1
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Karimi E, Gohlke J, van der Borgh M, Lindqvist J, Hourani Z, Kolb J, Cossette S, Lawlor MW, Ottenheijm C, Granzier H. Characterization of NEB pathogenic variants in patients reveals novel nemaline myopathy disease mechanisms and omecamtiv mecarbil force effects. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:72. [PMID: 38634969 PMCID: PMC11026289 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02726-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Nebulin, a critical protein of the skeletal muscle thin filament, plays important roles in physiological processes such as regulating thin filament length (TFL), cross-bridge cycling, and myofibril alignment. Pathogenic variants in the nebulin gene (NEB) cause NEB-based nemaline myopathy (NEM2), a genetically heterogeneous disorder characterized by hypotonia and muscle weakness, currently lacking curative therapies. In this study, we examined a cohort of ten NEM2 patients, each with unique pathogenic variants, aiming to understand their impact on mRNA, protein, and functional levels. Results show that pathogenic truncation variants affect NEB mRNA stability and lead to nonsense-mediated decay of the mutated transcript. Moreover, a high incidence of cryptic splice site activation was found in patients with pathogenic splicing variants that are expected to disrupt the actin-binding sites of nebulin. Determination of protein levels revealed patients with either relatively normal or markedly reduced nebulin. We observed a positive relation between the reduction in nebulin and a reduction in TFL, or reduction in tension (both maximal and submaximal tension). Interestingly, our study revealed a pathogenic duplication variant in nebulin that resulted in a four-copy gain in the triplicate region of NEB and a much larger nebulin protein and longer TFL. Additionally, we investigated the effect of Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM), a small-molecule activator of cardiac myosin, on force production of type 1 muscle fibers of NEM2 patients. OM treatment substantially increased submaximal tension across all NEM2 patients ranging from 87 to 318%, with the largest effects in patients with the lowest level of nebulin. In summary, this study indicates that post-transcriptional or post-translational mechanisms regulate nebulin expression. Moreover, we propose that the pathomechanism of NEM2 involves not only shortened but also elongated thin filaments, along with the disruption of actin-binding sites resulting from pathogenic splicing variants. Significantly, our findings highlight the potential of OM treatment to improve skeletal muscle function in NEM2 patients, especially those with large reductions in nebulin levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmat Karimi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Jochen Gohlke
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Mila van der Borgh
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Johan Lindqvist
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Zaynab Hourani
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Justin Kolb
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Stacy Cossette
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Michael W Lawlor
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Diverge Translational Science Laboratory, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Coen Ottenheijm
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Physiology, Amsterdam UMC (Location VUMC), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Henk Granzier
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
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2
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Zhou S, Liu Y, Huang X, Wu C, Pórszász R. Omecamtiv Mecarbil in the treatment of heart failure: the past, the present, and the future. Front Cardiovasc Med 2024; 11:1337154. [PMID: 38566963 PMCID: PMC10985333 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1337154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Heart failure, a prevailing global health issue, imposes a substantial burden on both healthcare systems and patients worldwide. With an escalating prevalence of heart failure, prolonged survival rates, and an aging demographic, an increasing number of individuals are progressing to more advanced phases of this incapacitating ailment. Against this backdrop, the quest for pharmacological agents capable of addressing the diverse subtypes of heart failure becomes a paramount pursuit. From this viewpoint, the present article focuses on Omecamtiv Mecarbil (OM), an emerging chemical compound said to exert inotropic effects without altering calcium homeostasis. For the first time, as a review, the present article uniquely started from the very basic pathophysiology of heart failure, its classification, and the strategies underpinning drug design, to on-going debates of OM's underlying mechanism of action and the latest large-scale clinical trials. Furthermore, we not only saw the advantages of OM, but also exhaustively summarized the concerns in sense of its effects. These of no doubt make the present article the most systemic and informative one among the existing literature. Overall, by offering new mechanistic insights and therapeutic possibilities, OM has carved a significant niche in the treatment of heart failure, making it a compelling subject of study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujing Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Sixth Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xufeng Huang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Chuhan Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Róbert Pórszász
