Increased ROS-Mediated CaMKII Activation Contributes to Calcium Handling Abnormalities and Impaired Contraction in Barth Syndrome

Author(s):  
Xujie Liu ◽  
Suya Wang ◽  
Xiaoling Guo ◽  
Yifei Li ◽  
Roza Ogurlu ◽  
...  

Background: Mutations in tafazzin ( TAZ ), a gene required for biogenesis of cardiolipin, the signature phospholipid of the inner mitochondrial membrane, causes Barth syndrome (BTHS). Cardiomyopathy and risk of sudden cardiac death are prominent features of BTHS, but the mechanisms by which impaired cardiolipin biogenesis causes cardiac muscle weakness and arrhythmia are poorly understood. Methods: We performed in vivo electrophysiology to define arrhythmia vulnerability in cardiac specific TAZ knockout mice. Using cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CMs) and cardiac specific TAZ knockout mice as model systems, we investigated the effect of TAZ inactivation on Ca 2+ handling. Through genome editing and pharmacology, we defined a molecular link between TAZ mutation and abnormal Ca 2+ handling and contractility. Results: A subset of mice with cardiac-specific TAZ inactivation developed arrhythmias including bidirectional ventricular tachycardia, atrial tachycardia, and complete atrioventricular block. Compared to WT, BTHS iPSC-CMs had increased diastolic Ca 2+ and decreased Ca 2+ transient amplitude. BTHS iPSC-CMs had higher levels of mitochondrial and cellular ROS than WT, which activated Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). Activated CaMKII phosphorylated the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RYR2) on serine 2814, increasing Ca 2+ leak through RYR2. Inhibition of this ROS-CaMKII-RYR2 pathway through pharmacological inhibitors or genome editing normalized aberrant Ca 2+ handling in BTHS iPSC-CMs and improved their contractile function. Murine Taz knockout cardiomyocytes also exhibited elevated diastolic Ca 2+ and decreased Ca 2+ transient amplitude. These abnormalities were ameliorated by CaMKII or ROS inhibition. Conclusions: This study identified a molecular pathway that links TAZ mutation to abnormal Ca 2+ handling and decreased cardiomyocyte contractility. This pathway may offer therapeutic opportunities to treat BTHS and potentially other diseases with elevated mitochondrial ROS production.

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedetta M. Motta ◽  
Peter P. Pramstaller ◽  
Andrew A. Hicks ◽  
Alessandra Rossini

Genome-editing technology has emerged as a powerful method that enables the generation of genetically modified cells and organisms necessary to elucidate gene function and mechanisms of human diseases. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats- (CRISPR-) associated 9 (Cas9) system has rapidly become one of the most popular approaches for genome editing in basic biomedical research over recent years because of its simplicity and adaptability. CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has been used to correct DNA mutations ranging from a single base pair to large deletions in both in vitro and in vivo model systems. CRISPR/Cas9 has been used to increase the understanding of many aspects of cardiovascular disorders, including lipid metabolism, electrophysiology and genetic inheritance. The CRISPR/Cas9 technology has been proven to be effective in creating gene knockout (KO) or knockin in human cells and is particularly useful for editing induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Despite these progresses, some biological, technical, and ethical issues are limiting the therapeutic potential of genome editing in cardiovascular diseases. This review will focus on various applications of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in the cardiovascular field, for both disease research and the prospect of in vivo genome-editing therapies in the future.


2018 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. S113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvere Pagant ◽  
Marshall W. Huston ◽  
Makiko Yasuda ◽  
Susan St Martin ◽  
Scott Sproul ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 113 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Rubinstein ◽  
Vivek P Singh ◽  
Valerie M Lasko ◽  
Sheryl E Koch ◽  
Evangelia Kranias ◽  
...  

