Effects of two hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutations in alpha-tropomyosin, Asp175Asn and Glu180Gly, on Ca2+ regulation of thin filament motility

Myosin-1C differentially displaces tropomyosin isoforms altering their inhibition of motility

Force generation and motility by actomyosin in nonmuscle cells are spatially regulated by ∼40 tropomyosin (Tpm) isoforms. The means by which Tpms are targeted to specific cellular regions and the mechanisms that result in differential activity of myosin paralogs are unknown. We show that Tpm3.1 and Tpm1.7 inhibit Myosin-IC (Myo1C), with Tpm1.7 more effectively reducing the number of gliding filaments than Tpm3.1. Strikingly, cosedimentation and fluorescence microscopy assays revealed that Tpm3.1 is displaced from actin by Myo1C and not by myosin-II. In contrast, Tpm1.7 is only weakly displaced by Myo1C. Unlike other characterized myosins, Myo1C motility is inhibited by Tpm when the Tpm-actin filament is activated by myosin-II. These results point to a mechanism for the exclusion of myosin-I paralogs from cellular Tpm-decorated actin filaments that are activated by other myosins. Additionally, our results suggest a potential mechanism for myosin-induced Tpm sorting in cells.

Motility Assay to Probe the Calcium Sensitivity of Myosin and Regulated Thin Filaments

Calcium-dependent activation of the thin filament mediated by the troponin-tropomyosin complex is key in the regulation of actin-myosin based muscle contraction. Perturbations to this system, either physiological (e.g., phosphorylation of myosin light chains) or pathological (e.g., mutations that cause familial cardiomyopathies), can alter calcium sensitivity and thus have important implications in human health and disease. The in vitro motility assay provides a quantitative and precise method to study the calcium sensitivity of the reconstituted myosin-thin filament motile system. Here we present a simple and robust protocol to perform calcium-dependent motility of β-cardiac myosin and regulated thin filaments. The experiment is done on a multichannel microfluidic slide requiring minimal amounts of proteins. A complete velocity vs. calcium concentration curve is produced from one experiment in under 1 h.

Critical Evaluation of Current Hypotheses for the Pathogenesis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hereditary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), due to mutations in sarcomere proteins, occurs in more than 1/500 individuals and is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people. The clinical course exhibits appreciable variability. However, typically, heart morphology and function are normal at birth, with pathological remodeling developing over years to decades, leading to a phenotype characterized by asymmetric ventricular hypertrophy, scattered fibrosis and myofibrillar/cellular disarray with ultimate mechanical heart failure and/or severe arrhythmias. The identity of the primary mutation-induced changes in sarcomere function and how they trigger debilitating remodeling are poorly understood. Support for the importance of mutation-induced hypercontractility, e.g., increased calcium sensitivity and/or increased power output, has been strengthened in recent years. However, other ideas that mutation-induced hypocontractility or non-uniformities with contractile instabilities, instead, constitute primary triggers cannot yet be discarded. Here, we review evidence for and criticism against the mentioned hypotheses. In this process, we find support for previous ideas that inefficient energy usage and a blunted Frank-Starling mechanism have central roles in pathogenesis, although presumably representing effects secondary to the primary mutation-induced changes. While first trying to reconcile apparently diverging evidence for the different hypotheses in one unified model, we also identify key remaining questions and suggest how experimental systems that are built around isolated primarily expressed proteins could be useful.

The effects of the tropomyosin cardiomyopathy mutations on the calcium regulation of actin-myosin interaction in the atrium and ventricle differ

The molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis of atrial myopathy associated with hypertrophic (HCM) and dilated (DCM) mutations of sarcomeric proteins are still poorly understood. For this, one needs to investigate the effects of the mutations on actin-myosin interaction in the atria separately from ventricles. We compared the impact of the HCM and DCM mutations of tropomyosin (Tpm) on the calcium regulation of the thin filament interaction with atrial and ventricular myosin using an in vitro motility assay. We found that the mutations differently affect the calcium regulation of actin-myosin interaction in the atria and ventricles. The DCM E40K Tpm mutation significantly reduced the maximum sliding velocity of thin filaments with ventricular myosin and its Ca²⁺-sensitivity. With atrial myosin, its effects were less pronounced. The HCM I172T mutation reduced the Ca²⁺-sensitivity of the sliding velocity of filaments with ventricular myosin but increased it with the atrial one. The HCM L185R mutation did not affect actin-myosin interaction in the atria. The results indicate that the difference in the effects of Tpm mutations on the actin-myosin interaction in the atria and ventricles may be responsible for the difference in pathological changes in the atrial and ventricular myocardium.

Cardiomyopathic troponin mutations predominantly occur at its interface with actin and tropomyosin

Reversible Ca2+ binding to troponin is the primary on-off switch of the contractile apparatus of striated muscles, including the heart. Dominant missense mutations in human cardiac troponin genes are among the causes of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and dilated cardiomyopathy. Structural understanding of troponin action has recently advanced considerably via electron microscopy and molecular dynamics studies of the thin filament. As a result, it is now possible to examine cardiomyopathy-inducing troponin mutations in thin-filament structural context, and from that to seek new insight into pathogenesis and into the troponin regulatory mechanism. We compiled from consortium reports a representative set of troponin mutation sites whose pathogenicity was determined using standardized clinical genetics criteria. Another set of sites, apparently tolerant of amino acid substitutions, was compiled from the gnomAD v2 database. Pathogenic substitutions occurred predominantly in the areas of troponin that contact actin or tropomyosin, including, but not limited to, two regions of newly proposed structure and long-known implication in cardiomyopathy: the C-terminal third of troponin I and a part of the troponin T N terminus. The pathogenic mutations were located in troponin regions that prevent contraction under low Ca2+ concentration conditions. These regions contribute to Ca2+-regulated steric hindrance of myosin by the combined effects of troponin and tropomyosin. Loss-of-function mutations within these parts of troponin result in loss of inhibition, consistent with the hypercontractile phenotype characteristic of HCM. Notably, pathogenic mutations are absent in our dataset from the Ca2+-binding, activation-producing troponin C (TnC) N-lobe, which controls contraction by a multi-faceted mechanism. Apparently benign mutations are also diminished in the TnC N-lobe, suggesting mutations are poorly tolerated in that critical domain.