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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3
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Garg A, Lavine KJ, Greenberg MJ. Assessing Cardiac Contractility From Single Molecules to Whole Hearts. JACC Basic Transl Sci 2024; 9:414-439. [PMID: 38559627 PMCID: PMC10978360 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacbts.2023.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Fundamentally, the heart needs to generate sufficient force and power output to dynamically meet the needs of the body. Cardiomyocytes contain specialized structures referred to as sarcomeres that power and regulate contraction. Disruption of sarcomeric function or regulation impairs contractility and leads to cardiomyopathies and heart failure. Basic, translational, and clinical studies have adapted numerous methods to assess cardiac contraction in a variety of pathophysiological contexts. These tools measure aspects of cardiac contraction at different scales ranging from single molecules to whole organisms. Moreover, these studies have revealed new pathogenic mechanisms of heart disease leading to the development of novel therapies targeting contractility. In this review, the authors explore the breadth of tools available for studying cardiac contractile function across scales, discuss their strengths and limitations, highlight new insights into cardiac physiology and pathophysiology, and describe how these insights can be harnessed for therapeutic candidate development and translational.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Garg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Kory J. Lavine
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Michael J. Greenberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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4
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Karimi E, van der Borgh M, Lindqvist J, Gohlke J, Hourani Z, Kolb J, Cossette S, Lawlor MW, Ottenheijm C, Granzier H. Characterization of NEB mutations in patients reveals novel nemaline myopathy disease mechanisms and omecamtiv mecarbil force effects. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.20.572678. [PMID: 38187705 PMCID: PMC10769406 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.572678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Nebulin, a critical protein of the skeletal muscle thin filament, plays important roles in physiological processes such as regulating thin filament length (TFL), cross-bridge cycling, and myofibril alignment. Mutations in the nebulin gene ( NEB ) cause NEB-based nemaline myopathy (NEM2), a genetically heterogeneous disorder characterized by hypotonia and muscle weakness, currently lacking therapies targeting the underlying pathological mechanisms. In this study, we examined a cohort of ten NEM2 patients, each with unique mutations, aiming to understand their impact on mRNA, protein, and functional levels. Results show that truncation mutations affect NEB mRNA stability and lead to nonsense-mediated decay of the mutated transcript. Moreover, a high incidence of cryptic splice site activation was found in patients with splicing mutations which is expected to disrupt the actin-binding sites of nebulin. Determination of protein levels revealed patients with relatively normal nebulin levels and others with markedly reduced nebulin. We observed a positive relation between the reduction in nebulin and a reduction in TFL, and a positive relation between the reduction in nebulin level and the reduction in tension (both maximal and submaximal tension). Interestingly, our study revealed a duplication mutation in nebulin that resulted in a larger nebulin protein and longer TFL. Additionally, we investigated the effect of Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM), a small-molecule activator of cardiac myosin, on force production of type I muscle fibers of NEM2 patients. OM treatment substantially increased submaximal tension across all NEM2 patients ranging from 87-318%, with the largest effects in patients with the lowest level of nebulin. In summary, this study indicates that post-transcriptional or post-translational mechanisms regulate nebulin expression. Moreover, we propose that the pathomechanism of NEM2 involves not only shortened but also elongated thin filaments, along with the disruption of actin-binding sites resulting from splicing mutations. Significantly, our findings highlight the potential of OM treatment to improve skeletal muscle function in NEM2 patients, especially those with large reductions in nebulin levels.
