Multiple structures of thick filaments in resting cardiac muscle and their influence on cross-bridge interactions

Etiology of genetic muscle disorders induced by mutations in fast and slow skeletal MyBP-C paralogs

Skeletal muscle, a highly complex muscle type in the eukaryotic system, is characterized by different muscle subtypes and functions associated with specific myosin isoforms. As a result, skeletal muscle is the target of numerous diseases, including distal arthrogryposes (DAs). Clinically, DAs are a distinct disorder characterized by variation in the presence of contractures in two or more distal limb joints without neurological issues. DAs are inherited, and up to 40% of patients with this condition have mutations in genes that encode sarcomeric protein, including myosin heavy chains, troponins, and tropomyosin, as well as myosin binding protein-C (MYBPC). Our research group and others are actively studying the specific role of MYBPC in skeletal muscles. The MYBPC family of proteins plays a critical role in the contraction of striated muscles. More specifically, three paralogs of the MYBPC gene exist, and these are named after their predominant expression in slow-skeletal, fast-skeletal, and cardiac muscle as sMyBP-C, fMyBP-C, and cMyBP-C, respectively, and encoded by the MYBPC1, MYBPC2, and MYBPC3 genes, respectively. Although the physiology of various types of skeletal muscle diseases is well defined, the molecular mechanism underlying the pathological regulation of DAs remains to be elucidated. In this review article, we aim to highlight recent discoveries involving the role of skeletal muscle-specific sMyBP-C and fMyBP-C as well as their expression profile, localization in the sarcomere, and potential role(s) in regulating muscle contractility. Thus, this review provides an overall summary of MYBPC skeletal paralogs, their potential roles in skeletal muscle function, and future research directions.

Modulation of myosin by cardiac myosin binding protein-C peptides improves cardiac contractility in ex-vivo experimental heart failure models

Cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) is an important regulator of sarcomeric function. Reduced phosphorylation of cMyBP-C has been linked to compromised contractility in heart failure patients. Here, we used previously published cMyBP-C peptides 302A and 302S, surrogates of the regulatory phosphorylation site serine 302, as a tool to determine the effects of modulating the dephosphorylation state of cMyBP-C on cardiac contraction and relaxation in experimental heart failure (HF) models in vitro. Both peptides increased the contractility of papillary muscle fibers isolated from a mouse model expressing cMyBP-C phospho-ablation (cMyBP-CAAA) constitutively. Peptide 302A, in particular, could also improve the force redevelopment rate (ktr) in papillary muscle fibers from cMyBP-CAAA (nonphosphorylated alanines) mice. Consistent with the above findings, both peptides increased ATPase rates in myofibrils isolated from rats with myocardial infarction (MI), but not from sham rats. Furthermore, in the cMyBP-CAAA mouse model, both peptides improved ATPase hydrolysis rates. These changes were not observed in non-transgenic (NTG) mice or sham rats, indicating the specific effects of these peptides in regulating the dephosphorylation state of cMyBP-C under the pathological conditions of HF. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that modulation of cMyBP-C dephosphorylation state can be a therapeutic approach to improve myosin function, sarcomere contractility and relaxation after an adverse cardiac event. Therefore, targeting cMyBP-C could potentially improve overall cardiac performance as a complement to standard-care drugs in HF patients.

Novel insights into sarcomere regulatory systems control of cardiac thin filament activation

Our review focuses on sarcomere regulatory mechanisms with a discussion of cardiac-specific modifications to the three-state model of thin filament activation from a blocked to closed to open state. We discuss modulation of these thin filament transitions by Ca²⁺, by crossbridge interactions, and by thick filament–associated proteins, cardiac myosin–binding protein C (cMyBP-C), cardiac regulatory light chain (cRLC), and titin. Emerging evidence supports the idea that the cooperative activation of the thin filaments despite a single Ca²⁺ triggering regulatory site on troponin C (cTnC) cannot be considered in isolation of other functional domains of the sarcomere. We discuss long- and short-range interactions among these domains with the regulatory units of thin filaments, including proteins at the barbed end at the Z-disc and the pointed end near the M-band. Important to these discussions is the ever-increasing understanding of the role of cMyBP-C, cRLC, and titin filaments. Detailed knowledge of these control processes is critical to the understanding of mechanisms sustaining physiological cardiac state with varying hemodynamic load, to better defining genetic and acquired cardiac disorders, and to developing targets for therapies at the level of the sarcomeres.

What a drag!: Skeletal myosin binding protein-C affects sarcomeric shortening

Colson discusses a recent investigation of the functional effect of slow myosin binding protein-C in slow-twitch skeletal muscle fibers.

Altered force generation and cell-to-cell contractile imbalance in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is mainly caused by mutations in sarcomeric proteins. Thirty to forty percent of identified mutations are found in the ventricular myosin heavy chain (β-MyHC). A common mechanism explaining how numerous mutations in several different proteins induce a similar HCM-phenotype is unclear. It was proposed that HCM-mutations cause hypercontractility, which for some mutations is thought to result from mutation-induced unlocking of myosin heads from a so-called super-relaxed state (SRX). The SRX was suggested to be related to the "interacting head motif," i.e., pairs of myosin heads folded back onto their S2-region. Here, we address these structural states of myosin in context of earlier work on weak binding cross-bridges. However, not all HCM-mutations cause hypercontractility and/or are involved in the interacting head motif. But most likely, all mutations alter the force generating mechanism, yet in different ways, possibly including inhibition of SRX. Such functional-hyper- and hypocontractile-changes are the basis of our previously proposed concept stating that contractile imbalance due to unequal fractions of mutated and wildtype protein among individual cardiomyocytes over time will induce cardiomyocyte disarray and fibrosis, hallmarks of HCM. Studying β-MyHC-mutations, we found substantial contractile variability from cardiomyocyte to cardiomyocyte within a patient's myocardium, much higher than in controls. This was paralleled by a similarly variable fraction of mutant MYH7-mRNA (cell-to-cell allelic imbalance), due to random, burst-like transcription, independent for mutant and wildtype MYH7-alleles. Evidence suggests that HCM-mutations in other sarcomeric proteins follow the same disease mechanism.

