Myosin binding protein-C and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: role of altered C10 domain

South Asian-Specific MYBPC3 Δ25bp Deletion Carriers Display Hypercontraction and Impaired Diastolic Function Under Exercise Stress

Background: A 25-base pair (25bp) intronic deletion in the MYBPC3 gene enriched in South Asians (SAs) is a risk allele for late-onset left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, hypertrophy, and heart failure (HF) with several forms of cardiomyopathy. However, the effect of this variant on exercise parameters has not been evaluated. Methods: As a pilot study, 10 asymptomatic SA carriers of the MYBPC3 Δ25bp variant (52.9 ± 2.14 years) and 10 age- and gender-matched non-carriers (NCs) (50.1 ± 2.7 years) were evaluated at baseline and under exercise stress conditions using bicycle exercise echocardiography and continuous cardiac monitoring. Results: Baseline echocardiography parameters were not different between the two groups. However, in response to exercise stress, the carriers of Δ25bp had significantly higher LV ejection fraction (%) (CI: 4.57 ± 1.93; p < 0.0001), LV outflow tract peak velocity (m/s) (CI: 0.19 ± 0.07; p < 0.0001), and higher aortic valve (AV) peak velocity (m/s) (CI: 0.103 ± 0.08; p = 0.01) in comparison to NCs, and E/A ratio, a marker of diastolic compliance, was significantly lower in Δ25bp carriers (CI: 0.107 ± 0.102; p = 0.038). Interestingly, LV end-diastolic diameter (LVIDdia) was augmented in NCs in response to stress, while it did not increase in Δ25bp carriers (CI: 0.239 ± 0.125; p = 0.0002). Further, stress-induced right ventricular systolic excursion velocity s' (m/s), as a marker of right ventricle function, increased similarly in both groups, but tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion increased more in carriers (slope: 0.008; p = 0.0001), suggesting right ventricle functional differences between the two groups. Conclusions: These data support that MYBPC3 Δ25bp is associated with LV hypercontraction under stress conditions with evidence of diastolic impairment.

Osteomodulin is a Potential Genetic Target for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is one of the most common genetic heart diseases. Its features include abnormal cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, microvascular dysfunction, and increased accumulation of intercellular matrix. We aim to unravel genes associated with the pathogenesis of HCM and provide a potential target for diagnosis and treatment. Key modules were identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). A miRNA-mRNA network was constructed with the predicted miRNA and the most likely hub gene was screened out for gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The diagnostic capacity of hub gene was verified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Single-cell sequencing (sc-RNA seq) data of normal adult hearts were used to further predict the specific cell types expressing the hub gene. WGCNA assigned genes into different modules and found that the genes contained in the red module had the strongest positive correlation with HCM disease. 2.5% of the genes were common between DEG and hub genes. With the miRNA-mRNA network, osteomodulin (OMD) was identified as the most potential hub gene. GSEA showed that OMD was mainly involved in the synthesis of extracellular matrix and had a certain inhibitory effect on the immune system. The expression of OMD in HCM was validated and ROC curve analysis showed that OMD could distinguish HCM from controls with the area under the curve (AUC) > 0.7. The sc-RNA seq revealed that OMD was mainly expressed in the later stages of cardiac fibroblasts, suggesting that OMD may have an effect on fibroblasts, participating in the pathogenesis of HCM. OMD may serve as a biomarker and therapeutic target for HCM in the future.

Genetic, clinical, molecular, and pathogenic aspects of the South Asian-specific polymorphic MYBPC3Δ25bp variant

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a cardiac genetic disease characterized by ventricular enlargement, diastolic dysfunction, and increased risk for sudden cardiac death. Sarcomeric genetic defects are the predominant known cause of HCM. In particular, mutations in the myosin-binding protein C gene (MYBPC3) are associated with ~ 40% of all HCM cases in which a genetic basis has been established. A decade ago, our group reported a 25-base pair deletion in intron 32 of MYBPC3 (MYBPC3Δ25bp) that is uniquely prevalent in South Asians and is associated with autosomal dominant cardiomyopathy. Although our studies suggest that this deletion results in left ventricular dysfunction, cardiomyopathies, and heart failure, the precise mechanism by which this variant predisposes to heart disease remains unclear. Increasingly appreciated, however, is the contribution of secondary risk factors, additional mutations, and lifestyle choices in augmenting or modifying the HCM phenotype in MYBPC3Δ25bp carriers. Therefore, the goal of this review article is to summarize the current research dedicated to understanding the molecular pathophysiology of HCM in South Asians with the MYBPC3Δ25bp variant. An emphasis is to review the latest techniques currently applied to explore the MYBPC3Δ25bp pathogenesis and to provide a foundation for developing new diagnostic strategies and advances in therapeutics.

Human-induced pluripotent stem cells for modelling metabolic perturbations and impaired bioenergetics underlying cardiomyopathies

Normal cardiac contractile and relaxation functions are critically dependent on a continuous energy supply. Accordingly, metabolic perturbations and impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics with subsequent disruption of ATP production underpin a wide variety of cardiac diseases, including diabetic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, anthracycline cardiomyopathy, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and mitochondrial cardiomyopathies. Crucially, there are no specific treatments for preventing the onset or progression of these cardiomyopathies to heart failure, one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Therefore, new treatments are needed to target the metabolic disturbances and impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics underlying these cardiomyopathies in order to improve health outcomes in these patients. However, investigation of the underlying mechanisms and the identification of novel therapeutic targets have been hampered by the lack of appropriate animal disease models. Furthermore, interspecies variation precludes the use of animal models for studying certain disorders, whereas patient-derived primary cell lines have limited lifespan and availability. Fortunately, the discovery of human-induced pluripotent stem cells has provided a promising tool for modelling cardiomyopathies via human heart tissue in a dish. In this review article, we highlight the use of patient-derived iPSCs for studying the pathogenesis underlying cardiomyopathies associated with metabolic perturbations and impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics, as the ability of iPSCs for self-renewal and differentiation makes them an ideal platform for investigating disease pathogenesis in a controlled in vitro environment. Continuing progress will help elucidate novel mechanistic pathways, and discover novel therapies for preventing the onset and progression of heart failure, thereby advancing a new era of personalized therapeutics for improving health outcomes in patients with cardiomyopathy.