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5
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Nakanishi T, Oyama K, Tanaka H, Kobirumaki-Shimozawa F, Ishii S, Terui T, Ishiwata S, Fukuda N. Effects of omecamtiv mecarbil on the contractile properties of skinned porcine left atrial and ventricular muscles. Front Physiol 2022; 13:947206. [PMID: 36082222 PMCID: PMC9445838 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.947206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) is a novel inotropic agent for heart failure with systolic dysfunction. OM prolongs the actomyosin attachment duration, which enhances thin filament cooperative activation and accordingly promotes the binding of neighboring myosin to actin. In the present study, we investigated the effects of OM on the steady-state contractile properties in skinned porcine left ventricular (PLV) and atrial (PLA) muscles. OM increased Ca2+ sensitivity in a concentration-dependent manner in PLV, by left shifting the mid-point (pCa50) of the force-pCa curve (ΔpCa50) by ∼0.16 and ∼0.33 pCa units at 0.5 and 1.0 μM, respectively. The Ca2+-sensitizing effect was likewise observed in PLA, but less pronounced with ΔpCa50 values of ∼0.08 and ∼0.22 pCa units at 0.5 and 1.0 μM, respectively. The Ca2+-sensitizing effect of OM (1.0 μM) was attenuated under enhanced thin filament cooperative activation in both PLV and PLA; this attenuation occurred directly via treatment with fast skeletal troponin (ΔpCa50: ∼0.16 and ∼0.10 pCa units in PLV and PLA, respectively) and indirectly by increasing the number of strongly bound cross-bridges in the presence of 3 mM MgADP (ΔpCa50: ∼0.21 and ∼0.08 pCa units in PLV and PLA, respectively). It is likely that this attenuation of the Ca2+-sensitizing effect of OM is due to a decrease in the number of “recruitable” cross-bridges that can potentially produce active force. When cross-bridge detachment was accelerated in the presence of 20 mM inorganic phosphate, the Ca2+-sensitizing effect of OM (1.0 μM) was markedly decreased in both types of preparations (ΔpCa50: ∼0.09 and ∼0.03 pCa units in PLV and PLA, respectively). The present findings suggest that the positive inotropy of OM is more markedly exerted in the ventricle than in the atrium, which results from the strongly bound cross-bridge-dependent allosteric activation of thin filaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Nakanishi
- Department of Cell Physiology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kotaro Oyama
- Department of Cell Physiology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Quantum Beam Science Research Directorate, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Gunma, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Tanaka
- Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology and Microbiology, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Japan
| | | | - Shuya Ishii
- Quantum Beam Science Research Directorate, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Gunma, Japan
| | - Takako Terui
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin’ichi Ishiwata
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norio Fukuda
- Department of Cell Physiology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Norio Fukuda,
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6
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Day SM, Tardiff JC, Ostap EM. Myosin modulators: emerging approaches for the treatment of cardiomyopathies and heart failure. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:148557. [PMID: 35229734 PMCID: PMC8884898 DOI: 10.1172/jci148557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Myosin modulators are a novel class of pharmaceutical agents that are being developed to treat patients with a range of cardiomyopathies. The therapeutic goal of these drugs is to target cardiac myosins directly to modulate contractility and cardiac power output to alleviate symptoms that lead to heart failure and arrhythmias, without altering calcium signaling. In this Review, we discuss two classes of drugs that have been developed to either activate (omecamtiv mecarbil) or inhibit (mavacamten) cardiac contractility by binding to β-cardiac myosin (MYH7). We discuss progress in understanding the mechanisms by which the drugs alter myosin mechanochemistry, and we provide an appraisal of the results from clinical trials of these drugs, with consideration for the importance of disease heterogeneity and genetic etiology for predicting treatment benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharlene M Day
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jil C Tardiff
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - E Michael Ostap
- Pennsylvania Muscle Institute and Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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7
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Rhoden A, Schulze T, Pietsch N, Christ T, Hansen A, Eschenhagen T. Comprehensive analyses of the inotropic compound omecamtiv mecarbil in rat and human cardiac preparations. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2022; 322:H373-H385. [PMID: 35030072 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00534.