Myosin Head Configurations in Resting and Contracting Murine Skeletal Muscle

Transgenic mouse models have been important tools for studying the relationship of genotype to phenotype for human diseases, including those of skeletal muscle. We show that mouse skeletal muscle can produce high quality X-ray diffraction patterns establishing the mouse intact skeletal muscle X-ray preparation as a potentially powerful tool to test structural hypotheses in health and disease. A notable feature of the mouse model system is the presence of residual myosin layer line intensities in contracting mouse muscle patterns. This provides an additional tool, along with the I1,1/I1,0 intensity ratio, for estimating the proportions of active versus relaxed myosin heads under a given set of conditions that can be used to characterize a given physiological condition or mutant muscle type. We also show that analysis of the myosin layer line intensity distribution, including derivation of the myosin head radius, Rm, may be used to study the role of the super-relaxed state in myosin regulation. When the myosin inhibitor blebbistatin is used to inhibit force production, there is a shift towards a highly quasi-helically ordered configuration that is distinct from the normal resting state, indicating there are more than one helically ordered configuration for resting crossbridges.

Whole length myosin binding protein C stabilizes myosin S2 as measured by gravitational force spectroscopy

The mechanical stability of the myosin subfragment-2 (S2) was tested with simulated force spectroscopy (SFS) and gravitational force spectroscopy (GFS). Experiments examined unzipping S2, since it required less force than stretching parallel to the coiled coil. Both GFS and SFS demonstrated that the force required to destabilize the light meromyosin (LMM) was greater than the force required to destabilize the coiled coil at each of three different locations along S2. GFS data also conveyed that the mechanical stability of the S2 region is independent from its association with the myosin thick filament using cofilaments of myosin tail and a single intact myosin. The C-terminal end of myosin binding protein C (MyBPC) binds to LMM and the N-terminal end can bind either S2 or actin. The force required to destabilize the myosin coiled coil molecule was 3 times greater in the presence of MyBPC than in its absence. Furthermore, the in vitro motility assay with full length slow skeletal MyBPC slowed down the actin filament sliding over myosin thick filaments. This study demonstrates that skeletal MyBPC both enhanced the mechanical stability of the S2 coiled coil and reduced the sliding velocity of actin filaments over polymerized myosin filaments.

Mast cells regulate myofilament calcium sensitization and heart function after myocardial infarction

Ngkelo et al. use a mast cell–deficient mouse model to reveal a protective role of mast cells in myocardial infarction, through regulation of the cardiac contractile machinery.

Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is a severe ischemic disease responsible for heart failure and sudden death. Inflammatory cells orchestrate postischemic cardiac remodeling after MI. Studies using mice with defective mast/stem cell growth factor receptor c-Kit have suggested key roles for mast cells (MCs) in postischemic cardiac remodeling. Because c-Kit mutations affect multiple cell types of both immune and nonimmune origin, we addressed the impact of MCs on cardiac function after MI, using the c-Kit–independent MC-deficient (Cpa3^Cre/+) mice. In response to MI, MC progenitors originated primarily from white adipose tissue, infiltrated the heart, and differentiated into mature MCs. MC deficiency led to reduced postischemic cardiac function and depressed cardiomyocyte contractility caused by myofilament Ca²⁺ desensitization. This effect correlated with increased protein kinase A (PKA) activity and hyperphosphorylation of its targets, troponin I and myosin-binding protein C. MC-specific tryptase was identified to regulate PKA activity in cardiomyocytes via protease-activated receptor 2 proteolysis. This work reveals a novel function for cardiac MCs modulating cardiomyocyte contractility via alteration of PKA-regulated force–Ca²⁺ interactions in response to MI. Identification of this MC-cardiomyocyte cross-talk provides new insights on the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the cardiac contractile machinery and a novel platform for therapeutically addressable regulators.

Phosphorylation of cardiac myosin binding protein C releases myosin heads from the surface of cardiac thick filaments

Cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) has a key regulatory role in cardiac contraction, but the mechanism by which changes in phosphorylation of cMyBP-C accelerate cross-bridge kinetics remains unknown. In this study, we isolated thick filaments from the hearts of mice in which the three serine residues (Ser273, Ser282, and Ser302) that are phosphorylated by protein kinase A in the m-domain of cMyBP-C were replaced by either alanine or aspartic acid, mimicking the fully nonphosphorylated and the fully phosphorylated state of cMyBP-C, respectively. We found that thick filaments from the cMyBP-C phospho-deficient hearts had highly ordered cross-bridge arrays, whereas the filaments from the cMyBP-C phospho-mimetic hearts showed a strong tendency toward disorder. Our results support the hypothesis that dephosphorylation of cMyBP-C promotes or stabilizes the relaxed/superrelaxed quasi-helical ordering of the myosin heads on the filament surface, whereas phosphorylation weakens this stabilization and binding of the heads to the backbone. Such structural changes would modulate the probability of myosin binding to actin and could help explain the acceleration of cross-bridge interactions with actin when cMyBP-C is phosphorylated because of, for example, activation of β1-adrenergic receptors in myocardium.

Mechano-chemical Interactions in Cardiac Sarcomere Contraction: A Computational Modeling Study

We developed a model of cardiac sarcomere contraction to study the calcium-tension relationship in cardiac muscle. Calcium mediates cardiac contraction through its interactions with troponin (Tn) and subsequently tropomyosin molecules. Experimental studies have shown that a slight increase in intracellular calcium concentration leads to a rapid increase in sarcomeric tension. Though it is widely accepted that the rapid increase is not possible without the concept of cooperativity, the mechanism is debated. We use the hypothesis that there exists a base level of cooperativity intrinsic to the thin filament that is boosted by mechanical tension, i.e. a high level of mechanical tension in the thin filament impedes the unbinding of calcium from Tn. To test these hypotheses, we developed a computational model in which a set of three parameters and inputs of calcium concentration and sarcomere length result in output tension. Tension as simulated appeared in good agreement with experimentally measured tension. Our results support the hypothesis that high tension in the thin filament impedes Tn deactivation by increasing the energy required to detach calcium from the Tn. Given this hypothesis, the model predicted that the areas with highest tension, i.e. closest to the Z-disk end of the single overlap region, show the largest concentration of active Tn's.

