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Chen P, Long J, Hua T, Zheng Z, Xiao Y, Chen L, Yu K, Wu W, Zhang S. Transcriptome and open chromatin analysis reveals the process of myocardial cell development and key pathogenic target proteins in Long QT syndrome type 7. J Transl Med 2024; 22:307. [PMID: 38528561 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05125-7] [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: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Long QT syndrome type 7 (Andersen-Tawil syndrome, ATS), which is caused by KCNJ2 gene mutation, often leads to ventricular arrhythmia, periodic paralysis and skeletal malformations. The development, differentiation and electrophysiological maturation of cardiomyocytes (CMs) changes promote the pathophysiology of Long QT syndrome type 7(LQT7). We aimed to specifically reproduce the ATS disease phenotype and study the pathogenic mechanism. METHODS AND RESULTS We established a cardiac cell model derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to the phenotypes and electrophysiological function, and the establishment of a human myocardial cell model that specifically reproduces the symptoms of ATS provides a reliable platform for exploring the mechanism of this disease or potential drugs. The spontaneous pulsation rate of myocardial cells in the mutation group was significantly lower than that in the repair CRISPR group, the action potential duration was prolonged, and the Kir2.1 current of the inward rectifier potassium ion channel was decreased, which is consistent with the clinical symptoms of ATS patients. Only ZNF528, a chromatin-accessible TF related to pathogenicity, was continuously regulated beginning from the cardiac mesodermal precursor cell stage (day 4), and continued to be expressed at low levels, which was identified by WGCNA method and verified with ATAC-seq data in the mutation group. Subsequently, it indicated that seven pathways were downregulated (all p < 0.05) by used single sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis to evaluate the overall regulation of potassium-related pathways enriched in the transcriptome and proteome of late mature CMs. Among them, the three pathways (GO: 0008076, GO: 1990573 and GO: 0030007) containing the mutated gene KCNJ2 is involved that are related to the whole process by which a potassium ion enters the cell via the inward rectifier potassium channel to exert its effect were inhibited. The other four pathways are related to regulation of the potassium transmembrane pathway and sodium:potassium exchange ATPase (p < 0.05). ZNF528 small interfering (si)-RNA was applied to hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes for CRISPR group to explore changes in potassium ion currents and growth and development related target protein levels that affect disease phenotype. Three consistently downregulated proteins (KCNJ2, CTTN and ATP1B1) associated with pathogenicity were verificated through correlation and intersection analysis. CONCLUSION This study uncovers TFs and target proteins related to electrophysiology and developmental pathogenicity in ATS myocardial cells, obtaining novel targets for potential therapeutic candidate development that does not rely on gene editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Chen
- Department of Clinical Nutrition & Health Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Junyu Long
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Tianrui Hua
- Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Zhifa Zheng
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Xiao
- Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Lianfeng Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Kang Yu
- Department of Clinical Nutrition & Health Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Wei Wu
- Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Shuyang Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
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Fan X, Yang G, Duru F, Grilli M, Akin I, Zhou X, Saguner AM, Ei-Battrawy I. Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: from Preclinical Models to Genotype-phenotype Correlation and Pathophysiology. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2023; 19:2683-2708. [PMID: 37731079 PMCID: PMC10661732 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-023-10615-0] [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] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a hereditary myocardial disease characterized by the replacement of the ventricular myocardium with fibrous fatty deposits. ACM is usually inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern with variable penetrance and expressivity, which is mainly related to ventricular tachyarrhythmia and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Importantly, significant progress has been made in determining the genetic background of ACM due to the development of new techniques for genetic analysis. The exact molecular pathomechanism of ACM, however, is not completely clear and the genotype-phenotype correlations have not been fully elucidated, which are useful to predict the prognosis and treatment of ACM patients. Different gene-targeted and transgenic animal models, human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (hiPSC-CM) models, and heterologous expression systems have been developed. Here, this review aims to summarize preclinical ACM models and platforms promoting our understanding of the pathogenesis of ACM and assess their value in elucidating the ACM genotype-phenotype relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuehui Fan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- Cardiology, Angiology, Haemostaseology, and Medical Intensive Care, Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- European Center for AngioScience (ECAS), German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) Partner Site Heidelberg/ Mannheim, and Centre for Cardiovascular Acute Medicine Mannheim (ZKAM), Medical Centre Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Partner Site, Heidelberg-Mannheim, Germany
| | - Guoqiang Yang
- Cardiology, Angiology, Haemostaseology, and Medical Intensive Care, Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Research Unit of Molecular Imaging Probes, Department of Radiologic Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Firat Duru
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart Centre, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maurizio Grilli
- Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Centre Mannheim (UMM), University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ibrahim Akin
- Cardiology, Angiology, Haemostaseology, and Medical Intensive Care, Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- European Center for AngioScience (ECAS), German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) Partner Site Heidelberg/ Mannheim, and Centre for Cardiovascular Acute Medicine Mannheim (ZKAM), Medical Centre Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Partner Site, Heidelberg-Mannheim, Germany
| | - Xiaobo Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
- Cardiology, Angiology, Haemostaseology, and Medical Intensive Care, Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
- European Center for AngioScience (ECAS), German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) Partner Site Heidelberg/ Mannheim, and Centre for Cardiovascular Acute Medicine Mannheim (ZKAM), Medical Centre Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Partner Site, Heidelberg-Mannheim, Germany.
