Endothelin ETA receptor regulates signaling and ANF gene expression via multiple G protein-linked pathways

1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (1) ◽  
pp. H130-H137 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Hilal-Dandan ◽  
M. T. Ramirez ◽  
S. Villegas ◽  
A. Gonzalez ◽  
Y. Endo-Mochizuki ◽  
...  

We have characterized the interaction of endothelin (ET) with cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. Binding studies indicate a single population of ETA receptors [53,000 sites/cell, apparent dissociation constant (Kd) for ET-1 approximately 0.07 nM]. Analysis of mRNA levels for ET receptors using 35 cycles of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction demonstrates the presence of only ETA-receptor message. Studies with ET-1 and a variety of congeners and antagonists indicate that ETA receptors couple to both the stimulation of phosphoinositide turnover and the inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. In myocytes transfected with an atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) promoter linked to a luciferase reporter gene, ET-1 stimulates luciferase expression through an ETA receptor. These data indicate that the ETA receptor is the exclusive receptor on neonatal ventricular myocytes and that this receptor couples to both phosphoinositide hydrolysis and adenylyl cyclase. ET-1 also induces a threefold increase in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity, an effect that is not sensitive to pertussis toxin (PTx). By contrast, ET-stimulated ANF-luciferase expression is partially inhibited by treatment of cells with PTx, suggesting that both PTx-sensitive (Gi) and PTx-insensitive (Gq) pathways mediate the effects of ET-1 on ANF gene expression in neonatal myocytes and that hormonal regulation of ANF expression may utilize pathways in addition to the activation of MAPK.

2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (1) ◽  
pp. C39-C47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Porter ◽  
Maria C. Heidkamp ◽  
Brian T. Scully ◽  
Nehu Patel ◽  
Jody L. Martin ◽  
...  

Patients with cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure display abnormally slowed myocardial relaxation, which is associated with downregulation of sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2) gene expression. We previously showed that SERCA2 downregulation can be simulated in cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM) by treatment with the protein kinase C (PKC) activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). However, NRVM express three different PMA-sensitive PKC isoenzymes (PKCα, PKCϵ, and PKCδ), which may be differentially regulated and have specific functions in the cardiomyocyte. Therefore, in this study we used adenoviral vectors encoding wild-type (wt) and kinase-defective, dominant negative (dn) mutant forms of PKCα, PKCϵ, and PKCδ to analyze their individual effects in regulating SERCA2 gene expression in NRVM. Overexpression of wtPKCϵ and wtPKCδ, but not wtPKCα, was sufficient to downregulate SERCA2 mRNA levels, as assessed by Northern blotting and quantitative, real-time RT-PCR (69 ± 7 and 61 ± 9% of control levels for wtPKCϵ and wtPKCδ, respectively; P < 0.05 for each adenovirus; n = 8 experiments). Conversely, overexpression of all three dnPKCs appeared to significantly increase SERCA2 mRNA levels (dnPKCδ > dnPKCϵ > dnPKCα). dnPKCδ overexpression produced the largest increase (2.8 ± 1.0-fold; n = 11 experiments). However, PMA treatment was still sufficient to downregulate SERCA2 mRNA levels despite overexpression of each dominant negative mutant. These data indicate that the novel PKC isoenzymes PKCϵ and PKCδ selectively regulate SERCA2 gene expression in cardiomyocytes but that neither PKC alone is necessary for this effect if the other novel PKC can be activated.


1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (2) ◽  
pp. C394-C403 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Qi ◽  
J. L. Puglisi ◽  
K. L. Byron ◽  
K. Ojamaa ◽  
I. Klein ◽  
...  