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM), a myosin activator, was reported to induce complex concentration- and species-dependent effects on contractile function and clinical studies indicated a low therapeutic index with diastolic dysfunction at concentrations above 1 µM. To further characterize effects of OM in a human context and under different preload conditions, we constructed a setup that allows isometric contractility analyses of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived engineered heart tissues (EHTs). The results were compared to effects of OM on the very same EHTs measured under auxotonic conditions. OM induced a sustained, concentration-dependent increase in time-to-peak under all conditions (maximally 2-3 fold). Peak force, in contrast, was increased by OM only in human, but not rat EHTs and only under isometric conditions, varied between hiPSC lines and showed a biphasic concentration-dependency with maximal effects at 1 µM. Relaxation time tended to fall under auxotonic and strongly increase under isometric conditions, again with biphasic concentration-dependency. Diastolic tension concentration-dependently increased under all conditions. The latter was reduced by an inhibitor of the mitochondrial sodium calcium exchanger (CGP-37157). OM induced increases in mitochondrial oxidation in isolated cardiomyocytes, indicating that OM, an inotrope that does not increase intracellular and mitochondrial Ca2+, can induce mismatch between an increase in ATP and ROS production and unstimulated mitochondrial redox capacity. Taken together, we developed a novel setup well suitable for isometric measurements of EHTs. The effects of OM on contractility and diastolic tension are complex with concentration-, time-, species- and loading-dependent differences. Effects on mitochondrial function require further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Rhoden
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Schulze
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Niels Pietsch
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Torsten Christ
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Arne Hansen
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Eschenhagen
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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8
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Methawasin M, Farman GP, Granzier-Nakajima S, Strom J, Kiss B, Smith JE, Granzier H. Shortening the thick filament by partial deletion of titin's C-zone alters cardiac function by reducing the operating sarcomere length range. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2022; 165:103-114. [PMID: 35031281 PMCID: PMC8940690 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2022.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Titin's C-zone is an inextensible segment in titin, comprised of 11 super-repeats and located in the cMyBP-C-containing region of the thick filament. Previously we showed that deletion of titin's super-repeats C1 and C2 (TtnΔC1-2 model) results in shorter thick filaments and contractile dysfunction of the left ventricular (LV) chamber but that unexpectedly LV diastolic stiffness is normal. Here we studied the contraction-relaxation kinetics from the time-varying elastance of the LV and intact cardiomyocyte, cellular work loops of intact cardiomyocytes, Ca2+ transients, cross-bridge kinetics, and myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. Intact cardiomyocytes of TtnΔC1-2 mice exhibit systolic dysfunction and impaired relaxation. The time-varying elastance at both LV and single-cell levels showed that activation kinetics are normal in TtnΔC1-2 mice, but that relaxation is slower. The slowed relaxation is, in part, attributable to an increased myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and slower early Ca2+ reuptake. Cross-bridge dynamics showed that cross-bridge kinetics are normal but that the number of force-generating cross-bridges is reduced. In vivo sarcomere length (SL) measurements revealed that in TtnΔC1-2 mice the operating SL range of the LV is shifted towards shorter lengths. This normalizes the apparent cell and LV diastolic stiffness but further reduces systolic force as systole occurs further down on the ascending limb of the force-SL relation. We propose that the reduced working SLs reflect titin's role in regulating diastolic stiffness by altering the number of sarcomeres in series. Overall, our study reveals that thick filament length regulation by titin's C-zone is critical for normal cardiac function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Methawasin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States of America.
| | - Gerrie P Farman
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States of America
| | - Shawtaroh Granzier-Nakajima
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States of America
| | - Joshua Strom
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States of America
| | - Balazs Kiss
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States of America
| | - John E Smith
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States of America
| | - Henk Granzier
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States of America.
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9
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Lookin O, Kuznetsov D, Protsenko Y. Omecamtiv mecarbil attenuates length-tension relationship in healthy rat myocardium and preserves it in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary heart failure. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2021; 49:84-93. [PMID: 34459025 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.13584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The cardiac-specific myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil (OM), is an effective inotrope for treating heart failure but its effects on active force and Ca2+ kinetics in healthy and diseased myocardium remain poorly studied. We tested the effect of two concentrations of OM (0.2 and 1 µmol/L in saline) on isometric contraction and Ca-transient (CaT) in right ventricular trabeculae of healthy rats (CONT, n = 8) and rats with monocrotaline-induced pulmonary heart failure (MCT, n = 8). The contractions were obtained under preload of 75%-100% of optimal length (tension-length relationship). The 0.2 µmol/L OM did not affect the diastolic level, amplitude, or kinetics of isometric contraction and CaT, irrespective of the group of rats or preload. The 1 µmol/L OM significantly suppressed active tension-length relationships in CONT but not in MCT, while leading in both groups to a significantly prolonged relaxation. CaT time-to-peak was unaffected in CONT and MCT, but CaT decay was slightly accelerated in its early phase and considerably prolonged in its late phase to a similar extent in both groups. We conclude that the substantial prolongation of CaT decay is due to enhanced Ca2+ utilisation by troponin C mediated by the direct effect of OM on the cooperative activation of myofilaments. The lack of beneficial effect of OM in the healthy rat myocardium may be due to a relatively high level of activating Ca2+ in cells with normal Ca2+ handling, whereas the preservation of the tension-length relationship in the failing heart may relate to the diminished Ca2+ levels of sarcoplasmic reticulum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Lookin
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation
| | - Daniil Kuznetsov
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation
| | - Yuri Protsenko
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation
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10
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Mamidi R, Holmes JB, Doh CY, Dominic KL, Madugula N, Stelzer JE. cMyBPC phosphorylation modulates the effect of omecamtiv mecarbil on myocardial force generation. J Gen Physiol 2021; 153:211867. [PMID: 33688929 PMCID: PMC7953254 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM), a direct myosin motor activator, is currently being tested as a therapeutic replacement for conventional inotropes in heart failure (HF) patients. It is known that HF patients exhibit dysregulated β-adrenergic signaling and decreased cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBPC) phosphorylation, a critical modulator of myocardial force generation. However, the functional effects of OM in conditions of altered cMyBPC phosphorylation have not been established. Here, we tested the effects of OM on force generation and cross-bridge (XB) kinetics using murine myocardial preparations isolated from wild-type (WT) hearts and from hearts expressing S273A, S282A, and S302A substitutions (SA) in the M domain, between the C1 and C2 domains of cMyBPC, which cannot be phosphorylated. At submaximal Ca2+ activations, OM-mediated force enhancements were less pronounced in SA than in WT myocardial preparations. Additionally, SA myocardial preparations lacked the dose-dependent increases in force that were observed in WT myocardial preparations. Following OM incubation, the basal differences in the rate of XB detachment (krel) between WT and SA myocardial preparations were abolished, suggesting that OM differentially affects the XB behavior when cMyBPC phosphorylation is reduced. Similarly, in myocardial preparations pretreated with protein kinase A to phosphorylate cMyBPC, incubation with OM significantly slowed krel in both the WT and SA myocardial preparations. Collectively, our data suggest there is a strong interplay between the effects of OM and XB behavior, such that it effectively uncouples the sarcomere from cMyBPC phosphorylation levels. Our findings imply that OM may significantly alter the in vivo cardiac response to β-adrenergic stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranganath Mamidi
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Joshua B Holmes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Chang Yoon Doh
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Katherine L Dominic
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Nikhil Madugula
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Julian E Stelzer
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
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11
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Awinda PO, Bishaw Y, Watanabe M, Guglin MA, Campbell KS, Tanner BCW. Effects of mavacamten on Ca 2+ sensitivity of contraction as sarcomere length varied in human myocardium. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:5609-5621. [PMID: 32960449 PMCID: PMC7707091 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Heart failure can reflect impaired contractile function at the myofilament level. In healthy hearts, myofilaments become more sensitive to Ca2+ as cells are stretched. This represents a fundamental property of the myocardium that contributes to the Frank-Starling response, although the molecular mechanisms underlying the effect remain unclear. Mavacamten, which binds to myosin, is under investigation as a potential therapy for heart disease. We investigated how mavacamten affects the sarcomere-length dependence of Ca2+ -sensitive isometric contraction to determine how mavacamten might modulate the Frank-Starling mechanism. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Multicellular preparations from the left ventricular-free wall of hearts from organ donors were chemically permeabilized and Ca2+ activated in the presence or absence of 0.5-μM mavacamten at 1.9 or 2.3-μm sarcomere length (37°C). Isometric force and frequency-dependent viscoelastic myocardial stiffness measurements were made. KEY RESULTS At both sarcomere lengths, mavacamten reduced maximal force and Ca2+ sensitivity of contraction. In the presence and absence of mavacamten, Ca2+ sensitivity of force increased as sarcomere length increased. This suggests that the length-dependent activation response was maintained in human myocardium, even though mavacamten reduced Ca2+ sensitivity. There were subtle effects of mavacamten reducing force values under relaxed conditions (pCa 8.0), as well as slowing myosin cross-bridge recruitment and speeding cross-bridge detachment under maximally activated conditions (pCa 4.5). CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Mavacamten did not eliminate sarcomere length-dependent increases in the Ca2+ sensitivity of contraction in myocardial strips from organ donors at physiological temperature. Drugs that modulate myofilament function may be useful therapies for cardiomyopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter O. Awinda
