophysiology-Force Myocyte Model 56 5.2.2 Incorporating HCM-Induced Remodeling 59 5.2.3 EAD Protocol 62 5.2.4 Analysis of EADs 64 5.3 Results .......................................................................................................... 64 5.3.1 MEF Alters EAD Emergence and Frequency of Occurrence 64 vii 5.3.2 Faster Pacing Enhances Effects of MEF on EAD Emergence and Frequency 70 5.3.3 Longer Sarcomere Length Diminishes MEF Effects on EAD Emergence and Frequency 73 5.3.4 Increased Severity of HCM-Induced Myofilament Remodeling Alters Effects of MEF on EAD Emergence and Frequency 76 5.4 Discussion ...................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Removal of Abnormal Myofilament O-Glcnacylation Restores Ca
    Diabetes Volume 64, October 2015 3573 Genaro A. Ramirez-Correa,1 Junfeng Ma,2 Chad Slawson,3 Quira Zeidan,2 Nahyr S. Lugo-Fagundo,1 Mingguo Xu,1 Xiaoxu Shen,4 Wei Dong Gao,4 Viviane Caceres,5 Khalid Chakir,5 Lauren DeVine,2 Robert N. Cole,2 Luigi Marchionni,6 Nazareno Paolocci,5 Gerald W. Hart,2 and Anne M. Murphy1 Removal of Abnormal Myofilament O-GlcNAcylation Restores Ca2+ Sensitivity in Diabetic Cardiac Muscle Diabetes 2015;64:3573–3587 | DOI: 10.2337/db14-1107 Contractile dysfunction and increased deposition of In diabetic cardiomyopathy, the contractile and electro- O-linked b-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (O-GlcNAc) in car- physiological properties of the cardiac muscle are altered diac proteins are a hallmark of the diabetic heart. How- (1). Prior studies have mainly focused on alterations in ever, whether and how this posttranslational alteration Ca2+ handling (2–4). However, these perturbations alone contributes to lower cardiac function remains unclear. unlikely account for lower force production and altered COMPLICATIONS fi b Using a re ned -elimination/Michael addition with tan- relaxation typically found in the heart of patients with dem mass tags (TMT)–labeling proteomic technique, we diabetes (5,6). Indeed, the intrinsic properties of cardiac show that CpOGA, a bacterial analog of O-GlcNAcase myofilaments appear to be altered too (7,8). More specif- (OGA) that cleaves O-GlcNAc in vivo, removes site- 2+ 2+ fi specific O-GlcNAcylation from myofilaments, restoring ically, Ca sensitivity (ECa 50), a measure of myo la- 2+ Ca2+ sensitivity in streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic cardiac ment force production at near physiological Ca levels, – muscles.
    [Show full text]
  • Profiling of the Muscle-Specific Dystroglycan Interactome Reveals the Role of Hippo Signaling in Muscular Dystrophy and Age-Dependent Muscle Atrophy Andriy S
    Yatsenko et al. BMC Medicine (2020) 18:8 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-019-1478-3 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Profiling of the muscle-specific dystroglycan interactome reveals the role of Hippo signaling in muscular dystrophy and age-dependent muscle atrophy Andriy S. Yatsenko1†, Mariya M. Kucherenko2,3,4†, Yuanbin Xie2,5†, Dina Aweida6, Henning Urlaub7,8, Renate J. Scheibe1, Shenhav Cohen6 and Halyna R. Shcherbata1,2* Abstract Background: Dystroglycanopathies are a group of inherited disorders characterized by vast clinical and genetic heterogeneity and caused by abnormal functioning of the ECM receptor dystroglycan (Dg). Remarkably, among many cases of diagnosed dystroglycanopathies, only a small fraction can be linked directly to mutations in Dg or its regulatory enzymes, implying the involvement of other, not-yet-characterized, Dg-regulating factors. To advance disease diagnostics and develop new treatment strategies, new approaches to find dystroglycanopathy-related factors should be considered. The Dg complex is highly evolutionarily conserved; therefore, model genetic organisms provide excellent systems to address this challenge. In particular, Drosophila is amenable to experiments not feasible in any other system, allowing original insights about the functional interactors of the Dg complex. Methods: To identify new players contributing to dystroglycanopathies, we used Drosophila as a genetic muscular dystrophy model. Using mass spectrometry, we searched for muscle-specific Dg interactors. Next, in silico analyses allowed us to determine their association with diseases and pathological conditions in humans. Using immunohistochemical, biochemical, and genetic interaction approaches followed by the detailed analysis of the muscle tissue architecture, we verified Dg interaction with some of the discovered factors.