To determine if mechanical signals or alterations in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) affect myosin heavy chain (MHC) gene expression in spontaneously beating, neonatal rat ventricular myocytes, contractile activity was inhibited with verapamil, KCl, or 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM), and their acute and chronic effects on myocyte shortening, [Ca2+]i, and MHC gene expression were examined. Despite their differing effects on [Ca2+]i, verapamil, KCl, and BDM all inhibited contractile activity and markedly downregulated beta-MHC mRNA levels to 24 +/- 5, 21 +/- 7, and 6 +/- 2% of contracting cells, respectively. In contrast, these inhibitors of contraction upregulated alpha-MHC mRNA levels to 163 +/- 19, 156 +/- 7, and 198 +/- 20% of contracting cells, respectively. Transient transfection with a rat beta-MHC promoter-luciferase expression plasmid demonstrated that all inhibitors of contraction significantly decreased beta-MHC promoter activity. Paradoxically, contractile arrest also inhibited alpha-MHC promoter activity, suggesting that increased alpha-MHC mRNA levels resulted from posttranscriptional mechanisms. Actinomycin D mRNA stability assays indicated that alpha-MHC mRNA half-life was prolonged in noncontracting cells (33 h) compared with contracting myocytes (14 h). Contraction-dependent alterations in MHC gene expression were not dependent on release of angiotensin II or other growth factors into the culture medium. Thus intrinsic mechanical signals rather than alterations in [Ca2+]i regulate alpha-MHC and beta-MHC gene expression by both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms.


Author(s):  
Tara A Shrout

Cardiac hypertrophy is a growth process that occurs in response to stress stimuli or injury, and leads to the induction of several pathways to alter gene expression. Under hypertrophic stimuli, sarcomeric structure is disrupted, both as a consequence of gene expression and local changes in sarcomeric proteins. Cardiac-restricted ankyrin repeat protein (CARP) is one such protein that function both in cardiac sarcomeres and at the transcriptional level. We postulate that due to this dual nature, CARP plays a key role in maintaining the cardiac sarcomere. GATA4 is another protein detected in cardiomyocytes as important in hypertrophy, as it is activated by hypertrophic stimuli, and directly binds to DNA to alter gene expression. Results of GATA4 activation over time were inconclusive; however, the role of CARP in mediating hypertrophic growth in cardiomyocytes was clearly demonstrated. In this study, Neonatal Rat Ventricular Myocytes were used as a model to detect changes over time in CARP and GATA4 under hypertrophic stimulation by phenylephrine and high serum media. Results were detected by analysis of immunoblotting. The specific role that CARP plays in mediating cellular growth under hypertrophic stimuli was studied through immunofluorescence, which demonstrated that cardiomyocyte growth with hypertrophic stimulation was significantly blunted when NRVMs were co-treated with CARP siRNA. These data suggest that CARP plays an important role in the hypertrophic response in cardiomyocytes.


Author(s):  
Tara A Shrout

Titin is the largest known protein in the human body, and forms the backbone of all striated muscle sarcomeres. The elastic nature of titin is an important component of muscle compliance and functionality. A significant amount of energy is expended to synthesize titin, thus we postulate that titin gene expression is under strict regulatory control in order to conserve cellular resources. In general, gene expression is mediated in part by post-transcriptional control elements located within the 5’ and 3’ untranslated regions (UTRs) of mature mRNA. The 3’UTR in particular contains structural features that affect binding capacity to other RNA components, such as MicroRNA, which control mRNA localization, translation, and degradation. The degree and significance of the regulatory effects mediated by two determined variants of titin’s 3’ UTR were evaluated in Neonatal Rat Ventricular Myocyte and Human Embryonic Kidney cell lines. Recombinant plasmids to transfect these cells lines were engineered by insertion of the variant titin 3’UTR 431- and 1047-base pairs sequences into luciferase reporter vectors. Expression due to an unaltered reporter vector served as the control. Quantitative changes in luciferase activity due to the recombinants proportionally represented the effect titin’s respective 3’UTR conferred on downstream post-transcriptional expression relative to the control. The effect due to titin’s shorter 3’UTR sequence was inconclusive; however, results illustrated that titin’s longer 3’UTR sequence caused a 35 percent decrease in protein expression. Secondary structural analysis of the two sequences revealed differential folding patterns that affect the stability and degree of MicroRNA-binding within titin’s variant 3’UTR sequences.


