Iwao Ohtsuki

Regulatory and Cytoskeletal Proteins of Vertebrate Skeletal Muscle

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the structure and function of the major regulatory proteins, troponin and tropomyosin, and also of the main cytoskeletal protein, connectin (titin). The effective contractile machinery of vertebrate striated muscle represents an elaborate framework. The motion of myosin and actin filaments is controlled by regulatory proteins and their position is supported by cytoskeletal proteins. Approximately 65% of the total myofibrillar proteins are myosin and actin, the contractile proteins of muscle. There are a number of both regulatory and cyotoskeletal proteins. The troponin and tropomyosin are the best characterized proteins, together with actin and myosin, in the field of muscle biochemistry. They are involved in the Ca 2+ regulation of muscle contraction. On the other hand, connectin—an elastic protein—is a relative newcomer, and because of its huge molecular weight (more than 2 million), its physicochemical characterization has remained incomplete. Nevertheless, it may be appropriate to call attention to this protein, because new aspects of protein chemistry might be revealed from work on such a giant peptide as connectin.

Knock-In Mouse Model of Dilated Cardiomyopathy Caused by Troponin Mutation

We created knock-in mice in which a deletion of 3 base pairs coding for K210 in cardiac troponin (cTn)T found in familial dilated cardiomyopathy patients was introduced into endogenous genes. Membrane-permeabilized cardiac muscle fibers from mutant mice showed significantly lower Ca2+ sensitivity in force generation than those from wild-type mice. Peak amplitude of Ca2+ transient in cardiomyocytes was increased in mutant mice, and maximum isometric force produced by intact cardiac muscle fibers of mutant mice was not significantly different from that of wild-type mice, suggesting that Ca2+ transient was augmented to compensate for decreased myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. Nevertheless, mutant mice developed marked cardiac enlargement, heart failure, and frequent sudden death recapitulating the phenotypes of dilated cardiomyopathy patients, indicating that global functional defect of the heart attributable to decreased myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity could not be fully compensated by only increasing the intracellular Ca2+ transient. We found that a positive inotropic agent, pimobendan, which directly increases myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, had profound effects of preventing cardiac enlargement, heart failure, and sudden death. These results verify the hypothesis that Ca2+ desensitization of cardiac myofilament is the absolute cause of the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy associated with this mutation and strongly suggest that Ca2+ sensitizers are beneficial for the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy patients affected by sarcomeric regulatory protein mutations.

Ca2+ Sensitization and Potentiation of the Maximum Level of Myofibrillar ATPase Activity Caused by Mutations of Troponin T Found in Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Human wild-type cardiac troponin T, I, C and five troponin T mutants (I79N, R92Q, F110I, E244D, and R278C) causing familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were expressed inEscherichia coli, and then were purified and incorporated into rabbit cardiac myofibrils using a troponin exchange technique. The Ca2+-sensitive ATPase activity of these myofibrillar preparations was measured in order to examine the functional consequences of these troponin mutations. An I79N troponin T mutation was found to cause a definite increase in Ca2+ sensitivity of the myofibrillar ATPase activity without inducing any significant change in the maximum level of ATPase activity. A detailed analysis indicated the inhibitory action of troponin I to be impaired by the I79N troponin T mutation. Two more troponin T mutations (R92Q and R278C) were also found to have a Ca2+–sensitizing effect without inducing any change in maximum ATPase activity. Two other troponin T mutations (F110I and E244D) had no Ca2+–sensitizing effects on the ATPase activity, but remarkably potentiated the maximum level of ATPase activity. These findings indicate that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-linked troponin T mutations have at least two different effects on the Ca2+–sensitive ATPase activity, Ca2+–sensitization and potentiation of the maximum level of the ATPase activity.

Ca2+-sensitizing effects of the mutations at Ile-79 and Arg-92 of troponin T in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Several mutations in human cardiac troponin T (TnT) gene have been reported to cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). To explore the effects of the mutations on cardiac muscle contractile function under physiological conditions, human cardiac TnT mutants, Ile79Asn and Arg92Gln, as well as wild type, were expressed in Escherichia coli and exchanged into permeabilized rabbit cardiac muscle fibers, and Ca2+-activated force was determined. The free Ca2+ concentrations required for tension generation were found to be significantly lower in the mutant TnT-exchanged fibers than in the wild-type TnT-exchanged fibers, whereas no significant differences were found in tension-generating capability under maximal activating conditions and in cooperativity. These results suggest that a heightened Ca2+ sensitivity of cardiac muscle contraction is one of the factors to cause HCM associated with these TnT mutations.

Functional changes in troponin T by a splice donor site mutation that causes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

