Transcriptional upregulation of calcineurin Abeta by endothelin-1 is partially mediated by calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIdelta3 in rat cardiomyocytes

Cardiac performance and heart gene network provide dynamic responses of bay scallop Argopecten irradians irradians exposure to marine heatwaves

The increased frequency of marine heat waves (MHWs) caused by global climate change is predicted to threaten the survival of economic bivalves, therefore having severely adverse effects on local ecological communities and aquaculture production. However, the study of scallops facing MHWs is still scarce, particularly in the scallop Argopecten irradians irradians, which has a significant share of "blue foods" in northern China. In the present study, bay scallop heart was selected to detect its cardiac performance, oxidative impairment and dynamic molecular responses, accompanied by assessing survival variations of individuals in the simulated scenario of MWHs (32 °C) with different time points (0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 3 d, 6 d and 10 d). Notably, cardiac indices heart rate (HR), heart amplitude (HA), rate-amplitude product (RAP) and antioxidant enzyme activities superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) all peaked at 24 h but sharply dropped on 3 d, coinciding with mortality. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the heart actively defended against heat stress at the acute stage (<24 h) via energy supply, misfolded proteins correction and enhanced signal transduction, whereas regulation of the defense response and apoptotic process combined with twice transcription initiation were the dominant responses at the chronic stage (3-10 d). In particular, HSP70 (heat shock protein 70), HSP90 and CALR (calreticulin) in the endoplasmic reticulum were identified as the hub genes (top 5 %) in the HR-associated module via WGCNA (weighted gene co-expression network analysis) trait-module analysis, followed by characterization of their family members and diverse expression patterns under heat exposure. Furthermore, RNAi-mediated knockdown of CALR expression (after 24 h) significantly weakened the thermotolerance of scallops, as evidenced by a drop of 1.31 °C in ABT (Arrhenius break temperature) between the siRNA-injected group and the control group. Our findings elucidated the dynamic molecular responses at the transcriptome level and verified the cardiac functions of CALR in bay scallops confronted with stimulated MHWs.

CaMKIIδ Splice Variants in the Healthy and Diseased Heart

RNA splicing has been recognized in recent years as a pivotal player in heart development and disease. The Ca²⁺/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II delta (CaMKIIδ) is a multifunctional Ser/Thr kinase family and generates at least 11 different splice variants through alternative splicing. This enzyme, which belongs to the CaMKII family, is the predominant family member in the heart and functions as a messenger toward adaptive or detrimental signaling in cardiomyocytes. Classically, the nuclear CaMKIIδB and cytoplasmic CaMKIIδC splice variants are described as mediators of arrhythmias, contractile function, Ca²⁺ handling, and gene transcription. Recent findings also put CaMKIIδA and CaMKIIδ9 as cardinal players in the global CaMKII response in the heart. In this review, we discuss and summarize the new insights into CaMKIIδ splice variants and their (proposed) functions, as well as CaMKII-engineered mouse phenotypes and cardiac dysfunction related to CaMKIIδ missplicing. We also discuss RNA splicing factors affecting CaMKII splicing. Finally, we discuss the translational perspective derived from these insights and future directions on CaMKIIδ splicing research in the healthy and diseased heart.

Targeting the CaMKII/ERK Interaction in the Heart Prevents Cardiac Hypertrophy

Aims

Activation of Ca²⁺/Calmodulin protein kinase II (CaMKII) is an important step in signaling of cardiac hypertrophy. The molecular mechanisms by which CaMKII integrates with other pathways in the heart are incompletely understood. We hypothesize that CaMKII association with extracellular regulated kinase (ERK), promotes cardiac hypertrophy through ERK nuclear localization.

Methods and Results

In H9C2 cardiomyoblasts, the selective CaMKII peptide inhibitor AntCaNtide, its penetratin conjugated minimal inhibitory sequence analog tat-CN17β, and the MEK/ERK inhibitor UO126 all reduce phenylephrine (PE)-mediated ERK and CaMKII activation and their interaction. Moreover, AntCaNtide or tat-CN17β pretreatment prevented PE induced CaMKII and ERK nuclear accumulation in H9C2s and reduced the hypertrophy responses. To determine the role of CaMKII in cardiac hypertrophy in vivo, spontaneously hypertensive rats were subjected to intramyocardial injections of AntCaNtide or tat-CN17β. Left ventricular hypertrophy was evaluated weekly for 3 weeks by cardiac ultrasounds. We observed that the treatment with CaMKII inhibitors induced similar but significant reduction of cardiac size, left ventricular mass, and thickness of cardiac wall. The treatment with CaMKII inhibitors caused a significant reduction of CaMKII and ERK phosphorylation levels and their nuclear localization in the heart.