Background: TRPV2 is a Ca2+ channel that we have recently discovered in cardiomyocytes. The absence of this channel negatively impacts baseline contractility while stimulation results in a positive inotropic response. What remains to be established is the mechanism of this receptor and its role, if any, in the development of hypertrophy. Methods and Results: We obtained isolated cardiomyocytes from wild type (WT) and TRPV2-/- (KO) mice and found that the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ content and Ca2+ transients were reduced along with fractional shortening in the KO cardiomyocytes (figure, panels A, B, C). In vivo echocardiography confirmed a decrease in ejection fraction in KO mice in comparison to the WT counterparts (panel D). The relevance of these findings was examined in 6 WT and 5 KO mice subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC). These mice were followed by echocardiography weekly for a total of 8 weeks post TAC. At the conclusion, the hearts were obtained for histological and molecular analyses. We demonstrated that the KO mice developed less LV hypertrophy in comparison to WT (via echocardiography and by heart weight/body weight ratios) (figure, panels E and F). Importantly, there was a 5 fold increase in TRPV2 expression assessed by PCR in TAC WT hearts, compared to WT not subjected to TAC (0.72±0.10 vs. 0.13±0.04; p<0.01). This suggests a role for TRPV2 not only in contractility, but also in the development of hypertrophy. Conclusions: We have discovered a novel cardiac channel that alters Ca2+ cycling and is capable of modulating cardiomyocyte contractility and hypertrophy, which could lead to novel therapeutic options in heart failure and hypertrophy.


2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (24) ◽  
pp. 9315-9326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J. Jaehnig ◽  
Analeah B. Heidt ◽  
Stephanie B. Greene ◽  
Ivo Cornelissen ◽  
Brian L. Black

ABSTRACT The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) plays a critical role in excitation-contraction coupling by regulating the cytoplasmic calcium concentration of striated muscle. The histidine-rich calcium-binding protein (HRCBP) is expressed in the junctional SR, the site of calcium release from the SR. HRCBP is expressed exclusively in muscle tissues and binds calcium with low affinity and high capacity. In addition, HRCBP interacts with triadin, a protein associated with the ryanodine receptor and thought to be involved in calcium release. Its calcium binding properties, localization to the SR, and interaction with triadin suggest that HRCBP is involved in calcium handling by the SR. To determine the function of HRCBP in vivo, we inactivated HRC, the gene encoding HRCBP, in mice. HRC knockout mice exhibited impaired weight gain beginning at 11 months of age, which was marked by reduced skeletal muscle and fat mass, and triadin protein expression was upregulated in the heart of HRC knockout mice. In addition, HRC null mice displayed a significantly exaggerated response to the induction of cardiac hypertrophy by isoproterenol compared to their wild-type littermates. The exaggerated response of HRC knockout mice to the induction of cardiac hypertrophy is consistent with a regulatory role for HRCBP in calcium handling in vivo and suggests that mutations in HRC, in combination with other genetic or environmental factors, might contribute to pathological hypertrophy and heart failure.


2010 ◽  
Vol 298 (4) ◽  
pp. H1219-H1228 ◽  
Author(s):  
George E. Billman ◽  
Yoshinori Nishijima ◽  
Andriy E. Belevych ◽  
Dmitry Terentyev ◽  
Ying Xu ◽  
...  

Since omega–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) can alter ventricular myocyte calcium handling, these fatty acids could adversely affect cardiac contractile function, particularly following myocardial infarction. Therefore, 4 wk after myocardial infarction, dogs were randomly assigned to either placebo (corn oil, 1 g/day, n = 16) or n-3 PUFAs supplement [docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) + eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ethyl esters; 1, 2, or 4 g/day; n = 7, 8, and 12, respectively] groups. In vivo, ventricular function was evaluated by echocardiography before and after 3 mo of treatment. At the end of the 3-mo period, hearts were removed and in vitro function was evaluated using right ventricular trabeculae and isolated left ventricular myocytes. The treatment elicited significant ( P < 0.0001) dose-dependent increases (16.4-fold increase with 4 g/day) in left ventricular tissue and red blood cell n-3 PUFA levels (EPA + DHA, placebo, 0.42 ± 0.04; 1 g/day, 3.02 ± 0.23; 2 g/day, 3.63 ± 0.17; and 4 g/day, 6.97 ± 0.33%). Regardless of the dose, n-3 PUFA treatment did not alter ventricular function in the intact animal (e.g., 4 g/day, fractional shortening: pre, 42.9 ± 1.6 vs. post, 40.1 ± 1.7%; placebo: pre, 39.2 ± 1.3 vs. post, 38.4 ± 1.6%). The developed force per cross-sectional area, changes in length- and frequency-dependent behavior in contractile force, and the inotropic response to β-adrenoceptor activation were also similar for trabeculae obtained from placebo- or n-3 PUFA-treated dogs. Finally, calcium currents and calcium transients were the same in myocytes from n-3 PUFA- and placebo-treated dogs. Thus dietary n-3 PUFAs did not adversely alter either in vitro or in vivo ventricular contractile function in dogs with healed infarctions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 129 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anichavezhi Devendran ◽  
Rasheed Bailey ◽  
Sumanta Kar ◽  
Francesca Stillitano ◽  
Irene Turnbull ◽  
...  

