Andrew P. Ziman

Dysferlin stabilizes stress-induced Ca2+ signaling in the transverse tubule membrane

Significance Muscular dystrophies linked to the genetic absence or mutations of dysferlin are currently without a relevant therapy. Dysferlin is thought to mediate membrane repair in skeletal muscle, but its localization and specific functions remain controversial. Here we show that dysferlin is enriched in the transverse tubule membrane of skeletal muscle and demonstrate that, in its absence, mechanical stress leads to calcium-dependent muscle injury. Furthermore, we demonstrate that treatment of dysferlin-deficient muscle with the calcium channel blocker diltiazem reduces in vitro experimental and in vivo contraction-induced muscle damage. As diltiazem is approved for clinical use, our results suggest a potential new therapeutic avenue for patients diagnosed with dysferlinopathies. Dysferlinopathies, most commonly limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2B and Miyoshi myopathy, are degenerative myopathies caused by mutations in the DYSF gene encoding the protein dysferlin. Studies of dysferlin have focused on its role in the repair of the sarcolemma of skeletal muscle, but dysferlin’s association with calcium (Ca2+) signaling proteins in the transverse (t-) tubules suggests additional roles. Here, we reveal that dysferlin is enriched in the t-tubule membrane of mature skeletal muscle fibers. Following experimental membrane stress in vitro, dysferlin-deficient muscle fibers undergo extensive functional and structural disruption of the t-tubules that is ameliorated by reducing external [Ca2+] or blocking L-type Ca2+ channels with diltiazem. Furthermore, we demonstrate that diltiazem treatment of dysferlin-deficient mice significantly reduces eccentric contraction-induced t-tubule damage, inflammation, and necrosis, which resulted in a concomitant increase in postinjury functional recovery. Our discovery of dysferlin as a t-tubule protein that stabilizes stress-induced Ca2+ signaling offers a therapeutic avenue for limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2B and Miyoshi myopathy patients.

Calcium Biology of the Transverse Tubules in Heart

Abstract: Ca2+ sparks in heart muscle are activated on depolarization by the influx of Ca2+ through dihydropyridine receptors in the sarcolemmal (SL) and transverse tubule (TT) membranes. The cardiac action potential is thus able to synchronize the [Ca2+]i transient as Ca2+ release is activated throughout the cell. Increases in the amount of Ca2+ within the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) underlie augmented Ca2+ release globally and an increase in the sensitivity of the ryanodine receptors (RyRs) to be triggered by the local [Ca2+]i. In a similar manner, phosphorylation of the RyRs by protein kinase A (PKA) increases the sensitivity of the RyRs to be activated by local [Ca2+]i. Heart failure and other cardiac diseases are associated with changes in SR Ca2+ content, phosphorylation state of the RyRs, [Ca2+]i signaling defects and arrhythmias. Additional changes in transverse tubules and nearby junctional SR may contribute to alterations in local Ca2+ signaling. Here we briefly discuss how TT organization can influence Ca2+ signaling and how changes in SR Ca2+ release triggering can influence excitation‐contraction (EC) coupling. High speed imaging methods are used in combination with single cell patch clamp experiments to investigate how abnormal Ca2+ signaling may be regulated in health and disease. Three issues are examined in this presentation: (1) normal Ca2+‐induced Ca2+ release and Ca2+ sparks, (2) abnormal SR Ca2+ release in disease, and (3) the triggering and propagation of waves of elevated [Ca2+]i.

Genetic polymorphism in Gymnodinium galatheanum chloroplast DNA sequences and development of a molecular detection assay.

Nuclear and chloroplast‐encoded small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences were obtained from several strains of the toxic dinoflagellate Gymnodinium galatheanum. Phylogenetic analyses and comparison of sequences indicate that the chloroplast sequences show a higher degree of sequence divergence than the nuclear homologue. The chloroplast sequences were chosen as targets for the development of a 5′–3′ exonuclease assay for detection of the organism. The assay has a very high degree of specificity and has been used to screen environmental water samples from a fish farm where the presence of this dinoflagellate species has previously been associated with fish kills. Various hypotheses for the derived nature of the chloroplast sequences are discussed, as well as what is known about the toxicity of the species.

Quantitative Measurement of Ca2+ in the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Lumen of Mammalian Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle stores Ca²(+) in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and releases it to initiate contraction, but the concentration of luminal Ca²(+) in the SR ([Ca²(+)](SR)) and the amount that is released by physiological or pharmacological stimulation has been difficult to measure. Here we present a novel, yet simple and direct, method that provides the first quantitative estimates of static content and dynamic changes in [Ca²(+)](SR) in mammalian skeletal muscle, to our knowledge. The method uses fluo-5N loaded into the SR of single, mammalian skeletal muscle cells (murine flexor digitorum brevis myofibers) and confocal imaging to detect and calibrate the signals. Using this method, we have determined that [Ca²(+)](SR, free) is 390 μM. 4-Chloro-m-cresol, an activator of the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor, reduces [Ca²(+)](SR, free) to ∼8 μM, when values are corrected for background fluorescence from cytoplasmic pools of dye. Prolonged electrical stimulation (10 s) at 50 Hz releases 88% of the SR Ca²(+) content, whereas stimulation at 1 Hz (10 s) releases only 20%. Our results lay the foundation for molecular modeling of the dynamics of luminal SR Ca²(+) and for future studies of the role of SR Ca²(+) in healthy and diseased mammalian muscle.