    [Show full text]
  • CANDIDATE GENES in the FIELD of EXERCISE GENOMICS Abstract
    EXERCISE AND QUALITY OF LIFE Review article Volume 3, No. 1, 2011, 23-29 575.113:612.74 UDC CANDIDATE GENES IN THE FIELD OF EXERCISE GENOMICS ã Vladimir Gali Department of Physiology Medical faculty Novi Sad Abstract Skeletal muscle is extremely adaptable to various stresses which can be placed upon it. In spite of importance of skeletal muscles, little is known about genetic factors which demonstrate high influence to muscle size, function, strength and adaptation to various environmental factors. Because endurance performance is a multifactorial trait, the list of candidate genes which could account for human variation in related phenotypes is extensive. One of the first characterized and most frequently studied genetic variant is a polymorphism in the angiotensin converting enzyme I gene. The ACTN3 gene is the first structural skeletal muscle gene with a relation between its ’ performance. N genotype and elite sprinter evertheless, current genetic testing cannot provide an extra advantage over existing testing methods in determining sports selection in young athletes. The main challenge still remains to identify other, complex polygenetic variants and their interactions with environmental factors which could provide benefit in the sports selection and existing talent identification. Keywords: exercise genomics, genetic polymorphism, muscle tissue Introduction Muscle tissue constitutes approximately 30% of body mass, it is metabolically very active with high turnover of energy and is capable of efficient response to different environmental stimuli. Skeletal muscle is extremely adaptable to various stresses which can be placed upon it. These adaptations can be either positive, such as tissue growth, extreme athletic performance or reparation of an injury, or negative, such as decline in mass and function over the ’s years of disuse or disease.
    [Show full text]
  • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy- Associated Mutations in Genes That Encode Calcium-Handling Proteins
    Current Molecular Medicine 2012, 12, 507-518 507 Beyond the Cardiac Myofilament: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy- Associated Mutations in Genes that Encode Calcium-Handling Proteins A.P. Landstrom and M.J. Ackerman* Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Divisions of Cardiovascular Diseases and Pediatric Cardiology, and the Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA Abstract: Traditionally regarded as a genetic disease of the cardiac sarcomere, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiovascular disease and a significant cause of sudden cardiac death. While the most common etiologies of this phenotypically diverse disease lie in a handful of genes encoding critical contractile myofilament proteins, approximately 50% of patients diagnosed with HCM worldwide do not host sarcomeric gene mutations. Recently, mutations in genes encoding calcium-sensitive and calcium- handling proteins have been implicated in the pathogenesis of HCM. Among these are mutations in TNNC1- encoded cardiac troponin C, PLN-encoded phospholamban, and JPH2-encoded junctophilin 2 which have each been associated with HCM in multiple studies. In addition, mutations in RYR2-encoded ryanodine receptor 2, CASQ2-encoded calsequestrin 2, CALR3-encoded calreticulin 3, and SRI-encoded sorcin have been associated with HCM, although more studies are required to validate initial findings. While a relatively uncommon cause of HCM, mutations in genes that encode calcium-handling proteins represent an emerging genetic subset of HCM. Furthermore, these naturally occurring disease-associated mutations have provided useful molecular tools for uncovering novel mechanisms of disease pathogenesis, increasing our understanding of basic cardiac physiology, and dissecting important structure-function relationships within these proteins.
