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Joyce W, Ripley DM, Gillis T, Black AC, Shiels HA, Hoffmann FG. A Revised Perspective on the Evolution of Troponin I and Troponin T Gene Families in Vertebrates. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 15:6904147. [PMID: 36518048 PMCID: PMC9825255 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac173] [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: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The troponin (Tn) complex, responsible for the Ca2+ activation of striated muscle, is composed of three interacting protein subunits: TnC, TnI, and TnT, encoded by TNNC, TNNI, and TNNT genes. TNNI and TNNT are sister gene families, and in mammals the three TNNI paralogs (TNNI1, TNNI2, TNNI3), which encode proteins with tissue-specific expression, are each in close genomic proximity with one of the three TNNT paralogs (TNNT2, TNNT3, TNNT1, respectively). It has been widely presumed that all vertebrates broadly possess genes of these same three classes, although earlier work has overlooked jawless fishes (cyclostomes) and cartilaginous fishes (chimeras, rays, and sharks), which are distantly related to other jawed vertebrates. With a new phylogenetic and synteny analysis of a diverse array of vertebrates including these taxonomic groups, we define five distinct TNNI classes (TNNI1-5), with TNNI4 and TNNI5 being only present in non-amniote vertebrates and typically found in tandem, and four classes of TNNT (TNNT1-4). These genes are located in four genomic loci that were generated by the 2R whole-genome duplications. TNNI3, encoding "cardiac TnI" in tetrapods, was independently lost in cartilaginous and ray-finned fishes. Instead, ray-finned fishes predominantly express TNNI1 in the heart. TNNI5 is highly expressed in shark hearts and contains a N-terminal extension similar to that of TNNI3 found in tetrapod hearts. Given that TNNI3 and TNNI5 are distantly related, this supports the hypothesis that the N-terminal extension may be an ancestral feature of vertebrate TNNI and not an innovation unique to TNNI3, as has been commonly believed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel M Ripley
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Todd Gillis
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Amanda Coward Black
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi 39762, USA
| | - Holly A Shiels
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
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Rasmussen M, Feng HZ, Jin JP. Evolution of the N-Terminal Regulation of Cardiac Troponin I for Heart Function of Tetrapods: Lungfish Presents an Example of the Emergence of Novel Submolecular Structure to Lead the Capacity of Adaptation. J Mol Evol 2022; 90:30-43. [PMID: 34966949 PMCID: PMC10926322 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-021-10039-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Troponin-based Ca2+ regulation of striated muscle contraction emerged approximately 700 million years ago with largely conserved functions during evolution. Troponin I (TnI) is the inhibitory subunit of troponin and has evolved into three muscle type-specific isoforms in vertebrates. Cardiac TnI is specifically expressed in the adult heart and has a unique N-terminal extension implicating a specific value during natural selection. The N-terminal extension of cardiac TnI in higher vertebrates contains β-adrenergic-regulated protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylation sites as a mechanism to enhance cardiac muscle relaxation and facilitate ventricular filling. Phylogenic studies showed that the N-terminal extension of cardiac TnI first emerged in the genomes of early tetrapods as well as primordial lobe-finned fishes such as the coelacanth whereas it is absent in ray-finned fish. This apparently rapid evolution of β-adrenergic regulation of cardiac function suggests a high selection value for the heart of vertebrate animals on land to work under higher metabolic demands. Sequencing and PKA phosphorylation data showed that lungfish cardiac TnI has evolved with an amphibian-like N-terminal extension with prototype PKA phosphorylation sites while its overall structure remained fish like. The data demonstrate that the submolecular structure of TnI may evolve ahead of the whole protein for cardiac muscle contractility to adapt to new environmental conditions. Understanding the evolution of the β-adrenergic regulation of TnI and cardiac adaptation to the increased energetic demands of life on land adds knowledge for the treatment of human heart diseases and failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Rasmussen
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Han-Zhong Feng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - J-P Jin
