Myosin 7B Is a Regulatory Long Noncoding RNA (Lncmyh7b) in the Human Heart
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bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.06.285189; this version posted September 6, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. Myosin 7b is a regulatory long noncoding RNA (lncMYH7b) in the human heart Lindsey J. Broadwell1,2, Michael J. Smallegan2,3, Kevin M. Rigby4, Jose S. Navarro-Arriola3, Rusty L. Montgomery4, John L. Rinn1,2, Leslie A. Leinwand2,3* 1Dept of Biochemistry, CU Boulder 2Biofrontiers Institute, CU Boulder 3 Dept of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, CU Boulder 4miRagen, Boulder, CO *Corresponding author: Leslie A. Leinwand E-mail: [email protected] Running title: Myosin 7b is a lncRNA in the heart. Keywords: Heart failure, myosin heavy chain (MyHC), myosin heavy chain 7b (MYH7b), alternative splicing, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), gene regulation 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.06.285189; this version posted September 6, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. ABSTRACT disturbing the β-/α-MyHC ratio leads to compromised contractility in cardiomyocytes; in Myosin heavy chain 7b (MYH7b) is an ancient human heart failure, there is a shift to ~100% β- member of the myosin heavy chain motor protein MyHC and α-MyHC becomes undetectable (2–4, family that is expressed in striated muscles. In 7). As β-MyHC is the slower, more efficient motor, mammalian cardiac muscle, MYH7b RNA is this shift in expression is thought to be an initial expressed along with two other myosin heavy compensatory mechanism to preserve energy in the chains, b-myosin heavy chain (b-MyHC) and a- failing heart. Heart failure patients that show myosin heavy chain (a-MyHC). However, unlike functional improvement upon treatment with β- b-MyHC and a-MyHC which are maintained in a adrenergic receptor blockers have an increase in α- careful balance at the protein level, the MYH7b MyHC expression (4). This suggests that locus does not produce protein in the heart due to a maintenance of the β-MyHC/α-MyHC ratio is post-transcriptional exon-skipping mechanism that fundamental to proper cardiac function. occurs in a tissue specific manner. Whether this While MYH6 and MYH7 have been studied for locus has a role in the heart beyond producing its decades, MYH7b was not identified until the intronic microRNA, miR-499, was unclear. Using sequencing of the human genome and was initially cardiomyocytes derived from human induced annotated as a sarcomeric myosin based on pluripotent stem cells as a model system, we have sequence alignments with other known family found that the non-coding exon skipped RNA members (8). Based on phylogenetic analysis, (lncMYH7b) affects the transcriptional landscape MYH7b was identified as an ancient myosin, of the human heart, independent of miR-499. indicating that MYH7b was present before the gene Specifically, lncMYH7b regulates the ratio of b- duplication events that led to the other sarcomeric MyHC to a-MyHC, which is crucial for heart myosins (8). The human MYH7b gene is located on function. This regulation is likely achieved through chromosome 20, separate from the two canonical control of members of the TEA domain sarcomeric myosin clusters on chromosomes 14 transcription factor family (TEAD1 and TEAD3). (cardiac myosins) and 17 (skeletal muscle Therefore, we conclude that this ancient gene has myosins), supporting the idea that MYH7b may been repurposed by alternative splicing to produce have a specialized role in muscle biology (1, 8). In a regulatory long-noncoding RNA in the human certain species, including snakes and birds, MYH7b heart that affects the myosin composition of the is expressed as a typical sarcomeric myosin protein heart. in heart and skeletal muscle (9). However, MYH7b has a unique expression pattern in mammals: the INTRODUCTION encoded protein is restricted to specialized muscles and non-muscle tissues (10–12). Furthermore, The myosin family of motor proteins that drives while MYH7b RNA is expressed in mammalian striated muscle contraction consists of 10 genes cardiac and skeletal muscle, an alternative splicing with distinct functions(1). Three of these genes are event skips an exon, introducing a premature expressed in mammalian hearts (MYH6, MYH7, and termination codon (PTC) that prevents full-length MYH7b). MYH6 (α-MyHC) and MYH7 (β-MyHC) protein expression (Fig 1A) (10). This raises the are the major sarcomeric myosin proteins expressed question of why the MYH7b RNA expression has in mammalian hearts. In humans, >90% of