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical condition associated with substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. The contractile dysfunction and arrhythmogenesis related to HF has been linked to the remodelling of calcium (Ca ++ ) handling. Phospholamban (PLN) has emerged as a key regulator of intracellular Ca ++ concentration. Of the PLN mutations, L39X is intriguing as it has not been fully characterized. This mutation is believed to be functionally equivalent to PLN null (KO) but contrary to PLN KO mice, L39X carriers develop a lethal cardiomyopathy (CMP). Our study aims at using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) from homozygous L39X carriers to elucidate the role of L39X in human pathophysiology. Our plan also involves the characterization of humanized L39X knock-in mice (KM), which we hypothesize will develop a CMP from mis-localization of PLN and disruption of Ca ++ signalling. Methodology and Results: Mononuclear cells from Hom L39X carriers were obtained to generate 11 integration-free patient-specific iPSC clones. The iPSC-CMs were derived using established protocols. Compared to the WT iPSC-CMs, the Hom L39X derived-CMs PLN had an abnormal cytoplasmic distribution and formed intracellular aggregates, with the loss of perinuclear localization. There was also a 70% and 50% reduction of mRNA and protein expression of PLN respectively in L39X compared to WT iPSC-CMs. These findings indicated that L39X PLN is both under-expressed and mis-localized within the cell. To validate this observation in-vivo, we genetically modified FVB mice to harbour the human L39X. Following electroporation, positively transfected mouse embryonic stem cells were injected into host blastocysts to make humanized KM that were subsequently used to generate either a protamine-Cre (endogenous PLN driven expression) or a cardiac TNT mouse (i.e., CMP specific). Conclusion: Our data confirm an abnormal intracellular distribution of PLN, with the loss of perinuclear accumulation and mis-localization, suggestive of ineffective targeting to or retention of L39X. The mouse model will be critically important to validate the in-vitro observations and provides an ideal platform for future studies centred on the development of novel therapeutic strategies including virally delivered CRISPR/Cas9 for in-vivo gene editing and testing of biochemical signalling pathways.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Pang Yuk Cheung ◽  
Patrick T. Harrison ◽  
Alan J. Davidson ◽  
Jennifer A. Hollywood

The development over the past 50 years of a variety of cell lines and animal models has provided valuable tools to understand the pathophysiology of nephropathic cystinosis. Primary cultures from patient biopsies have been instrumental in determining the primary cause of cystine accumulation in the lysosomes. Immortalised cell lines have been established using different gene constructs and have revealed a wealth of knowledge concerning the molecular mechanisms that underlie cystinosis. More recently, the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells, kidney organoids and tubuloids have helped bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo model systems. The development of genetically modified mice and rats have made it possible to explore the cystinotic phenotype in an in vivo setting. All of these models have helped shape our understanding of cystinosis and have led to the conclusion that cystine accumulation is not the only pathology that needs targeting in this multisystemic disease. This review provides an overview of the in vitro and in vivo models available to study cystinosis, how well they recapitulate the disease phenotype, and their limitations.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan H. Tsui ◽  
Andrea Leonard ◽  
Nathan D. Camp ◽  
Joseph T. Long ◽  
Zeid Y. Nawas ◽  
...  