Molecular dynamics simulation of tropomyosin bound to actins/myosin in the closed and open states

Tropomyosin (Tpm) is a dimeric coiled-coil protein that binds to filamentous actin, and regulates actin-myosin interaction by moving between three positions corresponding to the blocked, closed, and open states. To elucidate how Tpm undergoes transitions between these functional states, we have built structural models and conducted extensive molecular dynamics simulations of the Tpm-actins/myosin complex in the closed and open states (total simulation time >1.4 μs). Based on the simulation trajectories, we have analyzed the dynamics and energetics of a truncated Tpm interacting with actins/myosin under the physiological conditions. Our simulations have shown distinct dynamics of four Tpm periods (P3-P6), featuring pronounced biased fluctuations of P4 and P5 toward the open position in the closed state, which is consistent with a conformational selection mechanism for Tpm-regulated myosin binding. Additionally, we have identified key residues of Tpm specifically binding to actins/myosin in the closed and open state. Some of them were validated as functionally important in comparison with past functional/clinical studies, and the rest will make promising targets for future mutational experiments.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutations increase myofilament Ca2+ buffering, alter intracellular Ca2+ handling, and stimulate Ca2+-dependent signaling

Mutations in thin filament regulatory proteins that cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) increase myofilament Ca²⁺ sensitivity. Mouse models exhibit increased Ca²⁺ buffering and arrhythmias, and we hypothesized that these changes are primary effects of the mutations (independent of compensatory changes) and that increased Ca²⁺ buffering and altered Ca²⁺ handling contribute to HCM pathogenesis via activation of Ca²⁺-dependent signaling. Here, we determined the primary effects of HCM mutations on intracellular Ca²⁺ handling and Ca²⁺-dependent signaling in a model system possessing Ca²⁺-handling mechanisms and contractile protein isoforms closely mirroring the human environment in the absence of potentially confounding remodeling. Using adenovirus, we expressed HCM-causing variants of human troponin-T, troponin-I, and α-tropomyosin (R92Q, R145G, and D175N, respectively) in isolated guinea pig left ventricular cardiomyocytes. After 48 h, each variant had localized to the I-band and comprised ∼50% of the total protein. HCM mutations significantly lowered the K_d of Ca²⁺ binding, resulting in higher Ca²⁺ buffering of mutant cardiomyocytes. We observed increased diastolic [Ca²⁺] and slowed Ca²⁺ reuptake, coupled with a significant decrease in basal sarcomere length and slowed relaxation. HCM mutant cells had higher sodium/calcium exchanger activity, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ load, and sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2 (SERCA2) activity driven by Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) phosphorylation of phospholamban. The ryanodine receptor (RyR) leak/load relationship was also increased, driven by CaMKII-mediated RyR phosphorylation. Altered Ca²⁺ homeostasis also increased signaling via both calcineurin/NFAT and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways. Altered myofilament Ca²⁺ buffering is the primary initiator of signaling cascades, indicating that directly targeting myofilament Ca²⁺ sensitivity provides an attractive therapeutic approach in HCM.

Structural and Functional Effects of Cardiomyopathy-Causing Mutations in the Troponin T-Binding Region of Cardiac Tropomyosin

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a severe heart disease caused by missense mutations in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins of cardiac muscle. Many of these mutations are identified in the gene encoding the cardiac isoform of tropomyosin (Tpm), an α-helical coiled-coil actin-binding protein that plays a key role in Ca²⁺-regulated contraction of cardiac muscle. We employed various methods to characterize structural and functional features of recombinant human Tpm species carrying HCM mutations that lie either within the troponin T-binding region in the C-terminal part of Tpm (E180G, E180V, and L185R) or near this region (I172T). The results of our structural studies show that all these mutations affect, although differently, the thermal stability of the C-terminal part of the Tpm molecule: mutations E180G and I172T destabilize this part of the molecule, whereas mutation E180V strongly stabilizes it. Moreover, various HCM-causing mutations have different and even opposite effects on the stability of the Tpm-actin complexes. Studies of reconstituted thin filaments in the in vitro motility assay have shown that those HCM-associated mutations that lie within the troponin T-binding region of Tpm similarly increase the Ca²⁺ sensitivity of the sliding velocity of the filaments and impair their relaxation properties, causing a marked increase in the sliding velocity in the absence of Ca²⁺, while mutation I172T decreases the Ca²⁺ sensitivity and has no influence on the sliding velocity under relaxing conditions. Finally, our data demonstrate that various HCM mutations can differently affect the structural and functional properties of Tpm and cause HCM by different molecular mechanisms.

Molecular genetics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: towards individualized management of the disease

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a relatively common genetic disease, affecting one person per 500 in the general population, and is clinically defined by the presence of unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy. Although recognized as the most common cause of sudden death in the young (especially in athletes), the cardiac expression of the disease is highly variable with respect to age at onset, degree of symptoms and risk of cardiac death. As a consequence, therapeutic strategies are diverse and must be adapted to the specific features of an individual. Recently, the molecular bases of the disease have been unraveled with the identification of a large number of mutations in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins. This review focuses on the impact of the molecular data on the understanding of the disease, and considers the emerging issues regarding the impact of molecular testing on the management of patients (or relatives) in clinical practice.

Polymorphism in tropomyosin structure and function

Tropomyosins (Tm) in humans are expressed from four distinct genes and by alternate splicing >40 different Tm polypeptide chains can be made. The functional Tm unit is a dimer of two parallel polypeptide chains and these can be assembled from identical (homodimer) or different (heterodimer) polypeptide chains provided both chains are of the same length. Since most cells express multiple isoforms of Tm, the number of different homo and heterodimers that can be assembled becomes very large. We review the mechanism of dimer assembly and how preferential assembly of some heterodimers is driven by thermodynamic stability. We examine how in vitro studies can reveal functional differences between Tm homo and heterodimers (stability, actin affinity, flexibility) and the implication for how there could be selection of Tm isomers in the assembly on to an actin filament. The role of Tm heterodimers becomes more complex when mutations in Tm are considered, such as those associated with cardiomyopathies, since mutations can appear in only one of the chains.

The nemaline myopathy-causing E117K mutation in β-tropomyosin reduces thin filament activation

The effect of the nemaline myopathy-causing E117K mutation in β-tropomyosin (TM) on the structure and function of this regulatory protein was studied. The E117K mutant was found to have indistinguishable actin affinity compared with wild-type (WT) and similar secondary structure as measured by circular dichroism. However the E117K mutation significantly lowered maximum activation of actomyosin ATPase. To explain the molecular mechanism of impaired ATPase activation, WT and E117K TMs were covalently labeled at Cys-36 with 5-iodoacetimido-fluorescein and incorporated into ghost muscle fibers. The changes in the position and flexibility of tropomyosin strands on the thin filaments were observed at simulation of weak and strong binding states of actomyosin at high or low Ca(2+) by polarized fluorescence techniques. The E117K mutation was found to shift the tropomyosin strands towards the closed position and restrict the tropomyosin displacement during the transformation of actomyosin from weak to strong binding state thus leading to a reduction in thin filament activation.

Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy related E180G mutation increases flexibility of human cardiac α-tropomyosin

α-Tropomyosin (αTm) is central to Ca(2+)-regulation of cardiac muscle contraction. The familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutation αTm E180G enhances Ca(2+)-sensitivity in functional assays. To investigate the molecular basis, we imaged single molecules of human cardiac αTm E180G by direct probe atomic force microscopy. Analyses of tangent angles along molecular contours yielded persistence length corresponding to ~35% increase in flexibility compared to wild-type. Increased flexibility of the mutant was confirmed by fitting end-to-end length distributions to the worm-like chain model. This marked increase in flexibility can significantly impact systolic and possibly diastolic phases of cardiac contraction, ultimately leading to hypertrophy.

Tropomyosin flexural rigidity and single ca(2+) regulatory unit dynamics: implications for cooperative regulation of cardiac muscle contraction and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

Striated muscle contraction is regulated by dynamic and cooperative interactions among Ca²⁺, troponin, and tropomyosin on the thin filament. While Ca²⁺ regulation has been extensively studied, little is known about the dynamics of individual regulatory units and structural changes of individual tropomyosin molecules in relation to their mechanical properties, and how these factors are altered by cardiomyopathy mutations in the Ca²⁺ regulatory proteins. In this hypothesis paper, we explore how various experimental and analytical approaches could broaden our understanding of the cooperative regulation of cardiac contraction in health and disease.

Facilitated cross-bridge interactions with thin filaments by familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutations in α-tropomyosin

Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) is a disease of cardiac sarcomeres. To identify molecular mechanisms underlying FHC pathology, functional and structural differences in three FHC-related mutations in recombinant α-Tm (V95A, D175N, and E180G) were characterized using both conventional and modified in vitro motility assays and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Mutant Tm's exhibited reduced α-helical structure and increased unordered structure. When thin filaments were fully occupied by regulatory proteins, little or no motion was detected at pCa 9, and maximum speed (pCa 5) was similar for all tropomyosins. Ca²⁺-responsiveness of filament sliding speed was increased either by increased pCa₅₀ (V95A), reduced cooperativity n (D175N), or both (E180G). When temperature was increased, thin filaments with E180G exhibited dysregulation at temperatures ~10°C lower, and much closer to body temperature, than WT. When HMM density was reduced, thin filaments with D175N required fewer motors to initiate sliding or achieve maximum sliding speed.

Long-term rescue of a familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by a mutation in the thin filament protein, tropomyosin, via modulation of a calcium cycling protein

We have recently shown that a temporary increase in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) cycling via adenovirus-mediated overexpression of sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA2) transiently improves relaxation and delays hypertrophic remodeling in a familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) caused by a mutation in the thin filament protein, tropomyosin (i.e., α-TmE180G or Tm180). In this study, we sought to permanently alter calcium fluxes via phospholamban (PLN) gene deletion in Tm180 mice in order to sustain long-term improvements in cardiac function and adverse cardiac remodeling/hypertrophy. While similar work has been done in FHCs resulting from mutations in thick myofilament proteins, no one has studied these effects in an FHC resulting from a thin filament protein mutation. Tm180 transgenic (TG) mice were crossbred with PLN knockout (KO) mice and four groups were studied in parallel: 1) non-TG (NTG), 2) Tm180, 3) PLNKO/NTG and 4) PLNKO/Tm180. Tm180 mice exhibit increased heart weight/body weight and hypertrophic gene markers compared to NTG mice, but levels in PLNKO/Tm180 mice were similar to NTG. Tm180 mice also displayed altered function as assessed via in situ pressure-volume analysis and echocardiography at 3-6 months and one year; however, altered function in Tm180 mice was rescued back to NTG levels in PLNKO/Tm180 mice. Collagen deposition, as assessed by Picrosirius Red staining, was increased in Tm180 mice but was similar in NTG and in PLNKO/Tm180 mice. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) phosphorylation increased in Tm180 mice while levels in PLNKO/Tm180 mice were similar to NTGs. The present study shows that by modulating SR calcium cycling, we were able to rescue many of the deleterious aspects of FHC caused by a mutation in the thin filament protein, Tm.

Rescue of familial cardiomyopathies by modifications at the level of sarcomere and Ca2+ fluxes

Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases of the myocardium associated with mechanical and/or electrical dysfunction that frequently show inappropriate ventricular hypertrophy or dilation. Current data suggest that numerous mutations in several genes can cause cardiomyopathies, and the severity of their phenotypes is also influenced by modifier genes. Two major types of inherited cardiomyopathies include familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). FHC typically involves increased myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity associated with diastolic dysfunction, whereas DCM often results in decreased myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity and systolic dysfunction. Besides alterations in myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity, alterations in the levels of Ca(2+)-handling proteins have also been described in both diseases. Recent work in animal models has attempted to rescue FHC and DCM via modifications at the myofilament level, altering Ca(2+) homeostasis by targeting Ca(2+)-handling proteins, such as the sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase and phospholamban, or by interfering with the products of different modifiers genes. Although attempts to rescue cardiomyopathies in animal models have shown great promise, further studies are needed to validate these strategies in order to provide more effective and specific treatments.

Myofibril-inducing RNA (MIR) is essential for tropomyosin expression and myofibrillogenesis in axolotl hearts

The Mexican axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, carries the naturally-occurring recessive mutant gene 'c' that results in a failure of homozygous (c/c) embryos to form hearts that beat because of an absence of organized myofibrils. Our previous studies have shown that a noncoding RNA, Myofibril-Inducing RNA (MIR), is capable of promoting myofibrillogenesis and heart beating in the mutant (c/c) axolotls. The present study demonstrates that the MIR gene is essential for tropomyosin (TM) expression in axolotl hearts during development. Gene expression studies show that mRNA expression of various tropomyosin isoforms in untreated mutant hearts and in normal hearts knocked down with double-stranded MIR (dsMIR) are similar to untreated normal. However, at the protein level, selected tropomyosin isoforms are significantly reduced in mutant and dsMIR treated normal hearts. These results suggest that MIR is involved in controlling the translation or post-translation of various TM isoforms and subsequently of regulating cardiac contractility.