Endocrinology ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
pp. 2110-2116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roni Mamluk ◽  
Nitzan Levy ◽  
Bo Rueda ◽  
John S. Davis ◽  
Rina Meidan

Abstract Our previous studies demonstrated that endothelin-1 (ET-1), a 21-amino acid vasoconstrictor peptide, has a paracrine regulatory role in bovine corpus luteum (CL). The peptide is produced within the gland where it inhibits progesterone production by acting via the selective type A endothelin (ETA) receptors. The present study was designed to characterize ETA receptor gene expression in different ovarian cell types and its hormonal regulation. ETA receptor messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were high in follicular cells as well as in CL during luteal regression. At this latter stage, high ETA receptor expression concurred with low prostaglandin F2α receptor mRNA. The ETA receptor gene was expressed by all three major cell populations of the bovine CL; i.e. small and large luteal cells, as well as in luteal endothelial cells. Among these various cell populations, the highest ETA receptor mRNA levels were found in endothelial cells. cAMP elevating agents, forskolin and LH, suppressed ETA receptor mRNA expression in luteinized theca cells (LTC). This inhibition was dose dependent and was evident already after 24 h of incubation. In luteinized granulosa cells (LGC), 10 and 100 ng/ml of insulin-like growth factor I and insulin (only at a concentration of 2000 ng/ml) markedly decreased ETA receptor mRNA levels. In both LGC and LTC there was an inverse relationship between ETA receptor gene expression and progesterone production; insulin (in LGC) and forskolin (in LTC) enhanced progesterone production while inhibiting ETA receptor mRNA levels. Our findings may therefore suggest that, during early stages of luteinization when peak levels of both LH and insulin-like growth factor I exist, the expression of ETA receptors in the gland are suppressed. This study demonstrates physiologically relevant regulatory mechanisms controlling ETA receptor gene expression and further supports the inhibitory role of ET-1 in CL function.


Circulation ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiaki Ohyama ◽  
Toru Tanaka ◽  
Takehisa Shimizu ◽  
Hiroshi Doi ◽  
Norimichi Koitabashi ◽  
...  

Backgroud: Recent studies demonstrated non-hematopoietical effects of Erythropoietin (Epo) and its receptor (EpoR) in a variety of tissues including cardiovascular system. Epo treatment improves cardiac function in patients with heart failure and reduces infarct size after ischemia/reperfusion injury in the heart. However, little attention has been paid for the endogenous regulatory mechanisms regulating EpoR expression. In this study, we hypothesize that B-type natriuretic peptide upregulates EpoR gene expression in failing heart. Methods and Results: Wister rats underwent transverse aortic constriction surgery to induce hypertrophy. RT-PCR analyses of those rats showed that EpoR mRNA levels were increased in the left ventricle and positively correlated with the levels of BNP mRNA (n=10, r=0.67, p<0.05). Next we examined the expression of EpoR in human failing heart by using autopsy specimens and found that EpoR mRNA levels were significantly elevated in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy compared with those in normal heart. Immunohistochemistry of endomyocardial biopsy specimens of failing heart (n=54) showed that EpoR mRNA levels were correlated with severity of cardiac dysfunction estimated by diameter of cardiac chambers, pathomorphology, serum BNP concentration and functional class of New York Heart Association. Interestingly, stimulation of cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes with BNP, but not with hypertrophic reagents including endothelin I, angiotensin II and norepinephrine, significantly increased the EpoR mRNA levels in a time-dependent manner. Overexpression of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) increased EpoR transcript in cultured cardiac myocytes. BNP-induced EpoR expression was abrogated in the presence of KT5823, a specific inhibitor for PKG. Conclusion: These results suggest a role for BNP in mediating an induction of EpoR expression in failing myocardium and indicate that the cardiac EpoR gene is a target of cGMP/PKG signaling.