AbstractHuman induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) offer tremendous potential for use in engineering human tissues for regenerative therapy and drug screening. However, differentiated cardiomyocytes are phenotypically immature, reducing assay reliability when translating in vitro results to clinical studies and precluding hiPSC-derived cardiac tissues from therapeutic use in vivo. To address this, we have developed hybrid hydrogels comprised of decellularized porcine myocardial extracellular matrix (dECM) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to provide a more instructive microenvironment for proper cellular and tissue development. A tissue-specific protein profile was preserved post-decellularization, and through the modulation of rGO content and degree of reduction, the mechanical and electrical properties of the hydrogels could be tuned. Engineered heart tissues (EHTs) generated using dECM-rGO hydrogel scaffolds and hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes exhibited significantly increased twitch forces at 14 days of culture and had increased the expression of genes that regulate contractile function. Similar improvements in various aspects of electrophysiological function, such as calcium-handling, action potential duration, and conduction velocity, were also induced by the hybrid biomaterial. We also demonstrate that dECM-rGO hydrogels can be used as a bioink to print cardiac tissues in a high-throughput manner, and these tissues were utilized to assess the proarrhythmic potential of cisapride. Action potential prolongation and beat interval irregularities was observed in dECM-rGO tissues at clinical doses of cisapride, indicating that the enhanced maturation of these tissues corresponded well with a capability to produce physiologically relevant drug responses.


2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tromondae K Feaster ◽  
Charles H Williams ◽  
Adrian G Cadar ◽  
Young W Chun ◽  
Lili Wang ◽  
...  

Human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) have great potential as tools for human heart disease modeling and drug discovery. However, their contractile properties have not been routinely evaluated; as current methods are not accessible for most laboratories. We sought to develop a more efficient method to evaluate hiPSC-CM mechanical properties, at the single cell level. Individual hiPSC-CMs were cultured on a hydrogel based platform, termed the “hydrogel mattress,” and their cellular contractile properties evaluated using video-based edge detection. We found that hiPSC-CMs maintained on the mattress reproducibly exhibited robust cell shortening, in dramatic contrast to hiPSC-CMs maintained in a standard manner. We further found that contraction and peak cell shortening amplitude of hiPSC-CMs on mattress was comparable to that of freshly isolated adult ventricular mouse CM. Importantly, hiPSC-CMs maintained on the mattress exhibited several characteristics of a native CM, in terms of myocyte elongation, calcium handling and pharmacological response. Finally, using this platform, we could calculate the traction force generated by individual CMs. In summary, the Hydrogel mattress platform is a simple and reliable in vitro platform that not only enables the quantification of contractile performance of isolated hiPSC-CMs, but also enhances CM maturation. This flexible platform can be extended to in vitro disease modeling, drug discovery and cardiotoxicity testing.


2016 ◽  
Vol 119 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet R Manning ◽  
Bryana M Levitan ◽  
Ayman Haroun ◽  
Catherine N Withers ◽  
Prabhakara R Nagareddy ◽  
...  

Rationale: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a leading cause of death in the U.S. A non-contractile infarct compromises the overall mechanical function of the heart, reducing cardiac output and triggering decompensatory ventricular dilation. Rad GTPase, a member of the small GTPase RGK (Rem, Gem, Kir) family, is a calcium channel blocker that is endogenously expressed in the myocardium. We have previously shown that Rad deletion in mice results in increased Ca 2+ handling and a sustained non-pathological improvement in left ventricular function compared to wildtype. Hypothesis: Rad-ablation attenuates post-ischemic loss of function, resulting in reduced remodeling and improved long-term contractility. Methods and Results: We subjected Rad-deficient mice to ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery, and monitored cardiac function using echocardiography. We found that Rad deletion reduces both mortality and contractile dysfunction after MI, as well as ventricular dilation over five weeks. This improvement is also accompanied by preserved calcium handling in isolated myocytes. Histological and MRI examination of both ex vivo global ischemia and in vivo 24 hour LAD ligated myocardium revealed that initial infarct size is comparable between knockout and wildtype. We found that Rad loss reduced scar development and elongation independent of preserving tissue viability. Investigation of inflammatory pathways to account for this revealed increased expression of the anti-inflammatory protein thrombospondin accompanied by a reduction in neutrophil infiltration into the myocardium after MI. Conclusion: Rad deletion results in reduced cardiac remodeling, diminished myocardial inflammation, and improved contractile function after MI.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document