1
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Zhang H, Zhan Q, Huang B, Wang Y, Wang X. AAV-mediated gene therapy: Advancing cardiovascular disease treatment. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:952755. [PMID: 36061546 PMCID: PMC9437345 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.952755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy has revolutionized the field of medicine, offering new hope for those with common and rare diseases. For nearly three decades, adeno-associated virus (AAV) has shown significant therapeutic benefits in multiple clinical trials, mainly due to its unique replication defects and non-pathogenicity in humans. In the field of cardiovascular disease (CVD), compared with non-viral vectors, lentiviruses, poxviruses, and adenovirus vectors, AAV possesses several advantages, including high security, low immunogenicity, sustainable and stable exogenous gene expression etc., which makes AAV one of the most promising candidates for the treatment of many genetic disorders and hereditary diseases. In this review, we evaluate the current information on the immune responses, transport pathways, and mechanisms of action associated with AAV-based CVD gene therapies and further explore potential optimization strategies to improve the efficiency of AAV transduction for the improved safety and efficiency of CVD treatment. In conclusion, AAV-mediated gene therapy has great potential for development in the cardiovascular system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huili Zhang
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
- Oncology Department, Zhejiang Xiaoshan HospitaI, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qi Zhan
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Biao Huang
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yigang Wang
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
- Yigang Wang
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- Oncology Department, Zhejiang Xiaoshan HospitaI, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaoyan Wang
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2
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Vahabi N, McDonough CW, Desai AA, Cavallari LH, Duarte JD, Michailidis G. Cox-sMBPLS: An Algorithm for Disease Survival Prediction and Multi-Omics Module Discovery Incorporating Cis-Regulatory Quantitative Effects. Front Genet 2021; 12:701405. [PMID: 34408773 PMCID: PMC8366414 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.701405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The development of high-throughput techniques has enabled profiling a large number of biomolecules across a number of molecular compartments. The challenge then becomes to integrate such multimodal Omics data to gain insights into biological processes and disease onset and progression mechanisms. Further, given the high dimensionality of such data, incorporating prior biological information on interactions between molecular compartments when developing statistical models for data integration is beneficial, especially in settings involving a small number of samples. Results We develop a supervised model for time to event data (e.g., death, biochemical recurrence) that simultaneously accounts for redundant information within Omics profiles and leverages prior biological associations between them through a multi-block PLS framework. The interactions between data from different molecular compartments (e.g., epigenome, transcriptome, methylome, etc.) were captured by using cis-regulatory quantitative effects in the proposed model. The model, coined Cox-sMBPLS, exhibits superior prediction performance and improved feature selection based on both simulation studies and analysis of data from heart failure patients. Conclusion The proposed supervised Cox-sMBPLS model can effectively incorporate prior biological information in the survival prediction system, leading to improved prediction performance and feature selection. It also enables the identification of multi-Omics modules of biomolecules that impact the patients’ survival probability and also provides insights into potential relevant risk factors that merit further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasim Vahabi
- Informatics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Caitrin W McDonough
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, Center for Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Ankit A Desai
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Larisa H Cavallari
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, Center for Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Julio D Duarte
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, Center for Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - George Michailidis
- Informatics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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3
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Tao Y, Yue M, Lv C, Yun X, Qiao S, Fang Y, Wei Z, Xia Y, Dai Y. Pharmacological activation of ERβ by arctigenin maintains the integrity of intestinal epithelial barrier in inflammatory bowel diseases. FASEB J 2019; 34:3069-3090. [PMID: 31908053 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201901638rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction is deeply involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Arctigenin, the main active constituent in Fructus Arctii (a traditional Chinese medicine), has previously been found to attenuate colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in mice. The present study investigated whether and how arctigenin protects against the disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier in IBD. Arctigenin maintained the intestinal epithelial barrier function of mice with DSS- and TNBS-induced colitis. In Caco-2 and HT-29 cells, arctigenin lowered the monolayer permeability, increased TEER, reversed the abnormal expression of tight junction proteins, and restored the altered localization of F-actin induced by TNF-α and IL-1β. The specific antagonist PHTPP or shRNA of ERβ largely weakened the protective effect of arctigenin on the epithelial barrier function of Caco-2 and HT-29 cells. Molecular docking demonstrated that arctigenin had high affinity for ERβ mainly through hydrogen bonds as well as hydrophobic effects, and the protective effect of arctigenin on the intestinal barrier function was largely diminished in ERβ-mutated (ARG346 and/or GLU305) Caco-2 cells. Moreover, arctigenin-blocked TNF-α induced increase of the monolayer permeability in Caco-2 and HT-29 cells and the activation of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK)/myosin light chain (MLC) pathway in an ERβ-dependent manner. ERβ deletion in colons of mice with DSS-induced colitis resulted in a significant attenuation of the protective effect of arctigenin on the barrier integrity and colon inflammation. Arctigenin maintained the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier under IBD by upregulating the expression of tight junction proteins through the ERβ-MLCK/MLC pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Tao