Tropomyosin-based regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in time and space

Tropomyosins are rodlike coiled coil dimers that form continuous polymers along the major groove of most actin filaments. In striated muscle, tropomyosin regulates the actin-myosin interaction and, hence, contraction of muscle. Tropomyosin also contributes to most, if not all, functions of the actin cytoskeleton, and its role is essential for the viability of a wide range of organisms. The ability of tropomyosin to contribute to the many functions of the actin cytoskeleton is related to the temporal and spatial regulation of expression of tropomyosin isoforms. Qualitative and quantitative changes in tropomyosin isoform expression accompany morphogenesis in a range of cell types. The isoforms are segregated to different intracellular pools of actin filaments and confer different properties to these filaments. Mutations in tropomyosins are directly involved in cardiac and skeletal muscle diseases. Alterations in tropomyosin expression directly contribute to the growth and spread of cancer. The functional specificity of tropomyosins is related to the collaborative interactions of the isoforms with different actin binding proteins such as cofilin, gelsolin, Arp 2/3, myosin, caldesmon, and tropomodulin. It is proposed that local changes in signaling activity may be sufficient to drive the assembly of isoform-specific complexes at different intracellular sites.

Mutations in fast skeletal troponin I, troponin T, and β‐tropomyosin that cause distal arthrogryposis all increase contractile function

Distal arthrogryposes (DAs) are a group of disorders characterized by congenital contractures of distal limbs without overt neurological or muscle disease. Unexpectedly, mutations in genes encoding the fast skeletal muscle regulatory proteins troponin T (TnT), troponin I (TnI), and beta-tropomyosin (beta-TM) have been shown to cause autosomal dominant DA. We tested how these mutations affect contractile function by comparing wild-type (WT) and mutant proteins in actomyosin ATPase assays and in troponin-replaced rabbit psoas fibers. We have analyzed all four reported mutants: Arg63His TnT, Arg91Gly beta-TM, Arg174Gln TnI, and a TnI truncation mutant (Arg156ter). Thin filaments, reconstituted using actin and WT troponin and beta-TM, activated myosin subfragment-1 ATPase in a calcium-dependent, cooperative manner. Thin filaments containing either a troponin or beta-TM DA mutant produced significantly enhanced ATPase rates at all calcium concentrations without alternating calcium-sensitivity or cooperativity. In troponin-exchanged skinned fibers, each mutant caused a significant increase in Ca2+ sensitivity, and Arg156ter TnI generated significantly higher maximum force. Arg91Gly beta-TM was found to have a lower actin affinity than WT and form a less stable coiled coil. We propose the mutations cause increased contractility of developing fast-twitch skeletal muscles, thus causing muscle contractures and the development of the observed limb deformities.

Myofibrillar remodeling in cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure and cardiomyopathies

BACKGROUND

A wide variety of pathological conditions have been shown to result in cardiac remodelling and myocardial dysfunction. However, the mechanisms of transition from adaptive to maladaptive alterations, as well as those for changes in cardiac performance leading to heart failure, are poorly understood.

OBSERVATIONS

Extensive studies have revealed a broad spectrum of progressive changes in subcellular structures and function, as well as in signal transduction and metabolism in the heart, among different cardiovascular disorders. The present review is focused on identifying the alterations in molecular and biochemical structure of myofibrils (myofibrillar remodelling) in hypertrophied and failing myocardium in different types of heart diseases. Numerous changes at the level of gene expression for both contractile and regulatory proteins have already been reported in failing hearts and heart diseases; these changes are potential precursors for heart failure such as cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyopathies. Myofibrillar remodelling, as a consequence of proteolysis, oxidation, and phosphorylation of some functional groups in both contractile and regulatory proteins in hearts failing due to different etiologies, has also been described.

CONCLUSIONS

Although myofibrillar remodelling appears to be associated with cardiac dysfunction, alterations in both contractile and regulatory proteins are dependent on the type and stage of heart disease.

Functional Consequences of Hypertrophic and Dilated Cardiomyopathy-causing Mutations in α-Tropomyosin

To study the functional consequences of various cardiomyopathic mutations in human cardiac alpha-tropomyosin (Tm), a method of depletion/reconstitution of native Tm and troponin (Tn) complex (Tm-Tn) in cardiac myofibril preparations has been developed. The endogenous Tm-Tn complex was selectively removed from myofibrils and replaced with recombinant wild-type or mutant proteins. Successful depletion and reconstitution steps were verified by SDS-gel electrophoresis and by the loss and regain of Ca2+-dependent regulation of ATPase activity. Five Tm mutations were chosen for this study: the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) mutations E62Q, E180G, and L185R and the dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) mutations E40K and E54K. Through the use of this new depletion/reconstitution method, the functional consequences of these mutations were determined utilizing myofibrillar ATPase measurements. The results of our studies showed that 1) depletion of >80% of Tm-Tn from myofibrils resulted in a complete loss of the Ca2+-regulated ATPase activity and a significant loss in the maximal ATPase activity, 2) reconstitution of exogenous wild-type Tm-Tn resulted in complete regain in the calcium regulation and in the maximal ATPase activity, and 3) all HCM-associated Tm mutations increased the Ca2+ sensitivity of ATPase activity and all had decreased abilities to inhibit ATPase activity. In contrast, the DCM-associated mutations both decreased the Ca2+ sensitivity of ATPase activity and had no effect on the inhibition of ATPase activity. These findings have demonstrated that the mutations which cause HCM and DCM disrupt discrete mechanisms, which may culminate in the distinct cardiomyopathic phenotypes.

Different effects of cardiac versus skeletal muscle regulatory proteins on in vitro measures of actin filament speed and force

Mammalian cardiac and skeletal muscle express unique isoforms of the thin filament regulatory proteins, troponin (Tn) and tropomyosin (Tm), and the significance of these different isoforms in thin filament regulation has not been clearly identified. Both in vitro and skinned cellular studies investigating the mechanism of thin filament regulation in striated muscle have often used heterogeneous mixtures of Tn, Tm and myosin isoforms, and variability in reported results might be explained by different combinations of these proteins. Here we used in vitro motility and force (microneedle) assays to investigate the influence of cardiac versus skeletal Tn and Tm isoforms on actin-heavy meromyosin (HMM) mechanics. When interacting with skeletal HMM, thin filaments reconstituted with cardiac Tn/Tm or skeletal Tn/Tm exhibited similar speed-calcium relationships and significantly increased maximum speed and force per filament length (F/l) at pCa 5 (versus unregulated actin filaments). However, augmentation of F/l was greater with skeletal regulatory proteins. Reconstitution of thin filaments with the heterogeneous combination of skeletal Tn and cardiac Tm decreased sliding speeds at all [Ca2+] relative to thin filaments with skeletal Tn/Tm. Finally, for filaments reconstituted with any heterogeneous mix of Tn and Tm isoforms, force was not potentiated over that of unregulated actin filaments. Combined the results suggest (1) that cardiac regulatory proteins limit the allosteric enhancement of force, and (2) that Tn and Tm isoform homogeneity is important when studying Ca2+ regulation of crossbridge binding and kinetics as well as mechanistic differences between cardiac and skeletal muscle.