Alterations in Multi-Scale Cardiac Architecture in Association With Phosphorylation of Myosin Binding Protein-C

Background

The geometric organization of myocytes in the ventricular wall comprises the structural underpinnings of cardiac mechanical function. Cardiac myosin binding protein‐C (MYBPC3) is a sarcomeric protein, for which phosphorylation modulates myofilament binding, sarcomere morphology, and myocyte alignment in the ventricular wall. To elucidate the mechanisms by which MYBPC3 phospho‐regulation affects cardiac tissue organization, we studied ventricular myoarchitecture using generalized Q‐space imaging (GQI). GQI assessed geometric phenotype in excised hearts that had undergone transgenic (TG) modification of phospho‐regulatory serine sites to nonphosphorylatable alanines (MYBPC3^{AllP−/(t/t)}) or phospho‐mimetic aspartic acids (MYBPC3^AllP+/(t/t)).

Methods and Results

Myoarchitecture in the wild‐type (MYBPC3^WT) left‐ventricle (LV) varied with transmural position, with helix angles ranging from −90/+90 degrees and contiguous circular orientation from the LV mid‐myocardium to the right ventricle (RV). Whereas MYBPC3^AllP+/(t/t) hearts were not architecturally distinct from MYBPC3^WT, MYBPC3^{AllP−/(t/t)} hearts demonstrated a significant reduction in LV transmural helicity. Null MYBPC3^(t/t) hearts, as constituted by a truncated MYBPC3 protein, demonstrated global architectural disarray and loss in helicity. Electron microscopy was performed to correlate the observed macroscopic architectural changes with sarcomere ultrastructure and demonstrated that impaired phosphorylation of MYBPC3 resulted in modifications of the sarcomere aspect ratio and shear angle. The mechanical effect of helicity loss was assessed through a geometric model relating cardiac work to ejection fraction, confirming the mechanical impairments observed with echocardiography.

Conclusions

We conclude that phosphorylation of MYBPC3 contributes to the genesis of ventricular wall geometry, linking myofilament biology with multiscale cardiac mechanics and myoarchitecture.

Ascribing novel functions to the sarcomeric protein, myosin binding protein H (MyBPH) in cardiac sarcomere contraction

Myosin binding protein H (MyBPH) is a protein of unknown function, which shares sequence and structural similarities with myosin binding protein C (cMyBPC), a protein frequently implicated in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Given the similarity between cMyBPC and MyBPH, we proposed that MyBPH, like cMyBPC, could be involved in HCM pathogenesis and we therefore sought to determine its function. We identified MyBPH-interacting proteins by using yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) analysis. The role of MyBPH and cMyBPC in cardiac cell contractility was analysed by measuring the planar cell surface area of differentiated H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes in response to β-adrenergic stress after siRNA knockdown of MyBPH and cMyBPC. Individual knockdown of either protein had no effect on cardiac contractility, while concurrent knockdowns reduced cardiac contractility. These proteins therefore functionally compensate for one another and are critical for cardiac contractility. We further show that both proteins co-localise with the autophagosomal membrane protein LC3, suggesting that both proteins are involved in autophagosomal membrane maturation processes. The results of this study ascribe novel functions to MyBPH, which may contribute to our understanding of its role in the sarcomere. This study provides evidence for a potential role of MyBPH in HCM, which warrants further investigation.

Molecular modulation of actomyosin function by cardiac myosin-binding protein C

Cardiac myosin-binding protein C is a key regulator of cardiac contractility and is capable of both activating the thin filament to initiate actomyosin motion generation and governing maximal sliding velocities. While MyBP-C's C terminus localizes the molecule within the sarcomere, the N terminus appears to confer regulatory function by binding to the myosin motor domain and/or actin. Literature pertaining to how MyBP-C binding to the myosin motor domain and or actin leads to MyBP-C's dual modulatory roles that can impact actomyosin interactions are discussed.

Structure, interactions and function of the N-terminus of cardiac myosin binding protein C (MyBP-C): who does what, with what, and to whom?

The thick filament protein myosin-binding protein-C shows a highly modular architecture, with the C-terminal region responsible for tethering to the myosin and titin backbone of the thick filament. The N-terminal region shows the most significant differences between cardiac and skeletal muscle isogenes: an entire Ig-domain (C0) is added, together with highly regulated phosphorylation sites between Ig domains C1 and C2. These structural and functional differences at the N-terminus reflect important functions in cardiac muscle regulation in health and disease. Alternative interactions of this part of MyBP-C with the head-tail (S1-S2) junction of myosin or to actin filaments have been proposed, but with conflicting experimental evidence. The regulation of myosin or actin interaction by phosphorylation of the cardiac MyBP-C N-terminus may play an additional role in length-dependent contraction regulation. We discuss here the evidence for these proposed interactions, considering the required properties of MyBP-C, the way in which they may be regulated in muscle contraction and the way they might be related to heart disease. We also attempt to shed some light on experimental pitfalls and future strategies.

The dynamic role of cardiac myosin binding protein-C during ischemia

Cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) is a myofibrillar protein important for normal myocardial contractility and stability. In mutated form it can cause cardiomyopathy and heart failure. cMyBP-C appears to have separate regions for different functions. Three phosphorylation sites near the N terminus modulate contractility by their effect on both the kinetics of contraction and the binding site of the N-terminus. The C terminal region binds to myosin rods and stabilizes thick filament structure. The aim of the study reported here was to test whether cMyBPC is important in producing the structural and functional changes that result from ischemia/reperfusion. In this study the sequential changes in cMyBP-C, contractility, and thick filament structure following dephosphorylation of cMyBP-C associated with ischemia and reperfusion have been studied in biopsied specimens from chronically instrumented dogs. One and two dimensional electrophoresis, electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry with multiple antibodies generated against different domains in cMyBP-C have been used to follow structural changes in cMyBP-C. Ischemia produced dephosphorylation of cMyBP-C. Subsequent reperfusion released the dephosphorylated cMyBP-C from myofibrils and activated proteolysis of the cytoplasmic cMyBP-C. This in turn leads to increased vulnerability of cMyBP-C to proteolysis and increased degradation of thick filaments. The state of cMyBP-C appears to be closely related to phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of serine 282. In the absence of the stabilizing action of cMyBP-C either as a consequence of genetic mutation or dephosphorylation, premature degradation of thick filaments occurs and is accompanied by persistent contractile dysfunction.

Cardiac myosin binding protein C phosphorylation in cardiac disease

Perturbations in sarcomeric function may in part underlie systolic and diastolic dysfunction of the failing heart. Sarcomeric dysfunction has been ascribed to changes in phosphorylation status of sarcomeric proteins caused by an altered balance between intracellular kinases and phosphatases during the development of cardiac disease. In the present review we discuss changes in phosphorylation of the thick filament protein myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) reported in failing myocardium, with emphasis on phosphorylation changes observed in familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by mutations in MYBPC3. Moreover, we will discuss assays which allow to distinguish between functional consequences of mutant sarcomeric proteins and (mal)adaptive changes in sarcomeric protein phosphorylation.