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mengfan Yue
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Changjun Lv
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinming Yun
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Simiao Qiao
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yulai Fang
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhifeng Wei
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yufeng Xia
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Dai
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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4
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Arvanitis DA, Vafiadaki E, Johnson DM, Kranias EG, Sanoudou D. The Histidine-Rich Calcium Binding Protein in Regulation of Cardiac Rhythmicity. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1379. [PMID: 30319456 PMCID: PMC6171002 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sudden unexpected cardiac death (SCD) accounts for up to half of all-cause mortality of heart failure patients. Standardized cardiology tools such as electrocardiography, cardiac imaging, electrophysiological and serum biomarkers cannot accurately predict which patients are at risk of life-threatening arrhythmic episodes. Recently, a common variant of the histidine-rich calcium binding protein (HRC), the Ser96Ala, was identified as a potent biomarker of malignant arrhythmia triggering in these patients. HRC has been shown to be involved in the regulation of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ cycling, by binding and storing Ca2+ in the SR, as well as interacting with the SR Ca2+ uptake and release complexes. The underlying mechanisms, elucidated by studies at the molecular, biochemical, cellular and intact animal levels, indicate that transversion of Ser96 to Ala results in abolishment of an HRC phosphorylation site by Fam20C kinase and dysregulation of SR Ca2+ cycling. This is mediated through aberrant SR Ca2+ release by the ryanodine receptor (RyR2) quaternary complex, due to the impaired HRC/triadin interaction, and depressed SR Ca2+ uptake by the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA2) pump, due to the impaired HRC/SERCA2 interaction. Pharmacological intervention with KN-93, an inhibitor of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), in the HRC Ser96Ala mouse model, reduced the occurrence of malignant cardiac arrhythmias. Herein, we summarize the current evidence on the pivotal role of HRC in the regulation of cardiac rhythmicity and the importance of HRC Ser96Ala as a genetic modifier for arrhythmias in the setting of heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demetrios A Arvanitis
- Molecular Biology Division, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Elizabeth Vafiadaki
- Molecular Biology Division, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Daniel M Johnson
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Evangelia G Kranias
- Molecular Biology Division, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.,Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Despina Sanoudou
- Molecular Biology Division, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.,Clinical Genomics and Pharmacogenomics Unit, 4th Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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5
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Mechanical stresses induce paracrine β-2 microglobulin from cardiomyocytes to activate cardiac fibroblasts through epidermal growth factor receptor. Clin Sci (Lond) 2018; 132:1855-1874. [PMID: 30072448 DOI: 10.1042/cs20180486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
By employing a proteomic analysis on supernatant of mechanically stretched cardiomyocytes, we found that stretch induced a significantly high level of β-2 microglobulin (β2M), a non-glycosylated protein, which is related to inflammatory diseases but rarely known in cardiovascular diseases. The present data showed that serum β2M level was increased in patients with hypertension and further increased in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) as compared with control group, and the high level of serum β2M level correlated to cardiac dysfunction in these patients. In pressure overload mice model by transverse aortic constriction (TAC), β2M levels in serum and heart tissue increased progressively in a time-dependent manner. Exogenous β2M showed pro-fibrotic effects in cultured cardiac fibroblasts but few effects in cardiomyocytes. Adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9)-mediated knockdown of β2M significantly reduced cardiac β2M level and inhibited myocardial fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction but not cardiac hypertrophy at 4 weeks after TAC. In vitro, mechanical stretch induced the rapid secretion of β2M mainly from cardiomyocytes by activation of extracellular-regulated protein kinase (ERK). Conditional medium (CM) from mechanically stretched cardiomyocytes activated cultured cardiac fibroblasts, and the effect was partly abolished by CM from β2M-knockdown cardiomyocytes. In vivo, knockdown of β2M inhibited the increase in phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) induced by TAC. In cultured cardiac fibroblasts, inhibition of EGFR significantly attenuated the β2M-induced the activation of EGFR and pro-fibrotic responses. The present study suggests that β2M is a paracrine pro-fibrotic mediator and associated with cardiac dysfunction in response to pressure overload.
