Beta-Adrenergic receptors (bARs) play a key role in regulating cardiac function. Loss of surface receptors and desensitization (impaired G-protein coupling) of bARs are hallmarks of a failing heart. Desensitization occurs by phosphorylation of bARs. The bARs are resensitized by protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) mediated dephosphorylation in the endosomes before recycling to the plasma membrane. While mechanisms of desensitization are well understood, little is known about mechanisms regulating resensitization. Our previous work has shown that PI3Kg phosphorylates an endogenous inhibitor of PP2A (I2PP2A) on serine 9 & 93, which then robustly binds to PP2A inhibiting bAR resensitization. Since it is not known whether resensitization is altered in response to cardiac stress or whether altered bAR resensitization contributes to cardiac hypertrophy and failure, we generated transgenic mice with cardiomyocyte specific overexpression of wild type I2PP2A (WT I2PP2A Tg), I2PP2A phospho-mimetic mutants S9, 93D and mutants with constitutively dephosphorylated S9, 93A state. To test whether resensitization is critical in the development of bAR dysfunction during cardiac hypertrophy, WT I2PP2A Tg mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) for 8 weeks. Echocardiographic analysis post-TAC showed that WT I2PP2A Tg mice had accelerated cardiac dysfunction compared to their littermate controls [HW (mg)/BW(g): Sham: WT - 4.83, WT I2PP2A Tg - 4.82, TAC: WT- 6.47, WT I2PP2A Tg - 7.61; %EF: Sham: WT - 83.53, WT I2PP2A Tg - 74.72, TAC: WT - 70.47, WT I2PP2A Tg - 49.62]. To directly test whether resensitization mechanisms are altered, plasma membranes and endosomes were isolated and in vitro Adenylyl Cyclase activity assessed. Our studies show that compared to littermate controls, WT I2PP2A Tg had altered in vitro adenylyl cyclase activity showing that resensitization mechanisms in the endosomes may in part, contribute to cardiac dysfunction. Mechanistic underpinnings of the resensitization pathways using the I2PP2A S9, 93A and S9, 93D will be presented showing that bAR resensitization a process considered passive is altered in conditions of cardiac stress that in part may contribute to bAR dysfunction leading to cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.
Activation of PH-domain leucine-rich protein phosphatase 2 (PHLPP2) by agonist stimulation in cardiac myocytes expressing adenylyl cyclase type 6