- First Department of Medicine, University Medical Centre Mannheim, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Ardan Muammer Saguner
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart Centre, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ibrahim Ei-Battrawy
- European Center for AngioScience (ECAS), German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) Partner Site Heidelberg/ Mannheim, and Centre for Cardiovascular Acute Medicine Mannheim (ZKAM), Medical Centre Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Partner Site, Heidelberg-Mannheim, Germany.
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany; Institute of Physiology, Department of Cellular and Translational Physiology and Institut für Forschung und Lehre (IFL), Molecular and Experimental Cardiology, Ruhr- University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
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Chua CJ, Morrissette-McAlmon J, Tung L, Boheler KR. Understanding Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: Advances through the Use of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Models. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1864. [PMID: 37895213 PMCID: PMC10606441 DOI: 10.3390/genes14101864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiomyopathies (CMPs) represent a significant healthcare burden and are a major cause of heart failure leading to premature death. Several CMPs are now recognized to have a strong genetic basis, including arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), which predisposes patients to arrhythmic episodes. Variants in one of the five genes (PKP2, JUP, DSC2, DSG2, and DSP) encoding proteins of the desmosome are known to cause a subset of ACM, which we classify as desmosome-related ACM (dACM). Phenotypically, this disease may lead to sudden cardiac death in young athletes and, during late stages, is often accompanied by myocardial fibrofatty infiltrates. While the pathogenicity of the desmosome genes has been well established through animal studies and limited supplies of primary human cells, these systems have drawbacks that limit their utility and relevance to understanding human disease. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have emerged as a powerful tool for modeling ACM in vitro that can overcome these challenges, as they represent a reproducible and scalable source of cardiomyocytes (CMs) that recapitulate patient phenotypes. In this review, we provide an overview of dACM, summarize findings in other model systems linking desmosome proteins with this disease, and provide an up-to-date summary of the work that has been conducted in hiPSC-cardiomyocyte (hiPSC-CM) models of dACM. In the context of the hiPSC-CM model system, we highlight novel findings that have contributed to our understanding of disease and enumerate the limitations, prospects, and directions for research to consider towards future progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christianne J. Chua
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (C.J.C.); (J.M.-M.); (L.T.)
| | - Justin Morrissette-McAlmon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (C.J.C.); (J.M.-M.); (L.T.)
| | - Leslie Tung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (C.J.C.); (J.M.-M.); (L.T.)
| | - Kenneth R. Boheler
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (C.J.C.); (J.M.-M.); (L.T.)