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6
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Jin L, Piao ZH, Sun S, Liu B, Ryu Y, Choi SY, Kim GR, Kim HS, Kee HJ, Jeong MH. Gallic acid attenuates pulmonary fibrosis in a mouse model of transverse aortic contraction-induced heart failure. Vascul Pharmacol 2017; 99:74-82. [PMID: 29097327 DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2017.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Gallic acid, a trihydroxybenzoic acid found in tea and other plants, attenuates cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and hypertension in animal models. However, the role of gallic acid in heart failure remains unknown. In this study, we show that gallic acid administration prevents heart failure-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Heart failure induced in mice, 8weeks after transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery, was confirmed by echocardiography. Treatment for 2weeks with gallic acid but not furosemide prevented cardiac dysfunction in mice. Gallic acid significantly inhibited TAC-induced pathological changes in the lungs, such as increased lung mass, pulmonary fibrosis, and damaged alveolar morphology. It also decreased the expression of fibrosis-related genes, including collagen types I and III, fibronectin, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and phosphorylated Smad3. Further, it inhibited the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes, such as N-cadherin, vimentin, E-cadherin, SNAI1, and TWIST1. We suggest that gallic acid has therapeutic potential for the treatment of heart failure-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Jin
- Heart Research Center of Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea; Jilin Hospital Affiliated with Jilin University, 4 Nanjing street, Chuanying, Jilin 132011, China
| | - Zhe Hao Piao
- The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130041, China
| | - Simei Sun
- Heart Research Center of Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Bin Liu
- The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130041, China
| | - Yuhee Ryu
- Heart Research Center of Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Sin Young Choi
- Heart Research Center of Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwi Ran Kim
- Heart Research Center of Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Seok Kim
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Jin Kee
- Heart Research Center of Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea.
| | - Myung Ho Jeong
- Heart Research Center of Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea.
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7
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Liu J, Li M, Gong J, Han P, Wang Y, Li D, Tian D, Liao J. Knockdown of histidine-rich calcium-binding protein (HRC) suppresses liver fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells. Biol Open 2017; 6:29-34. [PMID: 27881436 PMCID: PMC5278420 DOI: 10.1242/bio.019828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The histidine-rich calcium-binding protein (HRC) is a regulator of Ca2+ homeostasis and it plays a significant role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. However, the relationship between HRC and liver fibrogenesis is still unknown. Our data demonstrates that HRC was upregulated in fibrotic liver and activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). TGF-β treatment increased α-SMA and HRC expression dose-dependently in HSCs. Repression of HRC reduced α-SMA, CTGF and collagen expression, and inhibited HSC proliferation and migration. In addition, we found that the anti-fibrosis effect of HRC knockdown was associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Silencing of HRC decreased the expression of ER stress and autophagy markers. Moreover, ER stress agonist thapsigargin (TG) enhanced, whereas ER stress antagonist 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) alleviated HSCs activation and autophagy. In conclusion, these data indicate that depletion of HRC inhibited HSC activation through the ER stress pathway, and HRC may be a potential regulator of liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingmei Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Mengke Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, Zhoushan Hospital, Zhoushan 316000, China
| | - Jin Gong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Ping Han
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yunwu Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Dongxiao Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Dean Tian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Jiazhi Liao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
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8