- Department of Integrative Physiology and NeuroscienceWashington State UniversityPullmanWashingtonUSA
| | - Yemeserach Bishaw
- Department of Integrative Physiology and NeuroscienceWashington State UniversityPullmanWashingtonUSA
| | - Marissa Watanabe
- Department of Integrative Physiology and NeuroscienceWashington State UniversityPullmanWashingtonUSA
| | - Maya A. Guglin
- Division of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKentuckyUSA
| | - Kenneth S. Campbell
- Department of PhysiologyUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKentuckyUSA
- Division of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKentuckyUSA
| | - Bertrand C. W. Tanner
- Department of Integrative Physiology and NeuroscienceWashington State UniversityPullmanWashingtonUSA
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12
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Lindqvist J, Lee EJ, Karimi E, Kolb J, Granzier H. Omecamtiv mecarbil lowers the contractile deficit in a mouse model of nebulin-based nemaline myopathy. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224467. [PMID: 31721788 PMCID: PMC6853306 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Nemaline myopathy (NEM) is a congenital neuromuscular disorder primarily caused by nebulin gene (NEB) mutations. NEM is characterized by muscle weakness for which currently no treatments exist. In NEM patients a predominance of type I fibers has been found. Thus, therapeutic options targeting type I fibers could be highly beneficial for NEM patients. Because type I muscle fibers express the same myosin isoform as cardiac muscle (Myh7), the effect of omecamtiv mecarbil (OM), a small molecule activator of Myh7, was studied in a nebulin-based NEM mouse model (Neb cKO). Skinned single fibers were activated by exogenous calcium and force was measured at a wide range of calcium concentrations. Maximal specific force of type I fibers was much less in fibers from Neb cKO animals and calcium sensitivity of permeabilized single fibers was reduced (pCa50 6.12 ±0.08 (cKO) vs 6.36 ±0.08 (CON)). OM increased the calcium sensitivity of type I single muscle fibers. The greatest effect occurred in type I fibers from Neb cKO muscle where OM restored the calcium sensitivity to that of the control type I fibers. Forces at submaximal activation levels (pCa 6.0–6.5) were significantly increased in Neb cKO fibers (~50%) but remained below that of control fibers. OM also increased isometric force and power during isotonic shortening of intact whole soleus muscle of Neb cKO mice, with the largest effects at physiological stimulation frequencies. We conclude that OM has the potential to improve the quality of life of NEM patients by increasing the force of type I fibers at submaximal activation levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Lindqvist
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Eun-Jeong Lee
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Esmat Karimi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Justin Kolb
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Henk Granzier
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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13
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Reda SM, Chandra M. Dilated cardiomyopathy mutation (R174W) in troponin T attenuates the length-mediated increase in cross-bridge recruitment and myofilament Ca 2+ sensitivity. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2019; 317:H648-H657. [PMID: 31373515 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00171.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Alterations in length-dependent activation (LDA) may constitute a mechanism by which cardiomyopathy mutations lead to deleterious phenotypes and compromised heart function, because LDA underlies the molecular basis by which the heart tunes myocardial force production on a beat-to-beat basis (Frank-Starling mechanism). In this study, we investigated the effect of DCM-linked mutation (R173W) in human cardiac troponin T (TnT) on myofilament LDA. R173W mutation is associated with left ventricular dilatation and systolic dysfunction and is found in multiple families. R173W mutation is in the central region (residues 80-180) of TnT, which is known to be important for myofilament cooperativity and cross-bridge (XB) recruitment. Steady-state and dynamic contractile parameters were measured in detergent-skinned guinea pig left ventricular muscle fibers reconstituted with recombinant guinea pig wild-type TnT (TnTWT) or mutant TnT (TnTR174W; guinea pig analog of human R173W mutation) at two different sarcomere lengths (SL): short (1.9 µm) and long (2.3 µm). TnTR174W decreased pCa50 (-log [Ca2+]free required for half-maximal activation) to a greater extent at long than at short SL; for example, pCa50 decreased by 0.12 pCa units at long SL and by 0.06 pCa units at short SL. Differential changes in pCa50 at short and long SL attenuated the SL-dependent increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity (ΔpCa50) in TnTR174W fibers; ΔpCa50 was 0.10 units in TnTWT fibers but only 0.04 units in TnTR174W fibers. Furthermore, TnTR174W blunted the SL-dependent increase in the magnitude of XB recruitment. Our observations suggest that the R173W mutation in human cardiac TnT may impair Frank-Starling mechanism.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This work characterizes the effect of dilated cardiomyopathy mutation in cardiac troponin T (TnTR174W) on myofilament length-dependent activation. TnTR174W attenuates the length-dependent increase in cross-bridge recruitment and myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherif M Reda