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Grogan A, Huang W, Brong A, Kane MA, Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos A. Alterations in cytoskeletal and Ca 2+ cycling regulators in atria lacking the obscurin Ig58/59 module. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1085840. [PMID: 37304957 PMCID: PMC10251194 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1085840] [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: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Obscurin (720-870 kDa) is a giant cytoskeletal and signaling protein that possesses both structural and regulatory functions in striated muscles. Immunoglobulin domains 58/59 (Ig58/59) of obscurin bind to a diverse set of proteins that are essential for the proper structure and function of the heart, including giant titin, novex-3, and phospholamban (PLN). Importantly, the pathophysiological significance of the Ig58/59 module has been further underscored by the discovery of several mutations within Ig58/59 that are linked to various forms of myopathy in humans. We previously generated a constitutive deletion mouse model, Obscn-ΔIg58/59, that expresses obscurin lacking Ig58/59, and characterized the effects of this deletion on cardiac morphology and function through aging. Our findings demonstrated that Obscn-ΔIg58/59 male animals develop severe arrhythmia, primarily manifesting as episodes of junctional escape and spontaneous loss of regular p-waves, reminiscent of human atrial fibrillation, accompanied by significant atrial enlargement that progresses in severity with aging. Methods and Results To comprehensively characterize the molecular alterations responsible for these pathologies, we performed proteomic and phospho-proteomic analyses in aging Obscn-ΔIg58/59 atria. Our studies revealed extensive and novel alterations in the expression and phosphorylation profile of major cytoskeletal proteins, Ca2+ regulators, and Z-disk associated protein complexes in the Obscn-ΔIg58/59 atria through aging. Discussion These studies implicate obscurin, particularly the Ig58/59 module, as an essential regulator of the Z-disk associated cytoskeleton and Ca2+ cycling in the atria and provide new molecular insights into the development of atrial fibrillation and remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Grogan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Weiliang Huang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Annie Brong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Maureen A. Kane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Li K, Jiang Y, Zeng Y, Zhou Y. Advances in Ion Channel, Non-Desmosomal Variants and Autophagic Mechanisms Implicated in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:2186-2200. [PMID: 36975511 PMCID: PMC10047275 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45030141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by the replacement of cardiac myocytes with fibro-fatty tissues, leading to abnormal excitation-contraction (EC) coupling and a range of malignant events, such as ventricular tachycardia (VT), sudden cardiac death/arrest (SCD/A) and heart failure (HF). The concept of ACM has recently been ex-tended to include right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), left ventricular cardiomyopathy (ALVC) and biventricular cardiomyopathy. ARVC is generally seen as the most common type of ACM. The pathogenesis of ACM involves mutation variants in desmosomal or non-desmosomal gene loci, as well as various external factors, such as intense exercise, stress and infections. Ion channel alterations, autophagy and non-desmosomal variants are also important components in the development of ACM. As clinical practice enters the era of precision therapy, it is important to review recent studies on these topics to better diagnose and treat the molecular phase of ACM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Li
- Department of Cardiology, Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Institution for Hypertension of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Yufeng Jiang
- Department of Cardiology, Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Institution for Hypertension of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Yiyao Zeng
- Department of Cardiology, Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Institution for Hypertension of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Yafeng Zhou
- Department of Cardiology, Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Institution for Hypertension of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-512-65955026
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Noureddine M, Gehmlich K. Structural and signaling proteins in the Z-disk and their role in cardiomyopathies. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1143858. [PMID: 36935760 PMCID: PMC10017460 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1143858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The sarcomere is the smallest functional unit of muscle contraction. It is delineated by a protein-rich structure known as the Z-disk, alternating with M-bands. The Z-disk anchors the actin-rich thin filaments and plays a crucial role in maintaining the mechanical stability of the cardiac muscle. A multitude of proteins interact with each other at the Z-disk and they regulate the mechanical properties of the thin filaments. Over the past 2 decades, the role of the Z-disk in cardiac muscle contraction has been assessed widely, however, the impact of genetic variants in Z-disk proteins has still not been fully elucidated. This review discusses the various Z-disk proteins (alpha-actinin, filamin C, titin, muscle LIM protein, telethonin, myopalladin, nebulette, and nexilin) and Z-disk-associated proteins (desmin, and obscurin) and their role in cardiac structural stability and intracellular signaling. This review further explores how genetic variants of Z-disk proteins are linked to inherited cardiac conditions termed cardiomyopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Noureddine
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Maya Noureddine, ; Katja Gehmlich,
| | - Katja Gehmlich
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Maya Noureddine, ; Katja Gehmlich,
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Maione AS, Faris P, Iengo L, Catto V, Bisonni L, Lodola F, Negri S, Casella M, Guarino A, Polvani G, Cerrone M, Tondo C, Pompilio G, Sommariva E, Moccia F. Ca2+ dysregulation in cardiac stromal cells sustains fibro-adipose remodeling in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy and can be modulated by flecainide. J Transl Med 2022; 20:522. [DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03742-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Cardiac mesenchymal stromal cells (C-MSC) were recently shown to differentiate into adipocytes and myofibroblasts to promote the aberrant remodeling of cardiac tissue that characterizes arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM). A calcium (Ca2+) signaling dysfunction, mainly demonstrated in mouse models, is recognized as a mechanism impacting arrhythmic risk in ACM cardiomyocytes. Whether similar mechanisms influence ACM C-MSC fate is still unknown.