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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Sears EJ, Gillis TE. A functional comparison of cardiac troponin C from representatives of three vertebrate taxa: Linking phylogeny and protein function. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2016; 202:8-15. [PMID: 27453566 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The Ca2+ affinity of cardiac troponin C (cTnC) from rainbow trout is significantly greater than that of cTnC from mammalian species. This high affinity is thought to enable cardiac function in trout at low physiological temperatures and is due to residues Asn2, Ile28, Gln29, and Asp30 (Gillis et al., 2005, Physiol Genomics, 22, 1-7). Interestingly, the cTnC of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis (frog cTnC) contains Gln29 and Asp30 but the residues at positions 2 and 28 are those found in all mammalian cTnC isoforms (Asp2 and Val28). The purpose of this study was to determine the Ca2+ affinity of frog cTnC, and to determine how these three protein orthologs influence the function of complete troponin complexes. Measurements of Ca2+ affinity and the rate of Ca2+ dissociation from the cTnC isoforms and cTn complexes were made by monitoring the fluorescence of anilinonapthalenesulfote iodoacetamide (IAANS) engineered into the cTnC isoforms to report changes in protein conformation. The results demonstrate that the Ca2+ affinity of frog cTnC is greater than that of trout cTnC and human cTnC. We also found that replacing human cTnC with frog cTnC in a mammalian cTn complex increased the Ca2+ affinity of the complex by 5-fold, which is also greater than complexes containing trout cTnC. Together these results suggest that frog cTnC has the potential to increase the Ca2+ sensitivity of force generation by the mammalian heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Sears
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; Cardiovasclar Research Center, University of Guelph, Canada
| | - Todd E Gillis
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; Cardiovasclar Research Center, University of Guelph, Canada.
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Cheng Y, Regnier M. Cardiac troponin structure-function and the influence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy associated mutations on modulation of contractility. Arch Biochem Biophys 2016; 601:11-21. [PMID: 26851561 PMCID: PMC4899195 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2015] [Revised: 01/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac troponin (cTn) acts as a pivotal regulator of muscle contraction and relaxation and is composed of three distinct subunits (cTnC: a highly conserved Ca(2+) binding subunit, cTnI: an actomyosin ATPase inhibitory subunit, and cTnT: a tropomyosin binding subunit). In this mini-review, we briefly summarize the structure-function relationship of cTn and its subunits, its modulation by PKA-mediated phosphorylation of cTnI, and what is known about how these properties are altered by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) associated mutations of cTnI. This includes recent work using computational modeling approaches to understand the atomic-based structural level basis of disease-associated mutations. We propose a viewpoint that it is alteration of cTnC-cTnI interaction (rather than the Ca(2+) binding properties of cTn) per se that disrupt the ability of PKA-mediated phosphorylation at cTnI Ser-23/24 to alter contraction and relaxation in at least some HCM-associated mutations. The combination of state of the art biophysical approaches can provide new insight on the structure-function mechanisms of contractile dysfunction resulting cTnI mutations and exciting new avenues for the diagnosis, prevention, and even treatment of heart diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhua Cheng
- University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michael Regnier
- University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Sheng JJ, Jin JP. TNNI1, TNNI2 and TNNI3: Evolution, regulation, and protein structure-function relationships. Gene 2015; 576:385-94. [PMID: 26526134 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.10.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Revised: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Troponin I (TnI) is the inhibitory subunit of the troponin complex in the sarcomeric thin filament of striated muscle and plays a central role in the calcium regulation of contraction and relaxation. Vertebrate TnI has evolved into three isoforms encoded by three homologous genes: TNNI1 for slow skeletal muscle TnI, TNNI2 for fast skeletal muscle TnI and TNNI3 for cardiac TnI, which are expressed under muscle type-specific and developmental regulations. To summarize the current knowledge on the TnI isoform genes and products, this review focuses on the evolution, gene regulation, posttranslational modifications, and structure-function relationship of TnI isoform proteins. Their physiological and medical significances are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan-Juan Sheng
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Jian-Ping Jin
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