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Rani S, Park CS, Sreenivasaiah PK, Kim DH. Characterization of Ca(2+)-Dependent Protein-Protein Interactions within the Ca(2+) Release Units of Cardiac Sarcoplasmic Reticulum. Mol Cells 2016; 39:149-55. [PMID: 26674963 PMCID: PMC4757803 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2016.2284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the heart, excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling is mediated by Ca(2+) release from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) through the interactions of proteins forming the Ca(2+) release unit (CRU). Among them, calsequestrin (CSQ) and histidine-rich Ca(2+) binding protein (HRC) are known to bind the charged luminal region of triadin (TRN) and thus directly or indirectly regulate ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) activity. However, the mechanisms of CSQ and HRC mediated regulation of RyR2 activity through TRN have remained unclear. We first examined the minimal KEKE motif of TRN involved in the interactions with CSQ2, HRC and RyR2 using TRN deletion mutants and in vitro binding assays. The results showed that CSQ2, HRC and RyR2 share the same KEKE motif region on the distal part of TRN (aa 202-231). Second, in vitro binding assays were conducted to examine the Ca(2+) dependence of protein-protein interactions (PPI). The results showed that TRN-HRC interaction had a bell-shaped Ca(2+) dependence, which peaked at pCa4, whereas TRN-CSQ2 or TRN-RyR2 interaction did not show such Ca(2+) dependence pattern. Third, competitive binding was conducted to examine whether CSQ2, HRC, or RyR2 affects the TRN-HRC or TRN-CSQ2 binding at pCa4. Among them, only CSQ2 or RyR2 competitively inhibited TRN-HRC binding, suggesting that HRC can confer functional refractoriness to CRU, which could be beneficial for reloading of Ca(2+) into SR at intermediate Ca(2+) concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpa Rani
- School of Life Sciences and Systems Biology Research Center, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712,
Korea
| | - Chang Sik Park
- School of Life Sciences and Systems Biology Research Center, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712,
Korea
| | - Pradeep Kumar Sreenivasaiah
- School of Life Sciences and Systems Biology Research Center, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712,
Korea
| | - Do Han Kim
- School of Life Sciences and Systems Biology Research Center, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712,
Korea
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9
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Zhang JZ, McLay JC, Jones PP. The arrhythmogenic human HRC point mutation S96A leads to spontaneous Ca2+ release due to an impaired ability to buffer store Ca2+. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2014; 74:22-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2014.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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10
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Singh VP, Rubinstein J, Arvanitis DA, Ren X, Gao X, Haghighi K, Gilbert M, Iyer VR, Kim DH, Cho C, Jones K, Lorenz JN, Armstrong CF, Wang HS, Gyorke S, Kranias EG. Abnormal calcium cycling and cardiac arrhythmias associated with the human Ser96Ala genetic variant of histidine-rich calcium-binding protein. J Am Heart Assoc 2013; 2:e000460. [PMID: 24125847 PMCID: PMC3835262 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.113.000460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A human genetic variant (Ser96Ala) in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) histidine-rich Ca(2+)-binding (HRC) protein has been linked to ventricular arrhythmia and sudden death in dilated cardiomyopathy. However, the precise mechanisms affecting SR function and leading to arrhythmias remain elusive. METHODS AND RESULTS We generated transgenic mice with cardiac-specific expression of human Ala96 HRC or Ser96 HRC in the null background to assess function in absence of endogenous protein. Ala96 HRC decreased (25% to 30%) cardiomyocyte contractility and Ca2+ kinetics compared with Ser96 HRC in the absence of any structural or histological abnormalities. Furthermore, the frequency of Ca2+ waves was significantly higher (10-fold), although SR Ca2+ load was reduced (by 27%) in Ala96 HRC cells. The underlying mechanisms involved diminished interaction of Ala96 HRC with triadin, affecting ryanodine receptor (RyR) stability. Indeed, the open probability of RyR, assessed by use of ryanodine binding, was significantly increased. Accordingly, stress conditions (5 Hz plus isoproterenol) induced aftercontractions (65% in Ala96 versus 12% in Ser96) and delayed afterdepolarizations (70% in Ala96 versus 20% in Ser96). The increased SR Ca2+ leak was accompanied by hyperphosphorylation (1.6-fold) of RyR at Ser2814 by calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Accordingly, inclusion of the calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II inhibitor KN93 prevented Ser2814 phosphorylation and partially reversed the increases in Ca2+ spark frequency and wave production. Parallel in vivo studies revealed ventricular ectopy on short-term isoproterenol challenge and increased (4-fold) propensity to arrhythmias, including nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, after myocardial infarction in Ala96 HRC mice. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that aberrant SR Ca2+ release and increased susceptibility to delayed afterdepolarizations underlie triggered arrhythmic activity in human Ala96 HRC carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek P Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Cell Biophysics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