Thus, we aim to ascertain whether intracellular Ca2+ oscillations and the Ca2+ toolkit are altered in human C-MSC obtained from ACM patients, and to assess their link with C-MSC-specific ACM phenotypes.
Methods and results
ACM C-MSC show enhanced spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations and concomitant increased Ca2+/Calmodulin dependent kinase II (CaMKII) activation compared to control cells. This is manly linked to a constitutive activation of Store-Operated Ca2+ Entry (SOCE), which leads to enhanced Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum through inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors. By targeting the Ca2+ handling machinery or CaMKII activity, we demonstrated a causative link between Ca2+ oscillations and fibro-adipogenic differentiation of ACM C-MSC. Genetic silencing of the desmosomal gene PKP2 mimics the remodelling of the Ca2+ signalling machinery occurring in ACM C-MSC. The anti-arrhythmic drug flecainide inhibits intracellular Ca2+ oscillations and fibro-adipogenic differentiation by selectively targeting SOCE.
Conclusions
Altogether, our results extend the knowledge of Ca2+ dysregulation in ACM to the stromal compartment, as an etiologic mechanism of C-MSC-related ACM phenotypes. A new mode of action of flecainide on a novel mechanistic target is unveiled against the fibro-adipose accumulation in ACM.
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A novel missense mutation in obscurin gene in a Chinese consanguineous family with left ventricular noncompaction. J Geriatr Cardiol 2022; 19:531-538. [PMID: 35975021 PMCID: PMC9361159 DOI: 10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2022.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is an increasingly recognised cardiomyopathy of which a significant percentage are genetic in origin. The purpose of the present study was to identify potential pathogenic mutation leading to disease in a Chinese LVNC family. METHODS A 3-generation family affected by LVNC was recruited. Clinical assessments were performed on available family members, with clinical examination, ECG, echocardiography and cardiac MRI. The proband (I-2), the proband's daughter (II-1, affected) and mother (III-1, unaffected) were selected for WGS. Sanger sequencing were performed in all of the 4 surviving family members. RESULTS Combined whole genome sequencing with linkage analysis identified a novel missense mutation in the giant protein obscurin (OBSCN NM_001098623, c.C19063T), as the only plausible disease-causing variant that segregates with disease among the four surviving individuals, with interrogation of the entire genome excluding other potential causes. This c.C19063T missense mutation resulted in p.R6355W in the encoded OBSCN protein. It affected a highly conserved residue in the C terminus of the obscurin-B-like isoform between the PH and STKc domains, which was predicted to affect the function of the protein by different bioinformatics tools. CONCLUSIONS Here we present clinical and genetic evidence implicating the novel R6355W missense mutation in obscurin as the cause of familial LVNC. This expands the spectrum of obscurin's roles in cardiomyopathies. It furthermore highlights that rare obscurin missense variants, currently often ignored or left uninterpreted, should be considered to be relevant for cardiomyopathies and can be identified by the approach presented here. This study also provided new insights into the molecular basis of OBSCN mutation positive LVNC.
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Abstract
Purpose of Review The advent of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) has paved the way for new in vitro models of human cardiomyopathy. Herein, we will review existing models of disease as well as strengths and limitations of the system. Recent Findings Preclinical studies have now demonstrated that iPSCs generated from patients with both acquired or heritable genetic diseases retain properties of the disease in vitro and can be used as a model to study novel therapeutics. iPSCs can be differentiated in vitro into the cardiomyocyte lineage into cells resembling adult ventricular myocytes that retain properties of cardiovascular disease from their respective donor. iPSC pluripotency allows for them to be frozen, stored, and continually used to generate iPSC-derived myocytes for future experiments without need for invasive procedures or repeat myocyte isolations to obtain animal or human cardiac tissues. Summary While not without their limitations, iPSC models offer new ways for studying patient-specific cardiomyopathies. iPSCs offer a high-throughput avenue for drug development, modeling of disease pathophysiology in vitro, and enabling experimental repair strategies without need for invasive procedures to obtain cardiac tissues.