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Murali Chandra
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
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14
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Reda SM, Gollapudi SK, Chandra M. Developmental increase in β-MHC enhances sarcomere length-dependent activation in the myocardium. J Gen Physiol 2019; 151:635-644. [PMID: 30602626 PMCID: PMC6504293 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201812183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) in the guinea pig heart increases during postnatal development. Reda et al. show that this increase in β-MHC enhances length-mediated increases in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and sarcomere length–dependent changes in contractile function. Shifts in myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms in cardiac myocytes have been shown to alter cardiac muscle function not only in healthy developing hearts but also in diseased hearts. In guinea pig hearts, there is a large age-dependent shift in MHC isoforms from 80% α-MHC/20% β-MHC at 3 wk to 14% α-MHC/86% β-MHC at 11 wk. Because kinetic differences in α- and β-MHC cross-bridges (XBs) are known to impart different cooperative effects on thin filaments, we hypothesize here that differences in α- and β-MHC expression in guinea pig cardiac muscle impact sarcomere length (SL)–dependent contractile function. We therefore measure steady state and dynamic contractile parameters in detergent-skinned cardiac muscle preparations isolated from the left ventricles of young (3 wk old) or adult (11 wk old) guinea pigs at two different SLs: short (1.9 µm) and long (2.3 µm). Our data show that SL-dependent effects on contractile parameters are augmented in adult guinea pig cardiac muscle preparations. Notably, the SL-mediated increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity (ΔpCa50) is twofold greater in adult guinea pig muscle preparations (ΔpCa50 being 0.11 units in adult preparations but only 0.05 units in young preparations). Furthermore, adult guinea pig cardiac muscle preparations display greater SL-dependent changes than young muscle preparations in (1) the magnitude of length-mediated increase in the recruitment of new force-bearing XBs, (2) XB detachment rate, (3) XB strain-mediated effects on other force-bearing XBs, and (4) the rate constant of force redevelopment. Our findings suggest that increased β-MHC expression enhances length-dependent activation in the adult guinea pig cardiac myocardium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherif M Reda
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
| | - Sampath K Gollapudi
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
| | - Murali Chandra
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
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15
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Kieu TT, Awinda PO, Tanner BCW. Omecamtiv Mecarbil Slows Myosin Kinetics in Skinned Rat Myocardium at Physiological Temperature. Biophys J 2019; 116:2149-2160. [PMID: 31103235 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart failure is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the heart muscle becomes weakened and cannot adequately circulate blood and nutrients around the body. Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) is a compound that has been developed to treat systolic heart failure via targeting the cardiac myosin heavy chain to increase myocardial contractility. Biophysical and biochemical studies have found that OM increases calcium (Ca2+) sensitivity of contraction by prolonging the myosin working stroke and increasing the actin-myosin cross-bridge duty ratio. Most in vitro studies probing the effects of OM on cross-bridge kinetics and muscle force production have been conducted at subphysiological temperature, even though temperature plays a critical role in enzyme activity and cross-bridge function. Herein, we used skinned, ventricular papillary muscle strips from rats to investigate the effects of [OM] on Ca2+-activated force production, cross-bridge kinetics, and myocardial viscoelasticity at physiological temperature (37°C). We find that OM only increases myocardial contractility at submaximal Ca2+ activation levels and not maximal Ca2+ activation levels. As [OM] increased, the kinetic rate constants for cross-bridge recruitment and detachment slowed for both submaximal and maximal Ca2+-activated conditions. These findings support a mechanism by which OM increases cardiac contractility at physiological temperature via increasing cross-bridge contributions to thin-filament activation as cross-bridge kinetics slow and the duration of cross-bridge attachment increases. Thus, force only increases at submaximal Ca2+ activation due to cooperative recruitment of neighboring cross-bridges, because thin-filament activation is not already saturated. In contrast, OM does not increase myocardial force production for maximal Ca2+-activated conditions at physiological temperature because cooperative activation of thin filaments may already be saturated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thinh T Kieu
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience
| | | | - Bertrand C W Tanner
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience; Washington Center for Muscle Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.