Effects of cardiomyopathic mutations on the biochemical and biophysical properties of the human alpha-tropomyosin

Mutations in the protein alpha-tropomyosin (Tm) can cause a disease known as familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In order to understand how such mutations lead to protein dysfunction, three point mutations were introduced into cDNA encoding the human skeletal tropomyosin, and the recombinant Tms were produced at high levels in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Two mutations (A63V and K70T) were located in the N-terminal region of Tm and one (E180G) was located close to the calcium-dependent troponin T binding domain. The functional and structural properties of the mutant Tms were compared to those of the wild type protein. None of the mutations altered the head-to-tail polymerization, although slightly higher actin binding was observed in the mutant Tm K70T, as demonstrated in a cosedimentation assay. The mutations also did not change the cooperativity of the thin filament activation by increasing the concentrations of Ca2+. However, in the absence of troponin, all mutant Tms were less effective than the wild type in regulating the actomyosin subfragment 1 Mg2+ ATPase activity. Circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed no differences in the secondary structure of the Tms. However, the thermally induced unfolding, as monitored by circular dichroism or differential scanning calorimetry, demonstrated that the mutants were less stable than the wild type. These results indicate that the main effect of the mutations is related to the overall stability of Tm as a whole, and that the mutations have only minor effects on the cooperative interactions among proteins that constitute the thin filament.

Effects of two familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutations in alpha-tropomyosin, Asp175Asn and Glu180Gly, on the thermal unfolding of actin-bound tropomyosin

Differential scanning calorimetry was used to investigate the thermal unfolding of native alpha-tropomyosin (Tm), wild-type alpha-Tm expressed in Escherichia coli and the wild-type alpha-Tm carrying either of two missense mutations associated with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, D175N or E180G. Recombinant alpha-Tm was expressed with an N-terminal Ala-Ser extension to substitute for the essential N-terminal acetylation of the native Tm. Native and Ala-Ser-Tm were indistinguishable in our assays. In the absence of F-actin, the thermal unfolding of Tm was reversible and the heat sorption curve of Tm with Cys-190 reduced was decomposed into two separate calorimetric domains with maxima at approximately 42 and 51 degrees C. In the presence of phalloidin-stabilized F-actin, a new cooperative transition appears at 46-47 degrees C and completely disappears after the irreversible denaturation of F-actin. A good correlation was found to exist between the maximum of this peak and the temperature of half-maximal dissociation of the F-actin/Tm complex as determined by light scattering experiments. We conclude that Tm thermal denaturation only occurs upon its dissociation from F-actin. In the presence of F-actin, D175N alpha-Tm shows a melting profile and temperature dependence of dissociation from F-actin similar to those for wild-type alpha-Tm. The actin-induced stabilization of E180G alpha-Tm is significantly less than for wild-type alpha-Tm and D175N alpha-Tm, and this property could contribute to the more severe myopathy phenotype reported for this mutation.

α-Tropomyosin mutations Asp175Asn and Glu180Gly affect cardiac function in transgenic rats in different ways

To study the mechanisms by which missense mutations in α-tropomyosin cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, we generated transgenic rats overexpressing α-tropomyosin with one of two disease-causing mutations, Asp175Asn or Glu180Gly, and analyzed phenotypic changes at molecular, morphological, and physiological levels. The transgenic proteins were stably integrated into the sarcomere, as shown by immunohistochemistry using a human-specific anti-α-tropomyosin antibody, ARG1. In transgenic rats with either α-tropomyosin mutation, molecular markers of cardiac hypertrophy were induced. Ca2+sensitivity of cardiac skinned-fiber preparations from animals with mutation Asp175Asn, but not Glu180Gly, was decreased. Furthermore, elevated frequency and amplitude of spontaneous Ca2+waves were detected only in cardiomyocytes from animals with mutation Asp175Asn, suggesting an increase in intracellular Ca2+concentration compensating for the reduced Ca2+sensitivity of isometric force generation. Accordingly, in Langendorff-perfused heart preparations, myocardial contraction and relaxation were accelerated in animals with mutation Asp175Asn. The results allow us to propose a hypothesis of the pathogenetic changes caused by α-tropomyosin mutation Asp175Asn in familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy on the basis of changes in Ca2+handling as a sensitive mechanism to compensate for alterations in sarcomeric structure.

Cardiomyopathic tropomyosin mutations that increase thin filament Ca2+ sensitivity and tropomyosin N-domain flexibility

The relationship between tropomyosin thermal stability and thin filament activation was explored using two N-domain mutants of alpha-striated muscle tropomyosin, A63V and K70T, each previously implicated in familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Both mutations had prominent effects on tropomyosin thermal stability as monitored by circular dichroism. Wild type tropomyosin unfolded in two transitions, separated by 10 degrees C. The A63V and K70T mutations decreased the melting temperature of the more stable of these transitions by 4 and 10 degrees C, respectively, indicating destabilization of the N-domain in both cases. Global analysis of all three proteins indicated that the tropomyosin N-domain and C-domain fold with a cooperative free energy of 1.0-1.5 kcal/mol. The two mutations increased the apparent affinity of the regulatory Ca2+ binding sites of thin filament in two settings: Ca2+-dependent sliding speed of unloaded thin filaments in vitro (at both pH 7.4 and 6.3), and Ca2+ activation of the thin filament-myosin S1 ATPase rate. Neither mutation had more than small effects on the maximal ATPase rate in the presence of saturating Ca2+ or on the maximal sliding speed. Despite the increased tropomyosin flexibility implied by destabilization of the N-domain, neither the cooperativity of thin filament activation by Ca2+ nor the cooperative binding of myosin S1-ADP to the thin filament was altered by the mutations. The combined results suggest that a more dynamic tropomyosin N-domain influences interactions with actin and/or troponin that modulate Ca2+ sensitivity, but has an unexpectedly small effect on cooperative changes in tropomyosin position on actin.

Ca2+ regulation of rabbit skeletal muscle thin filament sliding: role of cross-bridge number

We investigated how strong cross-bridge number affects sliding speed of regulated Ca(2+)-activated, thin filaments. First, using in vitro motility assays, sliding speed decreased nonlinearly with reduced density of heavy meromyosin (HMM) for regulated (and unregulated) F-actin at maximal Ca(2+). Second, we varied the number of Ca(2+)-activatable troponin complexes at maximal Ca(2+) using mixtures of recombinant rabbit skeletal troponin (WT sTn) and sTn containing sTnC(D27A,D63A), a mutant deficient in Ca(2+) binding at both N-terminal, low affinity Ca(2+)-binding sites (xxsTnC-sTn). Sliding speed decreased nonlinearly as the proportion of WT sTn decreased. Speed of regulated thin filaments varied with pCa when filaments contained WT sTn but filaments containing only xxsTnC-sTn did not move. pCa(50) decreased by 0.12-0.18 when either heavy meromyosin density was reduced to approximately 60% or the fraction of Ca(2+)-activatable regulatory units was reduced to approximately 33%. Third, we exchanged mixtures of sTnC and xxsTnC into single, permeabilized fibers from rabbit psoas. As the proportion of xxsTnC increased, unloaded shortening velocity decreased nonlinearly at maximal Ca(2+). These data are consistent with unloaded filament sliding speed being limited by the number of cycling cross-bridges so that maximal speed is attained with a critical, low level of actomyosin interactions.

Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutations in troponin I (K183D, G203S, K206Q) enhance filament sliding

A major cause of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) is dominant mutations in cardiac sarcomeric genes. Linkage studies identified FHC-related mutations in the COOH terminus of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a region with unknown function in Ca(2+) regulation of the heart. Using in vitro assays with recombinant rat troponin subunits, we tested the hypothesis that mutations K183Delta, G203S, and K206Q in cTnI affect Ca(2+) regulation. All three mutants enhanced Ca(2+) sensitivity and maximum speed (s(max)) of filament sliding of in vitro motility assays. Enhanced s(max) (pCa 5) was observed with rabbit skeletal and rat cardiac (alpha-MHC or beta-MHC) heavy meromyosin (HMM). We developed a passive exchange method for replacing endogenous cTn in permeabilized rat cardiac trabeculae. Ca(2+) sensitivity and maximum isometric force did not differ between preparations exchanged with cTn(cTnI,K206Q) or wild-type cTn. In both trabeculae and motility assays, there was no loss of inhibition at pCa 9. These results are consistent with COOH terminus of TnI modulating actomyosin kinetics during unloaded sliding, but not during isometric force generation, and implicate enhanced cross-bridge cycling in the cTnI-related pathway(s) to hypertrophy.

Random walks with thin filaments: application of in vitro motility assay to the study of actomyosin regulation

The in vitro motility devised by Kron and Spudich (Kron and Spudich, 1986; Kron et al., 1991) has proved a very valuable technique for studying the motor properties of myosin of all kinds but it is equally useful for the study of the thin filaments of muscle and their regulation. The movement of a population of thin filaments over immobilised myosin appears to be random but it does in fact yield a large amount of information about contractility and its regulation. The key to extracting useful information from in vitro motility assay experiments is the logical and comprehensive analysis of filament movements.

[Molecular genetics of cardiomyopathies]

In the last decade our understanding of cardiac pathophysiology has experienced significant advances linked to major advances in molecular genetics. Although many genes are associated today with cardiac diseases, the genetics of both hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy have generated great interest. The familial nature of the disease in some patients has been very useful in this regard. In addition, there are also excellent experimental models to study the implications of the genetic abnormalities. Altogether the study of the molecular genetics of the cardiomyopathies should provide not only prognostic information but also new therapeutic alternatives.

Molecular Mechanisms of Inherited Cardiomyopathies

Cardiomyopathies are diseases of heart muscle that may result from a diverse array of conditions that damage the heart and other organs and impair myocardial function, including infection, ischemia, and toxins. However, they may also occur as primary diseases restricted to striated muscle. Over the past decade, the importance of inherited gene defects in the pathogenesis of primary cardiomyopathies has been recognized, with mutations in some 18 genes having been identified as causing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and/or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Defining the role of these genes in cardiac function and the mechanisms by which mutations in these genes lead to hypertrophy, dilation, and contractile failure are major goals of ongoing research. Pathophysiological mechanisms that have been implicated in HCM and DCM include the following: defective force generation, due to mutations in sarcomeric protein genes; defective force transmission, due to mutations in cytoskeletal protein genes; myocardial energy deficits, due to mutations in ATP regulatory protein genes; and abnormal Ca2+ homeostasis, due to altered availability of Ca2+ and altered myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity. Improved understanding that will result from these studies should ultimately lead to new approaches for the diagnosis, prognostic stratification, and treatment of patients with heart failure.

Cardiomyopathies: from genetics to the prospect of treatment

Cardiomyopathies are defined as diseases of the myocardium associated with cardiac dysfunction ranging from lifelong symptomless forms to major health problems such as progressive heart failure, arrhythmia, thromboembolism, and sudden cardiac death. They are classified by morphological characteristics as hypertrophic (HCM), dilated (DCM), arrhythmogenic right ventricular (ARVC), and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). A familial cause has been shown in 50% of patients with HCM, 35% with DCM, and 30% with ARVC. In HCM, nine genetic loci and more than 130 mutations in ten different sarcomeric genes and in the gamma 2 subunit of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) have been identified, suggesting impaired force production associated with inefficient use of ATP as the crucial disease mechanism. In DCM, 16 chromosomal loci with defects of several proteins also involved in the development of skeletal myopathies have been detected. These mutated cytoskeletal and nuclear transporter proteins may alter force transmission or disrupt nuclear function, resulting in cell death. Further DCM mutations have also been identified in sarcomeric genes, which indicates that different defects of the same protein can result in either HCM or DCM. In ARVC, six genetic loci and mutations in the cardiac ryanodine receptor, which controls electromechanical coupling, and in plakoglobin and desmoglobin (molecules involved in desmosomal cell-junction integrity), have been identified. Yet, no genetic linkage has been shown in RCM. Apart from disease-causing mutations, other factors, such as environment, genetic background, and the recently identified modifier genes of the renin-angiotensin, adrenergic, and endothelin systems are likely to result in the wide variety of RCM clinical presentations. Treatment options are symptomatic and are mainly focused on treatment of heart failure and prevention of thromboembolism and sudden death. Identification of patients with high risk for major arrhythmic events is important because implantable cardioverter defibrillators can prevent sudden death. Clinical and genetic risk stratification may lead to prospective trials of primary implantation of cardioverter defibrillators in people with hereditary cardiomyopathy.

R403Q and L908V mutant beta-cardiac myosin from patients with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy exhibit enhanced mechanical performance at the single molecule level

Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) is a disease of the sarcomere. In the beta-myosin heavy chain gene, which codes for the mechanical enzyme myosin, greater than 40 point mutations have been found that are causal for this disease. We have studied the effect of two mutations, the R403Q and L908V, on myosin molecular mechanics. In the in vitro motility assay, the mutant myosins produced a 30% greater velocity of actin filament movement (v(actin)). At the single molecule level, v(actin) approximately d/t(on), where d is the myosin unitary step displacement and t(on) is the step duration. Laser trap studies were performed at 10 microM MgATP to estimate d and t(on) for the normal and mutant myosin molecules. The increase in v(actin) can be explained by a significant decrease in the average t(on)'s in both the R403Q and L908V mutants (approximately 30 ms) compared to controls (approximately 40 ms), while d was not different for all myosins tested (approximately 7 nm). Thus the mutations affect the kinetics of the cross-bridge cycle without any effect on myosin's inherent motion and force generating capacity. Based on these studies, the primary signal for the hypertrophic response appears to be an apparent gain in function of the individual mutant myosin molecules.