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Lou J, Chen H, Huang S, Chen P, Yu Y, Chen F. Update on risk factors and biomarkers of sudden unexplained cardiac death. J Forensic Leg Med 2022; 87:102332. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2022.102332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Bang ML, Bogomolovas J, Chen J. Understanding the molecular basis of cardiomyopathy. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2022; 322:H181-H233. [PMID: 34797172 PMCID: PMC8759964 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00562.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Inherited cardiomyopathies are a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide and can be caused by mutations in a wide range of proteins located in different cellular compartments. The present review is based on Dr. Ju Chen's 2021 Robert M. Berne Distinguished Lectureship of the American Physiological Society Cardiovascular Section, in which he provided an overview of the current knowledge on the cardiomyopathy-associated proteins that have been studied in his laboratory. The review provides a general summary of the proteins in different compartments of cardiomyocytes associated with cardiomyopathies, with specific focus on the proteins that have been studied in Dr. Chen's laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Louise Bang
- Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research (IRGB), National Research Council (CNR), Milan Unit, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano (Milan), Italy
| | - Julius Bogomolovas
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine Cardiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Ju Chen
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine Cardiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
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Pitsch M, Kant S, Mytzka C, Leube RE, Krusche CA. Autophagy and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress during Onset and Progression of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy. Cells 2021; 11:96. [PMID: 35011658 PMCID: PMC8750195 DOI: 10.3390/cells11010096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) is a heritable, potentially lethal disease without a causal therapy. AC is characterized by focal cardiomyocyte death followed by inflammation and progressive formation of connective tissue. The pathomechanisms leading to structural disease onset and progression, however, are not fully elucidated. Recent studies revealed that dysregulation of autophagy and endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER/SR) stress plays an important role in cardiac pathophysiology. We therefore examined the temporal and spatial expression patterns of autophagy and ER/SR stress indicators in murine AC models by qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and electron microscopy. Cardiomyocytes overexpressing the autophagy markers LC3 and SQSTM1/p62 and containing prominent autophagic vacuoles were detected next to regions of inflammation and fibrosis during onset and chronic disease progression. mRNAs of the ER stress markers Chop and sXbp1 were elevated in both ventricles at disease onset. During chronic disease progression Chop mRNA was upregulated in right ventricles. In addition, reduced Ryr2 mRNA expression together with often drastically enlarged ER/SR cisternae further indicated SR dysfunction during this disease phase. Our observations support the hypothesis that locally altered autophagy and enhanced ER/SR stress play a role in AC pathogenesis both at the onset and during chronic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rudolf E. Leube
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (M.P.); (S.K.); (C.M.)
| | - Claudia A. Krusche
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (M.P.); (S.K.); (C.M.)
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Jiang X, Chen Y, Liu X, Ye L, Yu M, Shen Z, Lei W, Hu S. Uncovering Inherited Cardiomyopathy With Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:672039. [PMID: 34079803 PMCID: PMC8166268 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.672039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past decades, researchers discovered the contribution of genetic defects to the pathogenesis of primary cardiomyopathy and tried to explain the pathogenesis of these diseases by establishing a variety of disease models. Although human heart tissues and primary cardiomyocytes have advantages in modeling human heart diseases, they are difficult to obtain and culture in vitro. Defects developed in genetically modified animal models are notably different from human diseases at the molecular level. The advent of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provides an unprecedented opportunity to further investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of inherited cardiomyopathies in vitro using patient-specific hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. In this review, we will make a summary of recent advances in in vitro inherited cardiomyopathy modeling using hiPSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Jiang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yihuan Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiaofeng Liu
- The Affiliated Haian Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Lingqun Ye
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Miao Yu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhenya Shen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wei Lei