A new state of cardiac myosin with very slow ATP turnover: a potential cardioprotective mechanism in the heart

The mechanisms that control cardiac contractility are complex. Recent work we conducted in vertebrate skeletal muscle identified a new state of myosin, the super-relaxed state (SRX), which had a very low metabolic rate. To determine whether this state also exists in cardiac muscle we used quantitative epi-fluorescence to measure single nucleotide turnovers by myosin in bundles of relaxed permeable rabbit ventricle cells. We measured two turnover times--one compatible with the normal relaxed state, and one much slower which was shown to arise from myosin heads in the SRX. In both skeletal and cardiac muscle, the SRX appears to play a similar role in relaxed cells, providing a state with a very low metabolic rate. However, in active muscle the properties of the SRX differ dramatically. We observed a rapid transition of myosin heads out of the SRX in active skeletal fibers, whereas the population of the SRX remained constant in active cardiac cells. This property allows the SRX to play a very different role in cardiac muscle than in skeletal muscle. The SRX could provide a mechanism for decreasing the metabolic load on the heart, being cardioprotective, particularly in time of stress such as ischemia.

Electron microscopy and 3D reconstruction of F-actin decorated with cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBP-C)

Myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-C) is an ∼130-kDa rod-shaped protein of the thick (myosin containing) filaments of vertebrate striated muscle. It is composed of 10 or 11 globular 10-kDa domains from the immunoglobulin and fibronectin type III families and an additional MyBP-C-specific motif. The cardiac isoform cMyBP-C plays a key role in the phosphorylation-dependent enhancement of cardiac function that occurs upon β-adrenergic stimulation, and mutations in MyBP-C cause skeletal muscle and heart diseases. In addition to binding to myosin, MyBP-C can also bind to actin via its N-terminal end, potentially modulating contraction in a novel way via this thick-thin filament bridge. To understand the structural basis of actin binding, we have used negative stain electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction to study the structure of F-actin decorated with bacterially expressed N-terminal cMyBP-C fragments. Clear decoration was obtained under a variety of salt conditions varying from 25 to 180 mM KCl concentration. Three-dimensional helical reconstructions, carried out at the 180-mM KCl level to minimize nonspecific binding, showed MyBP-C density over a broad portion of the periphery of subdomain 1 of actin and extending tangentially from its surface in the direction of actin's pointed end. Molecular fitting with an atomic structure of a MyBP-C Ig domain suggested that most of the N-terminal domains may be well ordered on actin. The location of binding was such that it could modulate tropomyosin position and would interfere with myosin head binding to actin.

Myomegalin is a novel A-kinase anchoring protein involved in the phosphorylation of cardiac myosin binding protein C

Background

Cardiac contractility is regulated by dynamic phosphorylation of sarcomeric proteins by kinases such as cAMP-activated protein kinase A (PKA). Efficient phosphorylation requires that PKA be anchored close to its targets by A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs). Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein-C (cMyBPC) and cardiac troponin I (cTNI) are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)-causing sarcomeric proteins which regulate contractility in response to PKA phosphorylation.

Results

During a yeast 2-hybrid (Y2H) library screen using a trisphosphorylation mimic of the C1-C2 region of cMyBPC, we identified isoform 4 of myomegalin (MMGL) as an interactor of this N-terminal cMyBPC region. As MMGL has previously been shown to interact with phosphodiesterase 4D, we speculated that it may be a PKA-anchoring protein (AKAP).

To investigate this possibility, we assessed the ability of MMGL isoform 4 to interact with PKA regulatory subunits R1A and R2A using Y2H-based direct protein-protein interaction assays. Additionally, to further elucidate the function of MMGL, we used it as bait to screen a cardiac cDNA library. Other PKA targets, viz. CARP, COMMD4, ENO1, ENO3 and cTNI were identified as putative interactors, with cTNI being the most frequent interactor.

We further assessed and confirmed these interactions by fluorescent 3D-co-localization in differentiated H9C2 cells as well as by in vivo co-immunoprecipitation. We also showed that quantitatively more interaction occurs between MMGL and cTNI under β-adrenergic stress. Moreover, siRNA-mediated knockdown of MMGL leads to reduction of cMyBPC levels under conditions of adrenergic stress, indicating that MMGL-assisted phosphorylation is requisite for protection of cMyBPC against proteolytic cleavage.

Conclusions

This study ascribes a novel function to MMGL isoform 4: it meets all criteria for classification as an AKAP, and we show that is involved in the phosphorylation of cMyBPC as well as cTNI, hence MMGL is an important regulator of cardiac contractility. This has further implications for understanding the patho-aetiology of HCM-causing mutations in the genes encoding cMyBPC and cTNI, and raises the question of whether MMGL might itself be considered a candidate HCM-causing or modifying factor.

The role of the myosin ATPase activity in adaptive thermogenesis by skeletal muscle

Resting skeletal muscle is a major contributor to adaptive thermogenesis, i.e., the thermogenesis that changes in response to exposure to cold or to overfeeding. The identification of the “furnace” that is responsible for increased heat generation in resting muscle has been the subject of a number of investigations. A new state of myosin, the super relaxed state (SRX), with a very slow ATP turnover rate has recently been observed in skeletal muscle (Stewart et al. in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:430–435, 2010). Inhibition of the myosin ATPase activity in the SRX was suggested to be caused by binding of the myosin head to the core of the thick filament in a structural motif identified earlier by electron microscopy. To be compatible with the basal metabolic rate observed in vivo for resting muscle, most myosin heads would have to be in the SRX. Modulation of the population of this state, relative to the normal relaxed state, was proposed to be a major contributor to adaptive thermogenesis in resting muscle. Transfer of only 20% of myosin heads from the SRX into the normal relaxed state would cause muscle thermogenesis to double. Phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain was shown to transfer myosin heads from the SRX into the relaxed state, which would increase thermogenesis. In particular, thermogenesis by myosin has been proposed to play a role in the dissipation of calories during overfeeding. Up-regulation of muscle thermogenesis by pharmaceuticals that target the SRX would provide new approaches to the treatment of obesity or high blood sugar levels.