Mutations that alter the surface charge of alpha-tropomyosin are associated with dilated cardiomyopathy

Proteins in cardiac myocytes assemble into contractile units known as sarcomeres. Contractile force is generated by interaction between sarcomeric thick and thin filaments. Thin filaments also transmit force within and between myocytes. Mutations in genes encoding the thin filament proteins actin and tropomyosin cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Mutations affecting functionally distinct domains of actin also cause dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). We used a non-positional candidate gene approach to test further the hypothesis that dysfunction of sarcomeric thin filaments, due to different mutations in the same gene, can lead to either hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy. Mutational analyses of alpha-tropomyosin 1 were performed in patients with idiopathic DCM. We identified two mutations that alter highly conserved residues and that, unlike hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-associated mutations, cause localized charge reversal on the surface of tropomyosin. Therefore, substitution of different amino acid residues in the same thin filament proteins is associated with the distinct phenotypes of cardiac hypertrophy or congestive heart failure.

The molecular genetic basis for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a relatively common disease, is diagnosed clinically by unexplained cardiac hypertrophy and pathologically by myocyte hypertrophy, disarray, and interstitial fibrosis. HCM is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the young and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly. Hypertrophy and fibrosis are the major determinants of morbidity and SCD. More than 100 mutations in nine genes, all encoding sarcomeric proteins have been identified in patients with HCM, which had led to the notion that HCM is a disease of contractile sarcomeric proteins. The beta -myosin heavy chain (MyHC), cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and myosin binding protein-C (MyBP-C) are the most common genes accounting for approximately 2/3 of all HCM cases. Genotype-phenotype correlation studies suggest that mutations in the beta -MyHC gene are associated with more extensive hypertrophy and a higher risk of SCD as compared to mutations in genes coding for other sarcomeric proteins, such as MyBP-C and cTnT. The prognostic significance of mutations is related to their hypertrophic expressivity and penetrance, with the exception of those in the cTnT, which are associated with mild hypertrophic response and a high incidence of SCD. However, there is a significant variability and factors, such as modifier genes and probably the environmental factors affect the phenotypic expression of HCM. The molecular pathogenesis of HCM is not completely understood. In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that mutations impart a diverse array of functional defects including reduced ATPase activity of myosin, acto-myosin interaction, cross-bridging kinetics, myocyte contractility, and altered Ca2+ sensitivity. Hypertrophy and other clinical and pathological phenotypes are considered compensatory phenotypes secondary to functional defects. In summary, the molecular genetic basis of HCM has been identified, which affords the opportunity to delineate its pathogenesis. Understanding the pathogenesis of HCM could provide for genetic based diagnosis, risk stratification, treatment and prevention of cardiac phenotypes.

Invited Review: pathophysiology of cardiac muscle contraction and relaxation as a result of alterations in thin filament regulation

Cardiac muscle contraction depends on the tightly regulated interactions of thin and thick filament proteins of the contractile apparatus. Mutations of thin filament proteins (actin, tropomyosin, and troponin), causing familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC), occur predominantly in evolutionarily conserved regions and induce various functional defects that impair the normal contractile mechanism. Dysfunctional properties observed with the FHC mutants include altered Ca(2+) sensitivity, changes in ATPase activity, changes in the force and velocity of contraction, and destabilization of the contractile complex. One apparent tendency observed in these thin filament mutations is an increase in the Ca(2+) sensitivity of force development. This trend in Ca(2+) sensitivity is probably induced by altering the cross-bridge kinetics and the Ca(2+) affinity of troponin C. These in vitro defects lead to a wide variety of in vivo cardiac abnormalities and phenotypes, some more severe than others and some resulting in sudden cardiac death.

Hypercontractile properties of cardiac muscle fibers in a knock-in mouse model of cardiac myosin-binding protein-C

Myosin-binding protein-C (MyBP-C) is a component of all striated-muscle sarcomeres, with a well established structural role and a possible function for force regulation. Multiple mutations within the gene for cardiac MyBP-C, one of three known isoforms, have been linked to familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Here we generated a knock-in mouse model that carries N-terminal-shortened cardiac MyBP-C. The mutant protein was designed to have a similar size as the skeletal MyBP-C isoforms, whereas known myosin and titin binding sites as well as the phosphorylatable MyBP-C motif were not altered. We have shown that mutant cardiac MyBP-C is readily incorporated into the sarcomeres of both heterozygous and homozygous animals and can still be phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Although histological characterization of wild-type and mutant hearts did not reveal obvious differences in phenotype, left ventricular fibers from homozygous mutant mice exhibited an increased Ca(2+) sensitivity of force development, particularly at lower Ca(2+) concentrations, whereas maximal active force levels remained unchanged. The results allow us to propose a model of how cMyBP-C may affect myosin-head mobility and to rationalize why N-terminal mutations of the protein in some cases of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy could lead to a hypercontractile state.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by a novel alpha-tropomyosin mutation (V95A) is associated with mild cardiac phenotype, abnormal calcium binding to troponin, abnormal myosin cycling, and poor prognosis

BACKGROUND

We report hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in a Spanish-American family caused by a novel alpha-tropomyosin (TPM1) mutation and examine the pathogenesis of the clinical disease by characterizing functional defects in the purified mutant protein.

METHODS AND RESULTS

HCM was linked to the TPM1 gene (logarithm of the odds [LOD] score 3.17). Sequencing and restriction digestion analysis demonstrated a TPM1 mutation V95A that cosegregated with HCM. The mutation has been associated with 13 deaths in 26 affected members (11 sudden deaths and 2 related to heart failure), with a cumulative survival rate of 73+/-10% at the age of 40 years. Left ventricular wall thickness (mean 16+/-6 mm) and disease penetrance (53%) were similar to those for the ss-myosin mutations L908V and G256E previously associated with a benign prognosis. Left ventricular hypertrophy was milder than with the ss-myosin mutation R403Q, but the prognosis was similarly poor. With the use of recombinant tropomyosins, we identified several functional alterations at the protein level. The mutation caused a 40% to 50% increase in calcium affinity in regulated thin filament-myosin subfragment-1 (S1) MgATPase assays, a 20% decrease in MgATPase rates in the presence of saturating calcium, a 5% decrease in unloaded shortening velocity in in vitro motility assays, and no change in cooperative myosin S1 binding to regulated thin filaments.