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Shijun Hu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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Micheu MM, Rosca AM. Patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells as “disease-in-a-dish” models for inherited cardiomyopathies and channelopathies – 15 years of research. World J Stem Cells 2021; 13:281-303. [PMID: 33959219 PMCID: PMC8080539 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i4.281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Among inherited cardiac conditions, a special place is kept by cardiomyopathies (CMPs) and channelopathies (CNPs), which pose a substantial healthcare burden due to the complexity of the therapeutic management and cause early mortality. Like other inherited cardiac conditions, genetic CMPs and CNPs exhibit incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity even within carriers of the same pathogenic deoxyribonucleic acid variant, challenging our understanding of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Until recently, the lack of accurate physiological preclinical models hindered the investigation of fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms. The advent of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, along with advances in gene editing, offered unprecedented opportunities to explore hereditary CMPs and CNPs. Hallmark features of iPSCs include the ability to differentiate into unlimited numbers of cells from any of the three germ layers, genetic identity with the subject from whom they were derived, and ease of gene editing, all of which were used to generate “disease-in-a-dish” models of monogenic cardiac conditions. Functionally, iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes that faithfully recapitulate the patient-specific phenotype, allowed the study of disease mechanisms in an individual-/allele-specific manner, as well as the customization of therapeutic regimen. This review provides a synopsis of the most important iPSC-based models of CMPs and CNPs and the potential use for modeling disease mechanisms, personalized therapy and deoxyribonucleic acid variant functional annotation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miruna Mihaela Micheu
- Department of Cardiology, Clinical Emergency Hospital of Bucharest, Bucharest 014452, Romania
| | - Ana-Maria Rosca
- Cell and Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Cellular Biology and Pathology "Nicolae Simionescu", Bucharest 050568, Romania
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Genetic Cardiomyopathies: The Lesson Learned from hiPSCs. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10051149. [PMID: 33803477 PMCID: PMC7967174 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10051149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic cardiomyopathies represent a wide spectrum of inherited diseases and constitute an important cause of morbidity and mortality among young people, which can manifest with heart failure, arrhythmias, and/or sudden cardiac death. Multiple underlying genetic variants and molecular pathways have been discovered in recent years; however, assessing the pathogenicity of new variants often needs in-depth characterization in order to ascertain a causal role in the disease. The application of human induced pluripotent stem cells has greatly helped to advance our knowledge in this field and enabled to obtain numerous in vitro patient-specific cellular models useful to study the underlying molecular mechanisms and test new therapeutic strategies. A milestone in the research of genetically determined heart disease was the introduction of genomic technologies that provided unparalleled opportunities to explore the genetic architecture of cardiomyopathies, thanks to the generation of isogenic pairs. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the main research that helped elucidate the pathophysiology of the most common genetic cardiomyopathies: hypertrophic, dilated, arrhythmogenic, and left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathies. A special focus is provided on the application of gene-editing techniques in understanding key disease characteristics and on the therapeutic approaches that have been tested.
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Fleming JR, Rani A, Kraft J, Zenker S, Börgeson E, Lange S. Exploring Obscurin and SPEG Kinase Biology. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10050984. [PMID: 33801198 PMCID: PMC7957886 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10050984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Three members of the obscurin protein family that contain tandem kinase domains with important signaling functions for cardiac and striated muscles are the giant protein obscurin, its obscurin-associated kinase splice isoform, and the striated muscle enriched protein kinase (SPEG). While there is increasing evidence for the specific roles that each individual kinase domain plays in cross-striated muscles, their biology and regulation remains enigmatic. Our present study focuses on kinase domain 1 and the adjacent low sequence complexity inter-kinase domain linker in obscurin and SPEG. Using Phos-tag gels, we show that the linker in obscurin contains several phosphorylation sites, while the same region in SPEG remained unphosphorylated. Our homology modeling, mutational analysis and molecular docking demonstrate that kinase 1 in obscurin harbors all key amino acids important for its catalytic function and that actions of this domain result in autophosphorylation of the protein. Our bioinformatics analyses also assign a list of putative substrates for kinase domain 1 in obscurin and SPEG, based on the known and our newly proposed phosphorylation sites in muscle proteins, including obscurin itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R. Fleming
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.R.F.); (E.B.); (S.L.)
| | - Alankrita Rani
- Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, The Wallenberg Laboratory and Wallenberg, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden; (A.R.); (J.K.)
| | - Jamie Kraft
- Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, The Wallenberg Laboratory and Wallenberg, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden; (A.R.); (J.K.)
| | - Sanja Zenker
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA;
| | - Emma Börgeson
- Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, The Wallenberg Laboratory and Wallenberg, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden; (A.R.); (J.K.)
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Correspondence: (J.R.F.); (E.B.); (S.L.)
| | - Stephan Lange
- Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, The Wallenberg Laboratory and Wallenberg, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden; (A.R.); (J.K.)
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA;
- Correspondence: (J.R.F.); (E.B.); (S.L.)
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