Structure and interactions of myosin-binding protein C domain C0: cardiac-specific regulation of myosin at its neck?

Myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-C) is a multidomain protein present in the thick filaments of striated muscles and is involved in both sarcomere formation and contraction regulation. The latter function is believed to be located at the N terminus, which is close to the motor domain of myosin. The cardiac isoform of MyBP-C is linked to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Here, we use NMR spectroscopy and biophysical and biochemical assays to study the three-dimensional structure and interactions of the cardiac-specific Ig-like domain C0, a part of cardiac MyBP-C of which little is known. The structure confirmed that C0 is a member of the IgI class of proteins, showing many of the characteristic features of this fold. Moreover, we identify a novel interaction between C0 and the regulatory light chain of myosin, thus placing the N terminus of the protein in proximity to the motor domain of myosin. This novel interaction is disrupted by several cardiomyopathy-linked mutations in the MYBPC3 gene. These results provide new insights into how cardiac MyBP-C incorporates in the sarcomere and how it can contribute to the regulation of muscle contraction.

Expression of masticatory-specific isoforms of myosin heavy-chain, myosin-binding protein-C and tropomyosin in muscle fibers and satellite cell cultures of cat masticatory muscle

We test the hypothesis that cat jaw satellite cells belong to a distinct lineage preprogrammed to express masticatory-specific isoforms of myosin heavy-chain (m-MyHC), myosin-binding protein-C (m-MBP-C), and tropomyosin (m-Tm) during myogenesis in vitro. A monoclonal antibody (MAb) against m-MyHC and MAbs raised here against cat m-MBP-C and m-Tm were used to stain cryostat sections of cat masseter muscle and cultured myotubes derived from satellite cells of cat temporalis and limb muscles, using peroxidase immunohistochemistry. MAbs against m-MBP-C bound purified m-MBP-C in Western blots. MAbs against m-Tm failed to react with m-Tm in Western blots, but reacted with native m-Tm in gel electrophoresis-derived ELISA. In cat masseter sections, MAbs against m-MyHC, m-MBP-C, and m-Tm stained all masticatory fibers, but not the jaw-slow fibers. Cat jaw and limb muscle cultures mature significantly more slowly relative to rodent cultures. However, at 3 weeks, all three MAbs extensively stained temporalis myotubes, whereas they apparently stained isolated myotubes weakly in cat limb and rat jaw cultures. We conclude that satellite cells of masticatory fibers are preprogrammed to express these isoforms during myogenesis in vitro. These results consolidate the notion that masticatory and limb muscle allotypes are distinct.

Phosphorylation of contractile proteins in response to alpha- and beta-adrenergic stimulation in neonatal cardiomyocytes

alpha- and beta-Adrenergic receptor agonists induce an inotropic response in the adult heart by promoting the phosphorylation of several regulatory proteins, including myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-C), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and phospholamban (PLB). However, the adrenergic-induced phosphorylation of these proteins has not been characterized in the developing heart. Accordingly, we evaluated MyBP-C, cTnI, and PLB phosphorylation in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) after alpha- and beta-receptor activation with phenylephrine and isoproterenol. alpha-Receptor stimulation increased, whereas beta-receptor activation reduced MyBP-C phosphorylation. Isoelectric-focusing experiments indicated that the amount of monophosphorylated MyBP-C was sensitive to alpha-adrenergic activation, but diphosphorylated and triphosphorylated MyBP-C levels were largely unaffected. The phosphorylation of cTnI and PLB was consistent with the mechanism observed in adult hearts: alpha- and beta-Receptor stimulation phosphorylated both proteins. For cTnI, the greatest difference associated with beta-receptor activation was observed in the diphosphorylated state, whereas alpha-receptor activation was associated with a marked increase in the tetraphosphorylated protein and absence of the unphosphorylated state. Despite these apparent changes in cTnI and PLB phosphorylation, beta-receptor activation failed to alter calcium transients in NRCMs. Collectively, these findings suggest that, unlike cTnI and PLB, MyBP-C and inotropy are not coupled to beta-adrenergic stimulation in NRCMs. Therefore, cTnI and PLB probably play a more central role in modulating contractile function in NRCMs in response to catecholamines than does MyBP-C, and MyBP-C may have a structural role in stabilizing thick filament assembly rather than influencing cross-bridge formation in developing hearts.

Myosin ATP turnover rate is a mechanism involved in thermogenesis in resting skeletal muscle fibers

Thermogenesis by resting muscle varies with conditions and plays an active role in homeostasis of body weight. The low metabolic rate of living resting muscles requires that ATP turnover by myosin be inhibited relative to the purified protein in vitro. This inhibition has not been previously seen in in vitro systems. We used quantitative epifluorescence microscopy of fluorescent nucleotides to measure single nucleotide turnovers in relaxed, permeable skeletal muscle fibers. We observed two lifetimes for nucleotide release by myosin: a fast component with a lifetime of approximately 20 s, similar to that of purified myosin, and a slower component with a lifetime of 230 +/- 24 s. We define the latter component to be the "super relaxed state." The fraction of myosins in the super relaxed state was decreased at lower temperatures, by substituting GTP for ATP or by increased levels of myosin phosphorylation. All of these conditions have also been shown to cause increased disorder in the structure of the thick filament. We propose a model in which the structure of the thick filament modulates the nucleotide turnover rates of myosin in relaxed fibers. Modulation of the relative populations of the super relaxed and conventional relaxed states could have a profound effect on muscle thermogenesis, with the capacity to also significantly alter whole-body metabolic rate.

Phosphorylation and function of cardiac myosin binding protein-C in health and disease

During the past 5 years there has been an increasing body of literature describing the roles cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) phosphorylation play in regulating cardiac function and heart failure. cMyBP-C is a sarcomeric thick filament protein that interacts with titin, myosin and actin to regulate sarcomeric assembly, structure and function. Elucidating the function of cMyBP-C is clinically important because mutations in this protein have been linked to cardiomyopathy in more than sixty million people worldwide. One function of cMyBP-C is to regulate cross-bridge formation through dynamic phosphorylation by protein kinase A, protein kinase C and Ca(2+)-calmodulin-activated kinase II, suggesting that cMyBP-C phosphorylation serves as a highly coordinated point of contractile regulation. Moreover, dephosphorylation of cMyBP-C, which accelerates its degradation, has been shown to associate with the development of heart failure in mouse models and in humans. Strikingly, cMyBP-C phosphorylation presents a potential target for therapeutic development as protection against ischemic-reperfusion injury, which has been demonstrated in mouse hearts. Also, emerging evidence suggests that cMyBP-C has the potential to be used as a biomarker for diagnosing myocardial infarction. Although many aspects of cMyBP-C phosphorylation and function remain poorly understood, cMyBP-C and its phosphorylation states have significant promise as a target for therapy and for providing a better understanding of the mechanics of heart function during health and disease. In this review we discuss the most recent findings with respect to cMyBP-C phosphorylation and function and determine potential future directions to better understand the functional role of cMyBP-C and phosphorylation in sarcomeric structure, myocardial contractility and cardioprotection.