the been conserved in mammals. One obvious heart’s myosin protein composition is comprised of hypothesis is that MYH7b transcription is preserved β-MyHC with the remaining <10% being α-MyHC in mammalian heart and skeletal muscle in order to and the two are antithetically regulated (1–5). maintain the expression of an MYH7b intronic However, various conditions can shift their relative microRNA, miR-499, in those tissues (10). proportions. The finely-tuned balance of these two However, miR-499 knockout mice have no motors is critical for proper cardiac function since discernible cardiac or skeletal muscle phenotype they have very different enzymatic properties (13). It’s possible that the species-specific which determine the contractile velocity of the regulation of myosin isoforms complicates the muscle (6). It has been well-established that interpretation of this mouse model and that miR- 499 could play an important role in human muscle 2 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.06.285189; this version posted September 6, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. (6, 14). Another hypothesis is that a heretofore MyHC and α-MyHC due to high sequence unknown functional molecule is expressed from the conservation in the myosin II family, these probes MYH7b gene, causing its conserved expression in were ranked according to how many mismatches sarcomeric muscle tissue. In this report, we they had with the other two transcripts. The top 29 performed a thorough dissection of this locus in were ordered from Integrated DNA Technologies order to discern the role of MYH7b gene expression and labeled with ATTO-550 dye using terminal in human cardiomyocytes and found a novel long deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) as described in noncoding RNA (lncMYH7b) with roles in cardiac Gaspar et al 2017. Briefly, TdT was incubated with gene expression. 5-Propargylamino-ddUTP-ATTO-550 and an equimolar mix of the 29 probes at 37°C for 16 hrs, MATERIALS AND METHODS refreshing the TdT at 8 hrs. The labeled probes were then purified through ethanol precipitation. Cell Culture The WTC-11 iPSC line was used for all RNA-seq Matured cardiomyocytes were replated on plasma and FISH experiments. A small molecule cleaned coverslips coated in a GelTrex cushion. 48 differentiation protocol was followed (15). Wnt hrs after, the cardiomyocytes were washed three signaling was activated for 48 hrs using Chiron times with PBS, then fixed with 4% PFA for 10 99021 (GSK3 inhibitor) at 5 μM in RPMI base min at room temperature. After washing again, media with BSA and L-ascorbic acid. Wnt was coverslips were transferred to 70% ethanol and then inhibited for 48 hrs using Wnt-C59 at 2 μM kept at 4°C for at least 1 hr. The 70% ethanol was in the same base media. The media was then then removed and 1 mL Stellaris RNA FISH Wash switched to a B27 supplement with insulin in Buffer A (Biosearch Technologies Cat# SMF- RPMI for the remainder of the culture time. All WA1-60) with 10% deionized formamide for 5 cells were matured for 35 days before treatment min at room temperature. A humidifying chamber with ASO or virus. was assembled in a 15 cm tissue culture plate using a wet paper towel covered in Parafilm. For iCell Cardiomyocytes were purchased from each coverslip, 2 μL of the TdT-labeled probes Cellular Dynamics International (CMC-100-010- was added to 98 μL of Stellaris RNA FISH 001), cultured to manufacturer’s protocols, and Hybridization Buffer (Biosearch Technologies used for all qPCR experiments. qPCR probers Cat# SMF-HB1-10); 100 μL of this mixture was were purchased from Applied Biosystems and dotted onto the Parafilm in the humidifying performed according to manufacturer’s protocols. chamber. The chamber was sealed with Parafilm then left in the dark at 37 °C overnight. Coverslips ASO Treatment were then transferred back into a 12-well culture Matured cardiomyocytes were passively treated plate and washed twice with 1 mL Buffer A for 30 with either a scrambled (control) ASO or one min at 37°C, then in 1 mL Stellaris RNA FISH targeting MYH7b at 2 μM for 96 hrs. ASO was Wash Buffer B (Biosearch Technologies Cat# refreshed with media changes, every 48 hrs. ASO SMF-WB1-20) with Hoescht stain at 1:10,000 was manufactured and verified by miRagen dilution for 5 min at RT. Coverslips were then (sequence and chemistry proprietary). For the mounted using Vectashield anti-fade mounting kinetic study, iCell Cardiomyocytes were treated medium and sealed with clear nail polish. Cells with 10 uM ASO targeting MYH7b for indicated were imaged with a DeltaVision confocal timepoints.