Conclusion

These results indicate that CaMKII and ERK interact to promote activation in hypertrophy; the inhibition of CaMKII-ERK interaction offers a novel therapeutic approach to limit cardiac hypertrophy.

CaMKII: do not work too hard in the failing heart

CaMKIIδ, a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase, plays pivotal roles in the development of heart disease. In this issue of The Journal of Pathology, Salma Awad and colleagues demonstrate that CaMKIIδ is engaged in both pathological hypertrophy and heart failure. By analysis of mouse and human heart samples, they found that the level of CaMKIIδ is increased in both pathological processes. Further studies demonstrated that CaMKIIδ mediates the phosphorylation of histone H3 at serine 10 (H3S10), which then tethers the chaperone protein 14-3-3 to promoter regions of fetal cardiac genes to activate their transcription. Combined with recent highlights on transcription regulation, this study revealed a fuzzy boundary between pathological hypertrophy and subsequent heart failure and indicates that current therapeutic strategies towards heart failure may have potential risks to patients.

CaMKIIdelta subtypes: localization and function

In this review we discuss the localization and function of the known subtypes of calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase IIδ (CaMKIIδ) and their role in cardiac physiology and pathophysiology. The CaMKII holoenzyme is comprised of multiple subunits that are encoded by four different genes called CaMKIIα, β, γ, and δ. While these four genes have a high degree of sequence homology, they are expressed in different tissues. CaMKIIα and β are expressed in neuronal tissue while γ and δ are present throughout the body, including in the heart. Both CaMKIIγ and δ are alternatively spliced in the heart to generate multiple subtypes. CaMKIIδ is the predominant cardiac isoform and is alternatively spliced in the heart to generate the CaMKIIδ_B subtype or the slightly less abundant δ_C subtype. The CaMKIIδ_B mRNA sequence contains a 33bp insert not present in δ_C that codes for an 11-amino acid nuclear localization sequence. This review focuses on the localization and function of the CaMKIIδ subtypes δ_B and δ_C and the role of these subtypes in arrhythmias, contractile dysfunction, gene transcription, and the regulation of Ca²⁺ handling.

Crucial interactions between selective serotonin uptake inhibitors and sigma-1 receptor in heart failure

Depression is associated with a substantial increase in the risk of developing heart failure and is independently associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Inversely, cardiovascular disease can lead to severe depression. Thus, therapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is strongly recommended to reduce cardiovascular disease-induced morbidity and mortality. However, molecular mechanisms to support evidence-based SSRI treatment of cardiovascular disease have not been elucidated. We recently found very high expression of the sigma-1 receptor, an orphan receptor, in rat heart tissue and defined the cardiac sigma-1 receptor as a direct SSRI target in eliciting cardioprotection in both pressure overload (PO)induced and transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced myocardial hypertrophy models in rodents. Our findings suggest that SSRIs such as fluvoxamine protect against PO- and TAC-induced cardiac dysfunction by upregulating sigma-1 receptor expression and stimulating sigma-1 receptor-mediated Akt-eNOS signaling. Here, we discuss the association of depression and cardiovascular diseases, the protective mechanism of SSRIs in heart failure patients, and the pathophysiological relevance of sigma-1 receptors to progression of heart failure. These findings should promote development of clinical therapeutics targeting the sigma-1 receptor in cardiovascular diseases.

Differences in MEF2 and NFAT transcriptional pathways according to human heart failure aetiology

BACKGROUND

Ca(2+) handling machinery modulates the activation of cardiac transcription pathways involved in heart failure (HF). The present study investigated the effect of HF aetiology on Ca(+2) handling proteins and NFAT1, MEF2C and GATA4 (transcription factors) in the same cardiac tissue.

METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

A total of 83 hearts from ischemic (ICM, n = 43) and dilated (DCM, n = 31) patients undergoing heart transplantation and controls (CNT, n = 9) were analyzed by western blotting. Subcellular distribution was analyzed by fluorescence and electron microscopy. When we compared Ca(+2) handling proteins according to HF aetiology, ICM showed higher levels of calmodulin (24%, p<0.01), calcineurin (26%, p<0.01) and Ca(2+)/Calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKIIδ(b) nuclear isoform 62%, p<0.001) than the CNT group. However, these proteins in DCM did not significantly increase. Furthermore, ICM showed a significant elevation in MEF2C (33%, p<0.01), and GATA4 (49%, p<0.05); also NFAT1 (66%, p<0.001) was increased, producing the resultant translocation of this transcriptional factor into the nuclei. These results were supported by fluorescence and electron microscopy analysis. Whereas, DCM only had a significant increase in GATA4 (52%, p<0.05). Correlations between NFAT1 and MEF2C in both groups (ICM r = 0.38 and DCM r = 0.59, p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively) were found; only ICM showed a correlation between GATA4 and NFAT1 (r = 0.37, p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

This study shows an increase of Ca(2+) handling machinery synthesis and their cardiac transcription pathways in HF, being more markedly increased in ICM. Furthermore, there is a significant association between MEF2, NFAT1 and GATA4. These proteins could be therapeutic targets to improve myocardial function.

Location matters: clarifying the concept of nuclear and cytosolic CaMKII subtypes

RATIONALE

Differential effects of δ(B) and δ(C) subtypes of Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII) on cardiomyocyte Ca²⁺ handling and survival have been suggested to result from their respective nuclear versus cytosolic localizations. CaMKIIδ subtype localization and its relationship to enzyme activation and target phosphorylation have not, however, been systematically evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether CaMKIIδ subtypes are restricted to a particular subcellular location and assess the relationship of localization to enzyme activation and function.

METHODS AND RESULTS

CaMKIIδ is highly expressed in mouse heart and cardiomyocytes and concentrated in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)/membrane and nuclear fractions. CaMKIIδ(B) and δ(C) subtypes differ by a nuclear localization sequence, but both are present in nuclear and SR/membrane fractions. Nonselective subtype distribution is also seen in mice overexpressing CaMKIIδ(B) or δ(C), even in a CaMKIIδ null background. Fluorescently tagged CaMKIIδ(B) expressed in cardiomyocytes concentrates in nuclei whereas δ(C) concentrates in cytosol, but neither localization is exclusive. Mouse hearts exposed to phenylephrine show selective CaMKIIδ activation in the nuclear (versus SR) compartment, whereas caffeine selectively activates CaMKIIδ in SR (versus nuclei), independent of subtype. Compartmentalized activation extends to functional differences in target phosphorylation at CaMKII sites: phenylephrine increases histone deacetylase 5 phosphorylation (Ser498) but not phospholamban (Thr17), whereas the converse holds for caffeine.

CONCLUSIONS

These studies demonstrate that CaMKIIδ(B) and δ(C) are not exclusively restricted to the nucleus and cytosol and that spatial and functional specificity in CaMKIIδ activation is elicited by mobilization of different Ca²⁺ stores rather than by compartmentalized subtype localization.

CaMKIIδB mediates aberrant NCX1 expression and the imbalance of NCX1/SERCA in transverse aortic constriction-induced failing heart

Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II δB (CaMKIIδB) is one of the predominant isoforms of CaMKII in the heart. The precise role of CaMKIIδB in the transcriptional cross-talk of Ca²⁺-handling proteins during heart failure remains unclear. In this work, we aim to determine the mechanism of CaMKIIδB in modulating the expression of sarcolemmal Na⁺–Ca²⁺ exchange (NCX1). We also aim to address the potential effects of calmodulin antagonism on the imbalance of NCX1 and sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase (SERCA) during heart failure. Eight weeks after transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced heart failure in mice, we found that the heart weight/tibia length (HW/TL) ratio and the lung weight/body weight (LW/BW) ratio increased by 59% and 133%, respectively. We further found that the left ventricle-shortening fraction decreased by 40% compared with the sham-operated controls. Immunoblotting revealed that the phosphorylation of CaMKIIδB significantly increased 8 weeks after TAC-induced heart failure. NCX1 protein levels were also elevated, whereas SERCA2 protein levels decreased in the same animal model. Moreover, transfection of active CaMKIIδB significantly increased NCX1 protein levels in adult mouse cardiomyocytes via class IIa histone deacetylase (HDAC)/myocyte enhancer factor-2 (MEF2)-dependent signaling. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of calmodulin/CaMKIIδB activity improved cardiac function in TAC mice, which partially normalized the imbalance between NCX1 and SERCA2. These data identify NCX1 as a cellular target for CaMKIIδB. We also suggest that the CaMKIIδB-induced imbalance between NCX1 and SERCA2 is partially responsible for the disturbance of intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis and the pathological process of heart failure.