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Thompson BR, Houang EM, Sham YY, Metzger JM. Molecular determinants of cardiac myocyte performance as conferred by isoform-specific TnI residues. Biophys J 2014; 106:2105-14. [PMID: 24853739 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2014.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Revised: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Troponin I (TnI) is the molecular switch of the sarcomere. Cardiac myocytes express two isoforms of TnI during development. The fetal heart expresses the slow skeletal TnI (ssTnI) isoform and shortly after birth ssTnI is completely and irreversibly replaced by the adult cardiac TnI (cTnI) isoform. These two isoforms have important functional differences; broadly, ssTnI is a positive inotrope, especially under acidic/hypoxic conditions, whereas cTnI facilitates faster relaxation performance. Evolutionary directed changes in cTnI sequence suggest cTnI evolved to favor relaxation performance in the mammalian heart. To investigate the mechanism, we focused on several notable TnI isoform and trans-species-specific residues located in TnI's helix 4 using structure/function and molecular dynamics analyses. Gene transduction of adult cardiac myocytes by cTnIs with specific helix 4 ssTnI substitutions, Q157R/A164H/E166V/H173N (QAEH), and A164H/H173N (AH), were investigated. cTnI QAEH is similar in these four residues to ssTnI and nonmammalian chordate cTnIs, whereas cTnI AH is similar to fish cTnI in these four residues. In comparison to mammalian cTnI, cTnI QAEH and cTnI AH showed increased contractility and slowed relaxation, which functionally mimicked ssTnI expressing myocytes. cTnI QAEH molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated altered intermolecular interactions between TnI helix 4 and cTnC helix A, specifically revealing a new, to our knowledge, electrostatic interaction between R171of cTnI and E15 of cTnC, which structurally phenocopied the ssTnI conformation. Free energy perturbation calculation of cTnC Ca(2+) binding for these conformations showed relative increased calcium binding for cTnI QAEH compared to cTnI. Taken together, to our knowledge, these new findings provide evidence that the evolutionary-directed coordinated acquisition of residues Q157, A164, E166, H173 facilitate enhanced relaxation performance in mammalian adult cardiac myocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R Thompson
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Evelyne M Houang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Center for Drug Design, University of Minnesota Academic Health Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Yuk Y Sham
- Center for Drug Design, University of Minnesota Academic Health Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Joseph M Metzger
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Robertson IM, Pineda-Sanabria SE, Holmes PC, Sykes BD. Conformation of the critical pH sensitive region of troponin depends upon a single residue in troponin I. Arch Biochem Biophys 2014; 552-553:40-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2013.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2013] [Revised: 11/18/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Sheng JJ, Jin JP. Gene regulation, alternative splicing, and posttranslational modification of troponin subunits in cardiac development and adaptation: a focused review. Front Physiol 2014; 5:165. [PMID: 24817852 PMCID: PMC4012202 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Troponin plays a central role in regulating the contraction and relaxation of vertebrate striated muscles. This review focuses on the isoform gene regulation, alternative RNA splicing, and posttranslational modifications of troponin subunits in cardiac development and adaptation. Transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulations such as phosphorylation and proteolysis modifications, and structure-function relationships of troponin subunit proteins are summarized. The physiological and pathophysiological significances are discussed for impacts on cardiac muscle contractility, heart function, and adaptations in health and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan-Juan Sheng
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Jian-Ping Jin
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine Detroit, MI, USA
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Johnston EF, Alderman SL, Gillis TE. Chronic hypoxia exposure of trout embryos alters swimming performance and cardiac gene expression in larvae. Physiol Biochem Zool 2013; 86:567-75. [PMID: 23995487 DOI: 10.1086/672012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Hypoxia exposure during embryonic development of rainbow trout causes developmental delay and bradycardia and alters the ontogeny of cardiac regulatory control mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to characterize how hypoxia exposure from the day of fertilization until stage 34 (57 d postfertilization) affects the aerobic fitness and growth of the hatched fish at multiple stages. In addition, we characterized the expression of gene transcripts for seven troponin I (TnI) isoforms to examine the effect of hypoxia treatment on cardiac muscle development. Results demonstrate that the critical swimming speed of the hypoxia-exposed fish was significantly less than that of the control group at stage 35 and the fry stage. Growth was reduced in the hypoxia-treated fish between stages 35 and 37, as was the relative lipid content at stage 37. Finally, six TnI isoforms were found in all hearts. One of these isoforms, RTcTnI, decreased in abundance between stage 35 and the fry stage, but hypoxia-exposed fish had higher levels than did controls at the fry stage. The abundance of AScTnI2 was significantly lower in hypoxia-exposed fry fish than in controls. These results indicate that chronic hypoxia exposure during embryonic development has long-term consequences on aerobic fitness, growth, and cardiac gene expression following hatch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth F Johnston