Integrity of the network sarcoplasmic reticulum in skeletal muscle requires small ankyrin 1.

Small ankyrin 1 (sAnk1; Ank1.5) is a ~20 kDa protein of striated muscle that concentrates in the network compartment of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (nSR). We used siRNA targeted to sAnk1 to assess its role in organizing the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of skeletal myofibers in vitro. siRNA reduced sAnk1 mRNA and protein levels and disrupted the organization of the remaining sAnk1. Sarcomeric proteins were unchanged, but two other proteins of the nSR, SERCA and sarcolipin, decreased significantly in amount and segregated into distinct structures containing sarcolipin and sAnk1, and SERCA, respectively. Exogenous sAnk1 restored SERCA to its normal distribution. Ryanodine receptors and calsequestrin in the junctional SR, and L-type Ca2+ channels in the transverse tubules were not reduced, although their striated organization was mildly altered. Consistent with the loss of SERCA, uptake and release of Ca2+ were significantly inhibited. Our results show that sAnk1 stabilizes the nSR and that its absence causes the nSR to fragment into distinct membrane compartments.

Novel Function of Cardiac Protein Kinase D1 as a Dynamic Regulator of Ca2+ Sensitivity of Contraction

Although the function of protein kinase D1 (PKD) in cardiac cells has remained enigmatic, recent work has shown that PKD phosphorylates the nuclear regulators HDAC5/7 (histone deacetylase 5/7) and CREB, implicating this kinase in the development of dysfunction seen in heart failure. Additional studies have shown that PKD also phosphorylates multiple sarcomeric substrates to regulate myofilament function. Initial studies examined PKD through adenoviral vector expression of wild type PKD, constitutively active PKD (caPKD), or dominant negative PKD in cultured adult rat ventricular myocytes. Confocal immunofluorescent images of these cells reveal a predominant distribution of all PKD forms in a non-nuclear, Z-line localized, striated reticular pattern, suggesting the importance of PKD in Ca2+ signaling in heart. Consistent with an established role of PKD in targeting cardiac troponin I (cTnI), caPKD expression led to a marked decrease in contractile myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity with an unexpected electrical stimulus dependence to this response. This desensitization was accompanied by stimulus-dependent increases in cTnI phosphorylation in control and caPKD cells with a more pronounced effect in the latter. Electrical stimulation also provoked phosphorylation of regulatory site Ser916 on PKD. The functional importance of this phospho-Ser916 event is demonstrated in experiments with a phosphorylation-defective mutant, caPKD-S916A, which is functionally inactive and blocks stimulus-dependent increases in cTnI phosphorylation. Dominant negative PKD expression resulted in sensitization of the myofilaments to Ca2+ and blocked stimulus-dependent increases in cTnI phosphorylation. Taken together, these data reveal that localized PKD may play a role as a dynamic regulator of Ca2+ sensitivity of contraction in cardiac myocytes.

Mice null for calsequestrin 1 exhibit deficits in functional performance and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium handling.

In skeletal muscle, the release of calcium (Ca2+) by ryanodine sensitive sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release channels (i.e., ryanodine receptors; RyR1s) is the primary determinant of contractile filament activation. Much attention has been focused on calsequestrin (CASQ1) and its role in SR Ca2+ buffering as well as its potential for modulating RyR1, the L-type Ca2+ channel (dihydropyridine receptor, DHPR) and other sarcolemmal channels through sensing luminal [Ca2+]. The genetic ablation of CASQ1 expression results in significant alterations in SR Ca2+ content and SR Ca2+ release especially during prolonged activation. While these findings predict a significant loss-of-function phenotype in vivo, little information on functional status of CASQ1 null mice is available. We examined fast muscle in vivo and in vitro and identified significant deficits in functional performance that indicate an inability to sustain contractile activation. In single CASQ1 null skeletal myofibers we demonstrate a decrease in voltage dependent RyR Ca2+ release with single action potentials and a collapse of the Ca2+ release with repetitive trains. Under voltage clamp, SR Ca2+ release flux and total SR Ca2+ release are significantly reduced in CASQ1 null myofibers. The decrease in peak Ca2+ release flux appears to be solely due to elimination of the slowly decaying component of SR Ca2+ release, whereas the rapidly decaying component of SR Ca2+ release is not altered in either amplitude or time course in CASQ1 null fibers. Finally, intra-SR [Ca2+] during ligand and voltage activation of RyR1 revealed a significant decrease in the SR[Ca2+]free in intact CASQ1 null fibers and a increase in the release and uptake kinetics consistent with a depletion of intra-SR Ca2+ buffering capacity. Taken together we have revealed that the genetic ablation of CASQ1 expression results in significant functional deficits consistent with a decrease in the slowly decaying component of SR Ca2+ release.