CaMKII in the cardiovascular system: sensing redox states

The multifunctional Ca(2+)- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is now recognized to play a central role in pathological events in the cardiovascular system. CaMKII has diverse downstream targets that promote vascular disease, heart failure, and arrhythmias, so improved understanding of CaMKII signaling has the potential to lead to new therapies for cardiovascular disease. CaMKII is a multimeric serine-threonine kinase that is initially activated by binding calcified calmodulin (Ca(2+)/CaM). Under conditions of sustained exposure to elevated Ca(2+)/CaM, CaMKII transitions into a Ca(2+)/CaM-autonomous enzyme by two distinct but parallel processes. Autophosphorylation of threonine-287 in the CaMKII regulatory domain "traps" CaMKII into an open configuration even after Ca(2+)/CaM unbinding. More recently, our group identified a pair of methionines (281/282) in the CaMKII regulatory domain that undergo a partially reversible oxidation which, like autophosphorylation, prevents CaMKII from inactivating after Ca(2+)/CaM unbinding. Here we review roles of CaMKII in cardiovascular disease with an eye to understanding how CaMKII may act as a transduction signal to connect pro-oxidant conditions into specific downstream pathological effects that are relevant to rare and common forms of cardiovascular disease.

Melatonin ameliorates ischemic-like injury-evoked nitrosative stress: Involvement of HtrA2/PED pathways in endothelial cells

Peroxynitrite contributes to diverse cellular stresses in the pathogenesis of ischemic complications. Here, we investigate the downstream effector signaling elements of nitrosative stress which regulate ischemia-like cell death in endothelial cells and protective effect of melatonin. When the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-treated cells was assessed using the fluorescent probe 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazol -carbocyanine iodide, we observed spontaneous changes in peroxynitrite formation. Concomitantly, western blot and confocal microscopy analyses indicated that prolonged OGD exposure initiates the release of mitochondrial HtrA2 and dramatically decreases phosphoprotein enriched in astrocytes (PED or PEA-15) protein levels. Consistently, cultured endothelial cells treated with peroxynitrite (1-50 μm) exhibited a concentration-dependent release of mitochondrial HtrA2 and concomitant PED degradation in vitro. Notably, HtrA2 activation coincided with increased nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity in microvessels of rats following microsphere embolism. Additionally, the protective effect of PED overexpression in OGD-induced apoptosis was abolished by transfection with the PED(S104A/S116A) mutant. Furthermore, the effect of melatonin, an potential antioxidant, on endothelial apoptotic cascade was examined in OGD-evoked nitrosative stress. Our data showed that the application of melatonin provided significant protection against OGD-induced peroxynitrite formation and mitochondrial HtrA2 release, accompanied with a decrease in degradation PED and x-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein, which is associated with activation of the caspase cascade. Taken together, the protective effect of melatonin is likely mediated, in part, by inhibition of peroxynitrate-mediated nitrosative stress, which in turn relieves imbalance of mitochondrial HtrA2-PED signaling and endothelial cell death.

CaMKII in myocardial hypertrophy and heart failure

Many signals have risen and fallen in the tide of investigation into mechanisms of myocardial hypertrophy and heart failure (HF). In our opinion, the multifunctional Ca and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) has emerged as a molecule to watch, in part because a solid body of accumulated data essentially satisfy Koch's postulates, showing that the CaMKII pathway is a core mechanism for promoting myocardial hypertrophy and heart failure. Multiple groups have now confirmed the following: (1) that CaMKII activity is increased in hypertrophied and failing myocardium from animal models and patients; (2) CaMKII overexpression causes myocardial hypertrophy and HF and (3) CaMKII inhibition (by drugs, inhibitory peptides and gene deletion) improves myocardial hypertrophy and HF. Patients with myocardial disease die in equal proportion from HF and arrhythmias, and a major therapeutic obstacle is that drugs designed to enhance myocardial contraction promote arrhythmias. In contrast, inhibiting the CaMKII pathway appears to reduce arrhythmias and improve myocardial responses to pathological stimuli. This brief paper will introduce the molecular physiology of CaMKII and discuss the impact of CaMKII on ion channels, Ca handling proteins and transcription in myocardium. This article is part of a special issue entitled "Key Signaling Molecules in Hypertrophy and Heart Failure".