    [Show full text]
  • Cholesterol Depletion Uncouples Β-Dystroglycans from Discrete Sarcolemmal Domains, Reducing the Mechanical Activity of Skeletal Muscle
    Original Paper Cellular Physiology Cell Physiol Biochem 2012;29:905-918 Accepted: March 29, 2012 and Biochemistry Cholesterol Depletion Uncouples β-dystroglycans from Discrete Sarcolemmal Domains, Reducing the Mechanical Activity of Skeletal Muscle Jesús Vega-Moreno1, Aldo Tirado-Cortes1, Rocío Álvarez1, Claudine Irles2, Jaime Mas-Oliva3 and Alicia Ortega1,2 1Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad NacionalAutónoma de México, México City, 2Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, México City, 3Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City Key Words tigue is unaffected, but fatigue recovery is depend- Cholesterol • Skeletal muscle • β-dystroglycan • ent upon cholesterol restoration. MβCD modifies the Sarcolemma • Lipid raft structures of lipid rafts obtained from MβCD-treated muscles by, displacing the membrane proteins β-DG and caveolin-3 f from the lipid raft, thus reducing the Abstract interaction of β-DG with dystrophin. Conclusion: Cho- Background/Aims: β-Dystroglycan (β-DG) is a trans- lesterol depletion weakens the muscle contractile membrane glycoprotein that links the intracellular force by disturbing the sarcolemmal distribution of β- cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix and is crucial dystroglycan and its interaction with dystrophin, two for the molecular pathway of lateral force transmis- key proteins in the alignment of lateral force trans- sion in muscle. We aimed to investigate the effect of mission pathway. decreasing sarcolemmal cholesterol on the distribu- Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel tion of β-DG, its interaction with dystrophin and the impact on the contraction efficiency of muscle. Meth- ods: Isolated rat extensor digitorum longus muscles were incubated with methyl β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) to deplete cholesterol and with MβCD-cholesterol to restore cholesterol.
    [Show full text]
  • Titin N2A Domain and Its Interactions at the Sarcomere
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Titin N2A Domain and Its Interactions at the Sarcomere Adeleye O. Adewale and Young-Hoon Ahn * Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-(313)-577-1384 Abstract: Titin is a giant protein in the sarcomere that plays an essential role in muscle contraction with actin and myosin filaments. However, its utility goes beyond mechanical functions, extending to versatile and complex roles in sarcomere organization and maintenance, passive force, mechanosens- ing, and signaling. Titin’s multiple functions are in part attributed to its large size and modular structures that interact with a myriad of protein partners. Among titin’s domains, the N2A element is one of titin’s unique segments that contributes to titin’s functions in compliance, contraction, structural stability, and signaling via protein–protein interactions with actin filament, chaperones, stress-sensing proteins, and proteases. Considering the significance of N2A, this review highlights structural conformations of N2A, its predisposition for protein–protein interactions, and its multiple interacting protein partners that allow the modulation of titin’s biological effects. Lastly, the nature of N2A for interactions with chaperones and proteases is included, presenting it as an important node that impacts titin’s structural and functional integrity. Keywords: titin; N2A domain; protein–protein interaction 1. Introduction Citation: Adewale, A.O.; Ahn, Y.-H. The complexity of striated muscle is defined by the intricate organization of its com- Titin N2A Domain and Its ponents [1]. The involuntary cardiac and voluntary skeletal muscles are the primary types Interactions at the Sarcomere.
    [Show full text]
  • Prolonged Controlled Mechanical Ventilation in Humans Triggers
    Thorax Online First, published on March 31, 2016 as 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-207559 Respiratory research ORIGINAL ARTICLE Thorax: first published as 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-207559 on 31 March 2016. Downloaded from Prolonged controlled mechanical ventilation in humans triggers myofibrillar contractile dysfunction and myofilament protein loss in the diaphragm Sabah N A Hussain,1,2,3 Anabelle S Cornachione,4 Céline Guichon,1 Auday Al Khunaizi,1 Felipe de Souza Leite,5 Basil J Petrof,3 Mahroo Mofarrahi,1 Nikolay Moroz,1 Benoit de Varennes,6 Peter Goldberg,1,3 Dilson E Rassier7 ▸ Additional material is ABSTRACT published online only. To view Background Prolonged controlled mechanical Key messages please visit the journal online (http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ ventilation (CMV) in humans and experimental animals thoraxjnl-2015-207559). results in diaphragm fibre atrophy and injury. In animals, fi fi prolonged CMV also triggers signi cant declines in What is the key question? For numbered af liations see fi end of article. diaphragm myo bril contractility. In humans, the impact ▸ Does prolonged controlled mechanical of prolonged CMV on myofibril contractility remains ventilation (CMV) in humans alter the unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate contractile performance and myofilament Correspondence to the effects of prolonged CMV on active and passive protein expression in diaphragm myofibrils? Professor Dilson Rassier, human diaphragm myofibrillar force generation and Department of Kinesiology, myofilament protein levels. What is the bottom line? McGill University, 475 Pine Ave ▸ Prolonged CMV in humans significantly West, Montréal, Québec, Methods and results Diaphragm biopsies were Canada H2W 1S4; dilson.