Protruding masticatory (superfast) myosin heads from staggered thick filaments of dog jaw muscle revealed by X-ray diffraction

To characterize the structure of jaw muscle fibres expressing masticatory (superfast) myosin, X-ray diffraction patterns of glycerinated fibres of dog masseter were compared with those of dog tibialis anterior in the relaxed state. Meridional reflections of masseter fibres were laterally broad, indicating that myosin filaments are staggered along the filament axis. Compared with tibialis anterior fibres, the peak of the first myosin layer line of masseter fibres was lower in intensity and shifted towards the meridian, while lattice spacings were larger at a similar sarcomere length. These suggest that the myosin heads of masticatory fibres are mobile, and tend to protrude from the filament shaft towards actin filaments. Lowering temperature or treating with N-phenylmaleimide shifted the peak of the first myosin layer line of tibialis anterior fibres towards the meridian and the resulting profile resembled that of masseter fibres. This suggests that the protruding mobile heads in the non-treated masticatory fibres are in the ATP-bound state. The increased population of weakly binding cross-bridges may contribute towards the high specific force of masticatory fibres during contraction. Electron micrographs confirmed the staggered alignment of thick filaments along the filament axis within sarcomeres of masticatory fibres, a feature that may confer efficient force development over a wide range of the sarcomere lengths.

Phosphorylation and the N-terminal extension of the regulatory light chain help orient and align the myosin heads in Drosophila flight muscle

X-ray diffraction of the indirect flight muscle (IFM) in living Drosophila at rest and electron microscopy of intact and glycerinated IFM was used to compare the effects of mutations in the regulatory light chain (RLC) on sarcomeric structure. Truncation of the RLC N-terminal extension (Dmlc2(Delta2-46)) or disruption of the phosphorylation sites by substituting alanines (Dmlc2(S66A, S67A)) decreased the equatorial intensity ratio (I(20)/I(10)), indicating decreased myosin mass associated with the thin filaments. Phosphorylation site disruption (Dmlc2(S66A, S67A)), but not N-terminal extension truncation (Dmlc2(Delta2-46)), decreased the 14.5nm reflection intensity, indicating a spread of the axial distribution of the myosin heads. The arrangement of thick filaments and myosin heads in electron micrographs of the phosphorylation mutant (Dmlc2(S66A, S67A)) appeared normal in the relaxed and rigor states, but when calcium activated, fewer myosin heads formed cross-bridges. In transgenic flies with both alterations to the RLC (Dmlc2(Delta2-46; S66A, S67A)), the effects of the dual mutation were additive. The results suggest that the RLC N-terminal extension serves as a "tether" to help pre-position the myosin heads for attachment to actin, while phosphorylation of the RLC promotes head orientations that allow optimal interactions with the thin filament.

Cardiac myosin binding protein-C is essential for thick-filament stability and flexural rigidity

Using atomic force microscopy, we examined the contribution of cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) to thick-filament length and flexural rigidity. Native thick filaments were isolated from the hearts of transgenic mice bearing a truncation mutation of cMyBP-C (t/t) that results in no detectable cMyBP-C and from age-matched wild-type controls (+/+). Atomic force microscopy images of these filaments were evaluated with an automated analysis algorithm that identified filament position and shape. The t/t thick-filament length (1.48 +/- 0.02 microm) was significantly (P < 0.01) shorter than +/+ (1.56 +/- 0.02 microm). This 5%-shorter thick-filament length in the t/t was reflected in 4% significantly shorter sarcomere lengths of relaxed isolated cardiomyocytes of the t/t (1.97 +/- 0.01 microm) compared to +/+ (2.05 +/- 0.01 microm). To determine if cMyBP-C contributes to the mechanical properties of thick filaments, we used statistical polymer chain mechanics to calculate a per-filament-specific persistence length, an index of flexural rigidity directly proportional to Young's modulus. Thick-filament-specific persistence length in the t/t (373 +/- 62 microm) was significantly lower than in +/+ (639 +/- 101 microm). Accordingly, Young's modulus of t/t thick filaments was approximately 60% of +/+. These results provide what we consider a new understanding for the critical role of cMyBP-C in defining normal cardiac output by sustaining force and muscle stiffness.

Myosin binding protein C positioned to play a key role in regulation of muscle contraction: structure and interactions of domain C1

Myosin binding protein C (MyBP-C) is a thick filament protein involved in the regulation of muscle contraction. Mutations in the gene for MyBP-C are the second most frequent cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. MyBP-C binds to myosin with two binding sites, one at its C-terminus and another at its N-terminus. The N-terminal binding site, consisting of immunoglobulin domains C1 and C2 connected by a flexible linker, interacts with the S2 segment of myosin in a phosphorylation-regulated manner. It is assumed that the function of MyBP-C is to act as a tether that fixes the S1 heads in a resting position and that phosphorylation releases the S1 heads into an active state. Here, we report the structure and binding properties of domain C1. Using a combination of site-directed mutagenesis and NMR interaction experiments, we identified the binding site of domain C1 in the immediate vicinity of the S1–S2 hinge, very close to the light chains. In addition, we identified a zinc binding site on domain C1 in close proximity to the S2 binding site. Its zinc binding affinity (K_d of approximately 10–20 μM) might not be sufficient for a physiological effect. However, the familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-related mutation of one of the zinc ligands, glutamine 210 to histidine, will significantly increase the binding affinity, suggesting that this mutation may affect S2 binding. The close proximity of the C1 binding site to the hinge, the light chains and the S1 heads also provides an explanation for recent observations that (a) shorter fragments of MyBP-C unable to act as a tether still have an effect on the actomyosin ATPase and (b) as to why the myosin head positions in phosphorylated wild-type mice and MyBP-C knockout mice are so different: Domain C1 bound to the S1–S2 hinge is able to manipulate S1 head positions, thus influencing force generation without tether. The potentially extensive extra interactions of C1 are expected to keep it in place, while phosphorylation dislodges the C1–C2 linker and domain C2. As a result, the myosin heads would always be attached to a tether that has phosphorylation-dependent length regulation.