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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Alderman SL, Klaiman JM, Deck CA, Gillis TE. Effect of cold acclimation on troponin I isoform expression in striated muscle of rainbow trout. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2012; 303:R168-76. [DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00127.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates each of the three striated muscle types (fast skeletal, slow skeletal, and cardiac) contain distinct isoforms of a number of different contractile proteins including troponin I (TnI). The functional characteristics of these proteins have a significant influence on muscle function and contractility. The purpose of this study was to characterize which TnI gene and protein isoforms are expressed in the different muscle types of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) and to determine whether isoform expression changes in response to cold acclimation (4°C). Semiquantitative real-time PCR was used to characterize the expression of seven different TnI genes. The sequence of these genes, cloned from Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar) and rainbow trout, were obtained from the National Center for Biotechnology Information databases. One-dimensional gel electrophoresis and tandem mass spectrometry were used to identify the TnI protein isoforms expressed in each muscle type. Interestingly, the results indicate that each muscle type expresses the gene transcripts of up to seven TnI isoforms. There are significant differences, however, in the expression pattern of these genes between muscle types. In addition, cold acclimation was found to increase the expression of specific gene transcripts in each muscle type. The proteomics analysis demonstrates that fast skeletal and cardiac muscle contain three TnI isoforms, whereas slow skeletal muscle contains four. No other vertebrate muscle to date has been found to express as many TnI protein isoforms. Overall this study underscores the complex molecular composition of teleost striated muscle and suggests there is an adaptive value to the unique TnI profiles of each muscle type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Alderman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jordan M. Klaiman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Courtney A. Deck
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Todd E. Gillis
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Gillis TE, Klaiman JM. The influence of PKA treatment on the Ca2+ activation of force generation by trout cardiac muscle. J Exp Biol 2011; 214:1989-96. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.052084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
β-Adrenergic stimulation of the mammalian heart increases heart rate, the strength of contraction as well as the kinetics of force generation and relaxation. These effects are due to the phosphorylation of select membrane and thin filament proteins by cAMP-activated protein kinase (PKA). At the level of the sarcomere, it is typically the phosphorylation of cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) that is responsible for the change in the kinetics of contraction and relaxation. Trout cTnI (ScTnI) lacks two critical PKA targets within the N-terminus of the protein that, when phosphorylated in mammalian cTnI, cause a reduction in myofilament Ca2+ affinity. To determine what role the contractile element plays in the response of the trout heart to β-adrenergic stimulation, we characterized the influence of PKA treatment on the Ca2+ activation of skinned preparations dissected from ventricular trabeculae. In these experiments, isometric force generation and the rate of force development were measured over a range of Ca2+ concentrations. The results demonstrate that PKA treatment does not influence the Ca2+ sensitivity of force generation but it decreases maximum force generation by 25% and the rate of force re-development at maximal activation by 46%. Analysis of the trabeculae preparations for phosphoproteins revealed that PKA treatment phosphorylated myosin light chain 2 but not cTnI or cMyBP-C. These results indicate that the function of the trout cardiac contractile element is altered by PKA phosphorylation but in a manner different from that in mammalian heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd E. Gillis
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - Jordan M. Klaiman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
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