    [Show full text]
  • Titin Strain Contributes to the Frank–Starling Law of the Heart by Structural Rearrangements of Both Thin- and Thick-Filament Proteins
    Titin strain contributes to the Frank–Starling law of the heart by structural rearrangements of both thin- and thick-filament proteins Younss Ait-Moua,1,2, Karen Hsua,b,1,3, Gerrie P. Farmana,4, Mohit Kumara, Marion L. Greaserc, Thomas C. Irvingb, and Pieter P. de Tombea,5 aDepartment of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL 60153; bDepartment of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616; and cDepartment of Animal Sciences, Muscle Biology Laboratory, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706 Edited by J. G. Seidman, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and approved January 12, 2016 (received for review August 21, 2015) The Frank–Starling mechanism of the heart is due, in part, to general property of striated muscle, it manifests itself to a much modulation of myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity by sarcomere length (SL) greater extent in cardiac muscle compared with slow-twitch [length-dependent activation (LDA)]. The molecular mechanism(s) skeletal muscle (3). Cardiac LDA has been shown to be modu- that underlie LDA are unknown. Recent evidence has implicated the lated by contractile protein phosphorylation (4–7), as well as by giant protein titin in this cellular process, possibly by positioning the cardiac disease-associated mutations within various contractile myosin head closer to actin. To clarify the role of titin strain in LDA, proteins (6). In addition, evidence has emerged that the passive we isolated myocardium from either WT or homozygous mutant force originating from the giant elastic sarcomeric protein titin + (HM) rats that express a giant splice isoform of titin, and subjected directly acts to modulate myofilament Ca2 responsiveness (8, the muscles to stretch from 2.0 to 2.4 μm of SL.
    [Show full text]
  • Slow Skeletal Troponin I Gene Transfer, Expression, and Myofilament Incorporation Enhances Adult Cardiac Myocyte Contractile Function
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 94, pp. 5444–5449, May 1997 Physiology Slow skeletal troponin I gene transfer, expression, and myofilament incorporation enhances adult cardiac myocyte contractile function MARGARET V. WESTFALL*, ELIZABETH M. RUST, AND JOSEPH M. METZGER Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-0622 Communicated by James A. Spudich, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, March 7, 1997 (received for review November 5, 1996) ABSTRACT The functional significance of the develop- changes remains unclear, because developmental transitions in mental transition from slow skeletal troponin I (ssTnI) to other contractile protein isoforms occur over the same time cardiac TnI (cTnI) isoform expression in cardiac myocytes interval as the TnI isoform transition. remains unclear. We show here the effects of adenovirus- TnI isoforms are also postulated to influence cardiac myo- mediated ssTnI gene transfer on myofilament structure and filament pH sensitivity (4, 5). Contractile function decreases function in adult cardiac myocytes in primary culture. Gene markedly during acute myocardial ischemia (4), and acidosis transfer resulted in the rapid, uniform, and nearly complete plays a significant role in this decreased function by reducing replacement of endogenous cTnI with the ssTnI isoform with myofilament Ca21 sensitivity (4–7). Solution studies indicate no detected changes in sarcomeric ultrastructure, or in the that TnI may play a role in this phenomenon because acidic isoforms and stoichiometry of other myofilament proteins pH-induced decreases in Ca21 binding to andyor subsequent compared with control myocytes over 7 days in primary conformational changes within troponin C (TnC) are in- culture. In functional studies on permeabilized single cardiac creased in magnitude in the presence of TnI (8).