The death of transcriptional chauvinism in the control and regulation of cardiac contractility

In the last 25 years we have witnessed the triumph of the genome. There are now well over 200 complete genome sequences. The application of modern solid state technologies to genomic sequencing promises affordable personalized sequences for the individual in the very near future. With this explosion in DNA sequence data, the focus in the immediate past has been on the primary DNA sequence, the cis-trans interactions that underlie controlled transcription, cataloging the transcriptome, and applying rudimentary systems analysis to those data sets in an attempt to assign molecular signatures to normal and abnormal physiological states. However, it is becoming clear that the post-transcriptional processes, which operate at the levels of RNA stability and selection for translational initiation, as well as the post-translational processes of protein stability, trafficking, and secondary modifications, such as phosphorylation, all play key roles in the homeostasis of the contractile apparatus and its overall function. Defining the interplay of these processes, in concert with the signaling pathways that allow transcription, translation, and post-translational processes to be quickly modified in response to events outside of the cardiomyocyte are leading to an understanding of the spatial and temporal requirements for each of these processes in controlling cardiac output. In order to confirm the importance of post-translational modification in controlling cardiac contractility in vivo, we examined the role that post-translational modification of an important component of the cardiac contractile apparatus, myosin binding protein C (MyBP-C), plays in the normal and diseased heart by creating transgenic mice in which the effects of chronic cardiac MyBP-C phosphorylation and dephosphorylation could be determined.

Cardiac myosin binding protein-C modulates actomyosin binding and kinetics in the in vitro motility assay

The modulatory role of whole cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) on myosin force and motion generation was assessed in an in vitro motility assay. The presence of cMyBP-C at an approximate molar ratio of cMyBP-C to whole myosin of 1:2, resulted in a 25% reduction in thin filament velocity (P<0.002) with no effect on relative isometric force under maximally activated conditions (pCa 5). Cardiac MyBP-C was capable of inhibiting actin filament velocity in a concentration-dependent manner using either whole myosin, HMM or S1, indicating that the cMyBP-C does not have to bind to myosin LMM or S2 subdomains to exert its effect. The reduction in velocity by cMyBP-C was independent of changes in ionic strength or excess inorganic phosphate. Co-sedimentation experiments demonstrated S1 binding to actin is reduced as a function of cMyBP-C concentration in the presence of ATP. In contrast, S1 avidly bound to actin in the absence of ATP and limited cMyBP-C binding, indicating that cMyBP-C and S1 compete for actin binding in an ATP-dependent fashion. However, based on the relationship between thin filament velocity and filament length, the cMyBP-C induced reduction in velocity was independent of the number of cross-bridges interacting with the thin filament. In conclusion, the effects of cMyBP-C on velocity and force at both maximal and submaximal activation demonstrate that cMyBP-C does not solely act as a tether between the myosin S2 and LMM subdomains but likely affects both the kinetics and recruitment of myosin cross-bridges through its direct interaction with actin and/or myosin head.

The structure of isolated cardiac Myosin thick filaments from cardiac Myosin binding protein-C knockout mice

Mutations in the thick filament associated protein cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) are a major cause of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Although cMyBP-C is thought to play both a structural and a regulatory role in the contraction of cardiac muscle, detailed information about the role of this protein in stability of the thick filament and maintenance of the ordered helical arrangement of the myosin cross-bridges is limited. To address these questions, the structure of myosin thick filaments isolated from the hearts of wild-type mice containing cMyBP-C (cMyBP-C(+/+)) were compared to those of cMyBP-C knockout mice lacking this protein (cMyBp-C(-/-)). The filaments from the knockout mice hearts lacking cMyBP-C are stable and similar in length and appearance to filaments from the wild-type mice hearts containing cMyBP-C. Both wild-type and many of the cMyBP-C(-/-) filaments display a distinct 43 nm periodicity. Fourier transforms of electron microscope images typically show helical layer lines to the sixth layer line, confirming the well-ordered arrangement of the cross-bridges in both sets of filaments. However, the "forbidden" meridional reflections, thought to derive from a perturbation from helical symmetry in the wild-type filament, are weaker or absent in the transforms of the cMyBP-C(-/-) myocardial thick filaments. In addition, the cross-bridge array in the absence of cMyBP-C appears more easily disordered.

Control of in vivo left ventricular [correction] contraction/relaxation kinetics by myosin binding protein C: protein kinase A phosphorylation dependent and independent regulation

BACKGROUND

Cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) is a thick-filament protein whose presence and phosphorylation by protein kinase A (PKA) regulates cross-bridge formation and kinetics in isolated myocardium. We tested the influence of cMyBP-C and its PKA-phosphorylation on contraction/relaxation kinetics in intact hearts and revealed its essential role in several classic properties of cardiac function.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Comprehensive in situ cardiac pressure-volume analysis was performed in mice harboring a truncation mutation of cMyBP-C (cMyBP-C(t/t)) that resulted in nondetectable protein versus hearts re-expressing solely wild-type (cMyBP-C(WT:(t/t))) or mutated protein in which known PKA-phosphorylation sites were constitutively suppressed (cMyBP-C(AllP-:(t/t))). Hearts lacking cMyBP-C had faster early systolic activation, which then terminated prematurely, limiting ejection. Systole remained short at faster heart rates; thus, cMyBP-C(t/t) hearts displayed minimal rate-dependent decline in diastolic time and cardiac preload. Furthermore, prolongation of pressure relaxation by afterload was markedly blunted in cMyBP-C(t/t) hearts. All 3 properties were similarly restored to normal in cMyBP-C(WT:(t/t)) and cMyBP-C(AllP-:(t/t)) hearts, which supports independence of PKA-phosphorylation. However, the dependence of peak rate of pressure rise on preload was specifically depressed in cMyBP-C(AllP-:(t/t)) hearts, whereas cMyBP-C(t/t) and cMyBP-C(AllP-:(t/t)) hearts had similar blunted adrenergic and rate-dependent contractile reserve, which supports linkage of these behaviors to PKA-cMyBP-C modification.