A splice donor site mutation in intron 15 of the cardiac troponin T (TnT) gene has been shown to cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). In this study, two truncated human cardiac TnTs expected to be produced by this mutation were expressed in Escherichia coli and partially (50-55%) exchanged into rabbit permeabilized cardiac muscle fibers. The fibers into which a short truncated TnT, which lacked the COOH-terminal 21 amino acids because of the replacement of 28 amino acids with 7 novel residues, had been exchanged generated a Ca2+-activated maximum force that was slightly, but statistically significantly, lower than that generated by fibers into which wild-type TnT had been exchanged when troponin I (TnI) was phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. A long truncated TnT simply lacking the COOH-terminal 14 amino acids had no significant effect on the maximum force-generating capability in the fibers with either phosphorylated or dephosphorylated TnI. Both these two truncated TnTs conferred a lower cooperativity and a higher Ca2+ sensitivity on the Ca2+-activated force generation than did wild-type TnT, independent of the phosphorylation of TnI by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The results demonstrate that the splice donor site mutation in the cardiac TnT gene impairs the regulatory function of the TnT molecule, leading to an increase in the Ca2+ sensitivity, and a decrease in the cooperativity, of cardiac muscle contraction, which might be involved in the pathogenesis of HCM.A splice donor site mutation in intron 15 of the cardiac troponin T (TnT) gene has been shown to cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). In this study, two truncated human cardiac TnTs expected to be produced by this mutation were expressed in Escherichia coli and partially (50-55%) exchanged into rabbit permeabilized cardiac muscle fibers. The fibers into which a short truncated TnT, which lacked the COOH-terminal 21 amino acids because of the replacement of 28 amino acids with 7 novel residues, had been exchanged generated a Ca(2+)-activated maximum force that was slightly, but statistically significantly, lower than that generated by fibers into which wild-type TnT had been exchanged when troponin I (TnI) was phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. A long truncated TnT simply lacking the COOH-terminal 14 amino acids had no significant effect on the maximum force-generating capability in the fibers with either phosphorylated or dephosphorylated TnI. Both these two truncated TnTs conferred a lower cooperativity and a higher Ca(2+) sensitivity on the Ca(2+)-activated force generation than did wild-type TnT, independent of the phosphorylation of TnI by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The results demonstrate that the splice donor site mutation in the cardiac TnT gene impairs the regulatory function of the TnT molecule, leading to an increase in the Ca(2+) sensitivity, and a decrease in the cooperativity, of cardiac muscle contraction, which might be involved in the pathogenesis of HCM.

Infantile digital fibromatosis. Identification of actin filaments in cytoplasmic inclusions by heavy meromyosin binding

Cell cultures were carried out from four patients with infantile digital fibromatosis. The cultured cells, which contained cytoplasmic inclusions identical to those of the original tumor cells, possessed cortical bundles of microfilaments, rich network of granular endoplasmic reticulum, and well‐developed Golgi complex. To demonstrate the distribution of actin filaments in the cultured cells, the heavy meromyosinbinding method was applied to saponin‐treated cells from one of the four patients. The microfilaments constituting the inclusions as well as the cortical bundles were decorated with heavy meromyosin, presenting the “arrowhead complexes” specific for actin filaments. The inclusion may represent abnormal contraction of actin filaments in the cytoplasm of myofibroblasts.

Biological actions of green tea catechins on cardiac troponin C

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Catechins, biologically active polyphenols in green tea, are known to have a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we investigated direct actions of green tea catechins on cardiac muscle function to explore their uses as potential drugs for cardiac muscle disease.

Troponin and Titin Coordinately Regulate Length-dependent Activation in Skinned Porcine Ventricular Muscle

We investigated the molecular mechanism by which troponin (Tn) regulates the Frank-Starling mechanism of the heart. Quasi-complete reconstitution of thin filaments with rabbit fast skeletal Tn (sTn) attenuated length-dependent activation in skinned porcine left ventricular muscle, to a magnitude similar to that observed in rabbit fast skeletal muscle. The rate of force redevelopment increased upon sTn reconstitution at submaximal levels, coupled with an increase in Ca2+ sensitivity of force, suggesting the acceleration of cross-bridge formation and, accordingly, a reduction in the fraction of resting cross-bridges that can potentially produce additional active force. An increase in titin-based passive force, induced by manipulating the prehistory of stretch, enhanced length-dependent activation, in both control and sTn-reconstituted muscles. Furthermore, reconstitution of rabbit fast skeletal muscle with porcine left ventricular Tn enhanced length-dependent activation, accompanied by a decrease in Ca2+ sensitivity of force. These findings demonstrate that Tn plays an important role in the Frank-Starling mechanism of the heart via on–off switching of the thin filament state, in concert with titin-based regulation.

Replacement of three troponin components with cardiac troponin components within single glycerinated skeletal muscle fibers

The tension of single glycerinated rabbit skeletal muscle fiber was desensitized to a Ca(2+)-concentration after treatment with an excessive amount of bovine cardiac troponin T and reached a level of about 70% of the maximum tension of the untreated fiber. A SDS-gel electrophoretic examination indicated that troponin C.I.T complex in the fiber was replaced with the added cardiac troponin T. The Ca(2+)-sensitivity of the tension of the troponin T-treated fiber was then recovered by the addition of bovine cardiac troponins I and C. The rabbit skeletal muscle fiber thus hybridized with bovine cardiac troponin C.I.T showed the same cooperativity of Ca(2+)-activation as the cardiac muscle.

Titin and troponin: central players in the frank-starling mechanism of the heart.

The basis of the Frank-Starling mechanism of the heart is the intrinsic ability of cardiac muscle to produce greater active force in response to stretch, a phenomenon known as length-dependent activation. A feedback mechanism transmitted from cross-bridge formation to troponin C to enhance Ca2+ binding has long been proposed to account for length-dependent activation. However, recent advances in muscle physiology research technologies have enabled the identification of other factors involved in length-dependent activation. The striated muscle sarcomere contains a third filament system composed of the giant elastic protein titin, which is responsible for most passive stiffness in the physiological sarcomere length range. Recent studies have revealed a significant coupling of active and passive forces in cardiac muscle, where titin-based passive force promotes cross-bridge recruitment, resulting in greater active force production in response to stretch. More currently, the focus has been placed on the troponin-based “on-off” switching of the thin filament state in the regulation of length-dependent activation. In this review, we discuss how myocardial length-dependent activation is coordinately regulated by sarcomere proteins.