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Α-Actinin in Z-Disks Assembly: a Morphological Point of View
    CONTRIBUTI SCIENTIFICI The role of α-actinin in Z-disks assembly: a morphological point of view V. Baldassarri,1 S. Salucci,1 P. Ferri,1 E. Falcieri,1,2 S. Burattini1 1DiSTeVA, Università degli Studi di Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Urbino 2Istituto di Genetica Molecolare, CNR, Istituti Ortopedici Rizzoli, Bologna Corresponding author: Dr. Valentina Baldassarri Dipartimento di Scienza della Terra, della Vita e dell’Ambiente (DiSTeVA), Università degli Studi di Urbino “Carlo Bo” Campus Scientifico “E. Mattei”, via Ca’ le Suore 2, 61029 Urbino (PU), Italy Tel. +39.0722.304311 - Fax: +39.0722.304244 E-mail: [email protected] Summary Sarcomeric α-actinin is a multitasking protein that provides structural integrity of the sarcomeres in skeletal muscle cells. Furthermore it can modulate receptors and channels and it serves as a scaffold for several signaling pathways. α-Actinin is crucial for connecting together actin filaments from adjacent sarcomeres, forming the Z-disk and then contributing to proper muscle phys- iology. The aim of this work was to clear up the role of sarcomeric α-actinin in Z-disk formation during myogenic differentiation. For this purpose, C2C12 murine skeletal muscle cells were analyzed at three time points of differentiation. Confocal laser scanner microscopy and transmission electron microscopy have been utilized for α-actinin immunolocalization. Our results suggest that, when differentiation is induced, α-actinin links at first membrane-associated proteins, then it aligns lon- gitudinally across the cytoplasm and finally binds actin, giving rise to the Z-disks. A failure in this multistep process can lead to several myopathies involving aberrant accumulation of myofilaments (e.g.
    [Show full text]
  • Dissecting the Role of the Myofilament in Diaphragm Dysfunction During The
    Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 310: H572–H586, 2016. First published December 23, 2015; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00773.2015. Dissecting the role of the myofilament in diaphragm dysfunction during the development of heart failure in mice Todd E. Gillis,1,2 Jordan M. Klaiman,1,2 Andrew Foster,2,3 Mathew J. Platt,2,3 Jason S. Huber,2,3 Melissa Y. Corso,2,3 and Jeremy A. Simpson2,3 1Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada; 2Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada; and 3Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada Submitted 7 October 2015; accepted in final form 21 December 2015 Gillis TE, Klaiman JM, Foster A, Platt MJ, Huber JS, Corso dyspnea and exertional fatigue. One potential cause is inspira- MY, Simpson JA. Dissecting the role of the myofilament in dia- tory muscle (primarily the diaphragm) dysfunction. De Troyer phragm dysfunction during the development of heart failure in mice. and colleagues (11) first noted compromised inspiratory mus- Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 310: H572–H586, 2016. First cle function in patients with cardiac dysfunction. Respiratory published December 23, 2015; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00773.2015.— Dyspnea and reduced exercise capacity, caused, in part, by respiratory muscle dysfunction is now considered a salient feature of muscle dysfunction, are common symptoms in patients with heart patients (11, 21, 23, 35, 36, 62) and animals (7–9, 24, 28, 53, failure (HF). However, the etiology of diaphragmatic dysfunction has 58) with HF. Currently, little is known about the development not been identified.
    [Show full text]
  • Age, Sex and Overall Health, Measured As Frailty, Modify Myofilament Proteins in Hearts from Naturally Aging Mice
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Age, Sex and Overall Health, Measured As Frailty, Modify Myoflament Proteins in Hearts From Naturally Aging Mice Alice E. Kane1,2, Elise S. Bisset2, Kaitlyn M. Keller2, Anjali Ghimire2, W. Glen Pyle3,4 & Susan E. Howlett2,5 ✉ We investigated efects of age, sex and frailty on contractions, calcium transients and myoflament proteins to determine if maladaptive changes associated with aging were sex-specifc and modifed by frailty. Ventricular myocytes and myoflaments were isolated from middle-aged (~12 mos) and older (~24 mos) mice. Frailty was assessed with a non-invasive frailty index. Calcium transients declined and slowed with age in both sexes, but contractions were largely unafected. Actomyosin Mg-ATPase activity increased with age in females but not males; this could maintain contractions with smaller calcium transients in females. Phosphorylation of myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-C), desmin, tropomyosin and myosin light chain-1 (MLC-1) increased with age in males, but only MyBP-C and troponin-T increased in females. Enhanced phosphorylation of MyBP-C and MLC-1 could preserve contractions in aging. Interestingly, the age-related decline in Hill coefcients (r = −0.816; p = 0.002) and increase in phosphorylation of desmin (r = 0.735; p = 0.010), tropomyosin (r = 0.779; p = 0.005) and MLC-1 (r = 0.817; p = 0.022) were graded by the level of frailty in males but not females. In these ways, cardiac remodeling at cellular and subcellular levels is graded by overall health in aging males. Such changes may contribute to heart diseases in frail older males, whereas females may be resistant to these efects of frailty.
    [Show full text]