1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (2) ◽  
pp. R762-R767 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Chaudhry ◽  
J. G. Granneman

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) expresses several adenylyl cyclase (AC) subtypes, and adrenergic stimulation selectively upregulates AC-III gene expression. Previous studies have described synergistic interactions between the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) on the regulation of gene expression in BAT. Because adrenergic stimulation also increases the activity of BAT type II thyroxine 5'-deiodinase (DII) and local T3 generation is important for many functional responses in BAT, we examined the effects of thyroid hormone status on the expression of various AC subtypes. Hypothyroidism selectively increased AC-III mRNA levels in BAT but not in white adipose tissue. Of the other subtypes examined, hypothyroidism did not alter AC-VI mRNA levels and slightly reduced AC-IX mRNA levels in BAT. The increase in AC-III expression was paralleled by an increase in forskolin-stimulated AC activity in BAT membranes. Sympathetic denervation of BAT abolished the increase in both AC activity and AC-III mRNA expression produced by hypothyroidism, but did not affect the expression of other subtypes. Surgical denervation also prevented the induction of AC-III in the cold-stressed euthyroid rat, but injections of T3 failed to alter AC-III expression in intact or denervated BAT. Our results indicate that T3 does not directly affect expression of AC-III. Rather, hypothyroidism increases BAT AC-III expression indirectly via an increase in sympathetic stimulation. Furthermore, our results strongly indicate that the increase in AC activity in hypothyroid BAT is due to increased expression of AC-III.


2002 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
AURORE RINCHEV-ALARNOLD ◽  
LUCETTE BELAIR ◽  
JEAN DJIANE

Secretory IgA found in external secretions are constituted by polymeric IgA (pIgA) bound to the extra-cellular part of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR). The receptor mediates transcytosis of pIgA across epithelial cells. The aim of the present study was to analyse the evolution of pIgR expression in the sheep mammary gland during the development of the mammary gland and to analyse its hormonal regulation. Gene expression of the pIgR was analysed in sheep mammary gland during pregnancy and lactation. By Northern Blot analysis, we observed that low levels of pIgR mRNA are expressed until day 70 of pregnancy. Accumulation of pIgR mRNA started during the third part of pregnancy and intensified 3 d after parturition to reach highest levels during established lactation (day 70). In situ hybridization analysis was used to confirm the increase in pIgR gene expression per mammary epithelial cell. In order to examine the hormonal regulation of the pIgR expression, virgin ewes were hormonally treated. Treatment with oestradiol and progesterone increased pIgR mRNA levels slightly. Subsequent addition of glucocorticoids induced a significant accumulation of pIgR mRNA in the mammary gland of the treated animals. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to verify that the increase of pIgR mRNA level was associated with enhancement of the pIgR protein in mammary cells. No increase of pIgR mRNA levels were observed if PRL secretion was blocked by bromocryptine injections throughout the hormonal procedure. In conclusion, the present experiments suggest that the enhancement of pIgR levels during lactation result from combined effects of both prolactin and glucocorticoids.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (3) ◽  
pp. H1031-H1039 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Qi ◽  
J. W. Bassani ◽  
D. M. Bers ◽  
A. M. Samarel

Primary cultures of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes were used to examine how the cardiac myocyte cytoplasmic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) transient and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA2) gene expression change in response to treatment with the protein kinase C activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Exposure of neonatal myocytes to PMA (200 nM, 48-72 h) produced myocyte growth and a 70% prolongation of the half-time for [Ca2+]i decline induced by potassium depolarization in the absence of extracellular Na+ (in which the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump is the main mechanism responsible for [Ca2+]i decline). The reduced rate of [Ca2+]i transient decline corresponded to a 53% reduction in SERCA2 protein levels and a 43% reduction in SERCA2 mRNA levels as compared with control myocytes. Exposure to PMA for as little as 30 min or for as long as 48 h produced a similar degree of SERCA2 mRNA downregulation over time. PMA-induced downregulation of SERCA2 mRNA levels was blocked by either 10 nM staurosporine or 4 microM chelerythrine, whereas treatment with either agent alone increased SERCA2 mRNA levels as compared with control cells. Actinomycin D mRNA stability assays revealed that PMA treatment appeared to markedly destabilize the relatively long-lived SERCA2 mRNA transcript. Taken together, these results indicate that downregulation of SERCA2 gene by PMA in cultured neonatal myocytes occurs at least in part by alterations in mRNA stability and results in functional alterations in [Ca2+]i decline that are similar to that observed in the hypertrophied and failing adult myocardium.


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