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to other reported TPM1 mutations, V95A-associated HCM exhibits unusual features of mild phenotype but poor prognosis. Both myosin cycling and calcium binding to troponin are abnormal in the presence of the mutant tropomyosin. The genetic diagnosis afforded by this mutation will be valuable in the management of HCM.

Altered hemodynamics in transgenic mice harboring mutant tropomyosin linked to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

We used transgenic (TG) mice overexpressing mutant alpha-tropomyosin [alpha-Tm(Asp175Asn)], linked to familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC), to test the hypothesis that this mutation impairs cardiac function by altering the sensitivity of myofilaments to Ca(2+). Left ventricular (LV) pressure was measured in anesthetized nontransgenic (NTG) and TG mice. In control conditions, LV relaxation was 6,970 +/- 297 mmHg/s in NTG and 5,624 +/- 392 mmHg/s in TG mice (P < 0.05). During beta-adrenergic stimulation, the rate of relaxation increased to 8,411 +/- 323 mmHg/s in NTG and to 6,080 +/- 413 mmHg/s in TG mice (P < 0.05). We measured the pCa-force relationship (pCa = -log [Ca(2+)]) in skinned fiber bundles from LV papillary muscles of NTG and TG hearts. In control conditions, the Ca(2+) concentration producing 50% maximal force (pCa(50)) was 5.77 +/- 0.02 in NTG and 5.84 +/- 0.01 in TG myofilament bundles (P < 0.05). After protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation, the pCa(50) was 5.71 +/- 0.01 in NTG and 5.77 +/- 0. 02 in TG myofilament bundles (P < 0.05). Our results indicate that mutant alpha-Tm(Asp175Asn) increases myofilament Ca(2+)-sensitivity, which results in decreased relaxation rate and blunted response to beta-adrenergic stimulation.

Effect of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutations in human cardiac muscle alpha -tropomyosin (Asp175Asn and Glu180Gly) on the regulatory properties of human cardiac troponin determined by in vitro motility assay

The properties of mutant contractile proteins that cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have been investigated in expression studies and in mouse models. There is growing evidence that the precise isoforms of both the mutated protein and its interacting partners can qualitatively influence the effects of the mutation. We therefore investigated the functional effects of two HCM mutations in alpha -tropomyosin, Asp175Asn and Glu180Gly, in the in vitro motility assay using recombinant human alpha -tropomyosin, expressed with an N-terminal alanine-serine extension (AStm) to mimic acetylation in vivo, and purified native human cardiac troponin. The expected switching off of reconstituted filament movement at pCa9, and switching on at pCa5, was observed with no difference in fraction of filaments motile or filament velocity, between wild-type and mutant filaments. However, we observed increased Ca(2+)sensitivity of fraction of filaments motile using the mutant tropomyosin compared to wild-type (DeltaEC(50)+0.082+/-0. 019 pCa units for Asp175Asn and +0.115+/-0.021 for Glu180Gly). Indirect measurements using immobilized alpha -actinin to retard filament movement showed that filaments reconstituted with mutant AStm produced the same force as wild-type filaments. The results using human cardiac regulatory proteins reveal different effects of the HCM mutations in tropomyosin compared to studies using heterologous systems. By performing parallel experiments using either human cardiac or rabbit skeletal troponin we show that the cardiac-specific phenotype of HCM mutations in alpha -tropomyosin is not the result of more marked functional changes when interacting with cardiac troponin.

Investigation of a truncated cardiac troponin T that causes familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Ca(2+) regulatory properties of reconstituted thin filaments depend on the ratio of mutant to wild-type protein

Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is caused by mutations in at least 8 contractile protein genes, most commonly beta myosin heavy chain, myosin binding protein C, and cardiac troponin T. Affected individuals are heterozygous for a particular mutation, and most evidence suggests that the mutant protein acts in a dominant-negative fashion. To investigate the functional properties of a truncated troponin T shown to cause HCM, both wild-type and mutant human cardiac troponin T were overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and combined with human cardiac troponins I and C to reconstitute human cardiac troponin. Significant differences were found between the regulatory properties of wild-type and mutant troponin in vitro, as follows. (1) In actin-tropomyosin-activated myosin ATPase assays at pCa 9, wild-type troponin caused 80% inhibition of ATPase, whereas the mutant complex gave negligible inhibition. (2) Similarly, in the in vitro motility assay, mutant troponin failed to decrease both the proportion of actin-tropomyosin filaments motile and the velocity of motile filaments at pCa 9. (3) At pCa 5, the addition of mutant complex caused a greater increase (21.7%) in velocity of actin-tropomyosin filaments than wild-type troponin (12.3%). These data suggest that the truncated troponin T prevents switching off of the thin filament at low Ca(2+). However, the study of thin filaments containing varying ratios of wild-type and mutant troponin T at low Ca(2+) indicated an opposite effect of mutant troponin, causing enhancement of the inhibitory effect of wild-type complex, when it is present in a low ratio (10% to 50%). These multiple effects need to be taken into account to explain the physiological consequences of this mutation in HCM. Further, these findings underscore the importance of studying mixed mutant:wild-type preparations to faithfully model this autosomal-dominant disease.

Regulation of force and unloaded sliding speed in single thin filaments: effects of regulatory proteins and calcium

1. Measurements of the unloaded sliding speed of and isometric force exerted on single thin filaments in in vitro motility assays were made to evaluate the role of regulatory proteins in the control of unloaded thin filament sliding speed and isometric force production. 2. Regulated actin filaments were reconstituted from rabbit F-actin, native bovine cardiac tropomyosin (nTm), and either native bovine cardiac troponin (nTn), troponin containing a TnC mutant, CBMII, in which the sole regulatory site in cardiac TnC (site II) is inactivated (CBMII-Tn), or troponin containing a point mutation in TnT (I79N, where isoleucine at position 79 is replaced with asparagine) associated with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC). 3. Addition of regulatory proteins to the thin filament increases both the unloaded sliding speed and the isometric force exerted by myosin heads on the thin filaments. 4. Variation of thin filament activation by varying [Ca2+] or the fraction of CBMII/TnC bound to the thin filament at pCa 5, had little effect on the unloaded filament sliding speed until the fraction of the thin filament containing calcium bound to TnC was less than 0.15. These results suggest that [Ca2+] primarily affects the number of attached and cycling crossbridges. 5. The presence of the FHC TnT mutant increased the thin filament sliding speed but reduced the isometric force that heavy meromyosin exerted on regulated thin filaments. These latter results, together with the increased sliding speed and isometric force seen in the presence of regulatory proteins, suggest that thin filament regulatory proteins exert significant allosteric effects on the interaction of crossbridges with the thin filament.