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16
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van der Velden J, Stienen GJM. Cardiac Disorders and Pathophysiology of Sarcomeric Proteins. Physiol Rev 2019; 99:381-426. [PMID: 30379622 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00040.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The sarcomeric proteins represent the structural building blocks of heart muscle, which are essential for contraction and relaxation. During recent years, it has become evident that posttranslational modifications of sarcomeric proteins, in particular phosphorylation, tune cardiac pump function at rest and during exercise. This delicate, orchestrated interaction is also influenced by mutations, predominantly in sarcomeric proteins, which cause hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy. In this review, we follow a bottom-up approach starting from a description of the basic components of cardiac muscle at the molecular level up to the various forms of cardiac disorders at the organ level. An overview is given of sarcomere changes in acquired and inherited forms of cardiac disease and the underlying disease mechanisms with particular reference to human tissue. A distinction will be made between the primary defect and maladaptive/adaptive secondary changes. Techniques used to unravel functional consequences of disease-induced protein changes are described, and an overview of current and future treatments targeted at sarcomeric proteins is given. The current evidence presented suggests that sarcomeres not only form the basis of cardiac muscle function but also represent a therapeutic target to combat cardiac disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolanda van der Velden
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Physiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam , The Netherlands ; and Department of Physiology, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Ger J M Stienen
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Physiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam , The Netherlands ; and Department of Physiology, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
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17
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Woody MS, Greenberg MJ, Barua B, Winkelmann DA, Goldman YE, Ostap EM. Positive cardiac inotrope omecamtiv mecarbil activates muscle despite suppressing the myosin working stroke. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3838. [PMID: 30242219 PMCID: PMC6155018 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06193-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) is a positive cardiac inotrope in phase-3 clinical trials for treatment of heart failure. Although initially described as a direct myosin activator, subsequent studies are at odds with this description and do not explain OM-mediated increases in cardiac performance. Here we show, via single-molecule, biophysical experiments on cardiac myosin, that OM suppresses myosin's working stroke and prolongs actomyosin attachment 5-fold, which explains inhibitory actions of the drug observed in vitro. OM also causes the actin-detachment rate to become independent of both applied load and ATP concentration. Surprisingly, increased myocardial force output in the presence of OM can be explained by cooperative thin-filament activation by OM-inhibited myosin molecules. Selective suppression of myosin is an unanticipated route to muscle activation that may guide future development of therapeutic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Woody
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 700A Clinical Research Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6085, USA
| | - Michael J Greenberg
- Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 700A Clinical Research Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6085, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, 63110, MO, USA
| | - Bipasha Barua
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, 675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Donald A Winkelmann
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, 675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Yale E Goldman
- Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 700A Clinical Research Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6085, USA.
| | - E Michael Ostap
- Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 700A Clinical Research Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6085, USA.
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18
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Reda SM, Chandra M. Cardiomyopathy mutation (F88L) in troponin T abolishes length dependency of myofilament Ca 2+ sensitivity. J Gen Physiol 2018; 150:809-819. [PMID: 29776992 PMCID: PMC5987878 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201711974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The F88L mutation in cardiac troponin T (TnTF88L) is associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Reda and Chandra reveal that it abolishes length-mediated increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and attenuates cooperative mechanisms governing length-dependent activation. Recent clinical studies have revealed a new hypertrophic cardiomyopathy–associated mutation (F87L) in the central region of human cardiac troponin T (TnT). However, despite its implication in several incidences of sudden cardiac death in young and old adults, whether F87L is associated with cardiac contractile dysfunction is unknown. Because the central region of TnT is important for modulating the muscle length–mediated recruitment of new force-bearing cross-bridges (XBs), we hypothesize that the F87L mutation causes molecular changes that are linked to the length-dependent activation of cardiac myofilaments. Length-dependent activation is important because it contributes significantly to the Frank–Starling mechanism, which enables the heart to vary stroke volume as a function of changes in venous return. We measured steady-state and dynamic contractile parameters in detergent-skinned guinea pig cardiac muscle fibers reconstituted with recombinant guinea pig wild-type TnT (TnTWT) or the guinea pig analogue (TnTF88L) of the human mutation at two different sarcomere lengths (SLs): short (1.9 µm) and long (2.3 µm). TnTF88L increases pCa50 (−log [Ca2+]free required for half-maximal activation) to a greater extent at short SL than at long SL; for example, pCa50 increases by 0.25 pCa units at short SL and 0.17 pCa units at long SL. The greater increase in pCa50 at short SL leads to the abolishment of the SL-dependent increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity (ΔpCa50) in TnTF88L fibers, ΔpCa50 being 0.10 units in TnTWT fibers but only 0.02 units in TnTF88L fibers. Furthermore, at short SL, TnTF88L attenuates the negative impact of strained XBs on force-bearing XBs and augments the magnitude of muscle length–mediated recruitment of new force-bearing XBs. Our findings suggest that the TnTF88L-mediated effects on cardiac thin filaments may lead to a negative impact on the Frank–Starling mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherif M Reda
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
| | - Murali Chandra
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
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