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11
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Piras BA, O’Connor DM, French BA. Systemic delivery of shRNA by AAV9 provides highly efficient knockdown of ubiquitously expressed GFP in mouse heart, but not liver. PLoS One 2013; 8:e75894. [PMID: 24086659 PMCID: PMC3782464 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 08/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
AAV9 is a powerful gene delivery vehicle capable of providing long-term gene expression in a variety of cell types, particularly cardiomyocytes. The use of AAV-delivery for RNA interference is an intense area of research, but a comprehensive analysis of knockdown in cardiac and liver tissues after systemic delivery of AAV9 has yet to be reported. We sought to address this question by using AAV9 to deliver a short-hairpin RNA targeting the enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) in transgenic mice that constitutively overexpress GFP in all tissues. The expression cassette was initially tested in vitro and we demonstrated a 61% reduction in mRNA and a 90% reduction in GFP protein in dual-transfected 293 cells. Next, the expression cassette was packaged as single-stranded genomes in AAV9 capsids to test cardiac GFP knockdown with several doses ranging from 1.8×10(10) to 1.8×10(11) viral genomes per mouse and a dose-dependent response was obtained. We then analyzed GFP expression in both heart and liver after delivery of 4.4×10(11) viral genomes per mouse. We found that while cardiac knockdown was highly efficient, with a 77% reduction in GFP mRNA and a 71% reduction in protein versus control-treated mice, there was no change in liver expression. This was despite a 4.5-fold greater number of viral genomes in the liver than in the heart. This study demonstrates that single-stranded AAV9 vectors expressing shRNA can be used to achieve highly efficient cardiac-selective knockdown of GFP expression that is sustained for at least 7 weeks after the systemic injection of 8 day old mice, with no change in liver expression and no evidence of liver damage despite high viral genome presence in the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan A. Piras
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Daniel M. O’Connor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Brent A. French
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Medicine/Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
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12
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Targeted ablation of the histidine-rich Ca(2+)-binding protein (HRC) gene is associated with abnormal SR Ca(2+)-cycling and severe pathology under pressure-overload stress. Basic Res Cardiol 2013; 108:344. [PMID: 23553082 DOI: 10.1007/s00395-013-0344-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2012] [Revised: 02/15/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The histidine-rich Ca(2+)-binding protein (HRC) is located in the lumen of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and exhibits high-capacity Ca(2+)-binding properties. Overexpression of HRC in the heart resulted in impaired SR Ca(2+) uptake and depressed relaxation through its interaction with SERCA2a. However, the functional significance of HRC in overall regulation of calcium cycling and contractility is not currently well defined. To further elucidate the role of HRC in vivo under physiological and pathophysiological conditions, we generated and characterized HRC-knockout (KO) mice. The KO mice were morphologically and histologically normal compared to wild-type (WT) mice. At the cellular level, ablation of HRC resulted in significantly enhanced contractility, Ca(2+) transients, and maximal SR Ca(2+) uptake rates in the heart. However, after-contractions were developed in 50 % of HRC-KO cardiomyocytes, compared to 11 % in WT mice under stress conditions of high-frequency stimulation (5 Hz) and isoproterenol application. A parallel examination of the electrical activity revealed significant increases in the occurrence of Ca(2+) spontaneous SR Ca(2+) release and delayed afterdepolarizations with ISO in HRC-KO, compared to WT cells. The frequency of Ca(2+) sparks was also significantly higher in HRC-KO cells with ISO, consistent with the elevated SR Ca(2+) load in the KO cells. Furthermore, HRC-KO cardiomyocytes showed significantly deteriorated cell contractility and Ca(2+)-cycling caused possibly by depressed SERCA2a expression after transverse-aortic constriction (TAC). Also HRC-null mice exhibited severe cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, pulmonary edema and decreased survival after TAC. Our results indicate that ablation of HRC is associated with poorly regulated SR Ca(2+)-cycling, and severe pathology under pressure-overload stress, suggesting an essential role of HRC in maintaining the integrity of cardiac function.
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