CONCLUSIONS

cMyBP-C is essential for major properties of cardiac function, including sustaining systole during ejection, the heart-rate dependence of the diastolic time period, and relaxation delay from increased arterial afterload. These are independent of its phosphorylation by PKA, which more specifically modulates early pressure rise rate and adrenergic/heart rate reserve.

Multiple forms of cardiac myosin-binding protein C exist and can regulate thick filament stability

Although absence or abnormality of cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) produces serious structural and functional abnormalities of the heart, function of the protein itself is not clearly understood, and the cause of the abnormalities, unidentified. Here we report that a major function of cMyBP-C may be regulating the stability of the myosin-containing contractile filaments through phosphorylation of cMyBP-C. Antibodies were raised against three different regions of cMyBP-C to detect changes in structure within the molecule, and loss of myosin heavy chain was used to monitor degradation of the thick filament. Results from Western blotting and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicate that cMyBP-C can exist in two different forms that produce, respectively, stable and unstable thick filaments. The stable form has well-ordered myosin heads and requires phosphorylation of the cMyBP-C. The unstable form has disordered myosin heads. In tissue with intact cardiac cells, the unstable unphosphorylated cMyBP-C is more easily proteolyzed, causing thick filaments first to release cMyBP-C and/or its proteolytic peptides and then myosin. Filaments deficient in cMyBP-C are fragmented by shear force well tolerated by the stable form. We hypothesize that modulation of filament stability can be coupled at the molecular level with the strength of contraction by the sensitivity of each to the concentration of calcium ions.

Dissecting the N-terminal Myosin Binding Site of Human Cardiac Myosin-binding Protein C

Myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-C) binds to myosin with two binding sites, one close to the N terminus and the other at the C terminus. Here we present the solution structure of one part of the N-terminal binding site, the third immunoglobulin domain of the cardiac isoform of human MyBP-C (cC2) together with a model of its interaction with myosin. Domain cC2 has the beta-sandwich structure expected from a member of the immunoglobulin fold. The C-terminal part of the structure of cC2 is very closely related to telokin, the myosin binding fragment of myosin light chain kinase. Domain cC2 also contains two cysteines on neighboring strands F and G, which would be able to form a disulfide bridge in a similar position as in telokin. Using NMR spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry we demonstrate that cC2 alone binds to a fragment of myosin, S2Delta, with low affinity (kD = 1.1 mM) but exhibits a highly specific binding site. This consists of the C-terminal surface of the C'CFGA' beta-sheet, which includes Glu(301), a residue mutated to Gln in the disease familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The binding site on S2 was identified by a combination of NMR binding experiments of cC2 with S2Delta containing the cardiomyopathy-linked mutation R870H and molecular modeling. This mutation lowers the binding affinity and changes the arrangement of side chains at the interface. Our model of the cC2-S2Delta complex gives a first glimpse of details of the MyBP-C-myosin interaction. Using this model we suggest that most key interactions are between polar amino acids, explaining why the mutations E301Q in cC2 and R870H in S2Delta could be involved in cardiomyopathy. We expect that this model will stimulate future research to further refine the details of this interaction and their importance for cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac myosin binding protein C phosphorylation is cardioprotective

Cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) has three phosphorylatable serines at its N terminus (Ser-273, Ser-282, and Ser-302), and the residues' phosphorylation states may alter thick filament structure and function. To examine the effects of cMyBP-C phosphorylation, we generated transgenic mice with cardiac-specific expression of a cMyBP-C in which the three phosphorylation sites were mutated to aspartic acid, mimicking constitutive phosphorylation (cMyBP-C(AllP+)). The allele was bred into a cMyBP-C null background (cMyBP-C((t/t))) to ensure the absence of endogenous dephosphorylated cMyBP-C. cMyBP-C(AllP+) was incorporated normally into the cardiac sarcomere and restored normal cardiac function in the null background. However, subtle changes in sarcomere ultrastructure, characterized by increased distances between the thick filaments, indicated that phosphomimetic cMyBP-C affects thick-thin filament relationships, and yeast two-hybrid data and pull-down studies both showed that charged residues in these positions effectively prevented interaction with the myosin heavy chain. Confirming the physiological relevance of these data, the cMyBP-C(AllP+:(t/t)) hearts were resistant to ischemia-reperfusion injury. These data demonstrate that cMyBP-C phosphorylation functions in maintaining thick filament spacing and structure and can help protect the myocardium from ischemic injury.

J. Cardiac myosin-binding protein-C phosphorylation and cardiac function

The role of cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) phosphorylation in cardiac physiology or pathophysiology is unclear. To investigate the status of cMyBP-C phosphorylation in vivo, we determined its phosphorylation state in stressed and unstressed mouse hearts. cMyBP-C phosphorylation is significantly decreased during the development of heart failure or pathologic hypertrophy. We then generated transgenic (TG) mice in which the phosphorylation sites of cMyBP-C were changed to nonphosphorylatable alanines (MyBP-C(AllP-)). A TG line showing &40% replacement with MyBP-C(AllP-) showed no changes in morbidity or mortality but displayed depressed cardiac contractility, altered sarcomeric structure and upregulation of transcripts associated with a hypertrophic response. To explore the effect of complete replacement of endogenous cMyBP-C with MyBP-C(AllP-), the mice were bred into the MyBP-C(t/t) background, in which less than 10% of normal levels of a truncated MyBP-C are present. Although MyBP-C(AllP-) was incorporated into the sarcomere and expressed at normal levels, the mutant protein could not rescue the MyBP-C(t/t) phenotype. The mice developed significant cardiac hypertrophy with myofibrillar disarray and fibrosis, similar to what was observed in the MyBP-C(t/t) animals. In contrast, when the MyBP-C(t/t) mice were bred to a TG line expressing normal MyBP-C (MyBP-CWT), the MyBP-C(t/t) phenotype was rescued. These data suggest that cMyBP-C phosphorylation is essential for normal cardiac function.

Thin Filament Remodeling in Failing Myocardium

While the remodeling process in myocardial failure involves changes in ventricular structure and performance, it is now appreciated that it is also associated with changes in thin filament composition and function. As is discussed, changes at the level thick filament may affect thin filament activation in heart failure. Alterations in actin, troponin and tropomyosin isoform composition do not appear to be significant factors in human heart failure. In contrast, proteolytic degradation of troponin subunits are likely to be playing a functional role in some forms of cardiomyopathy (e.g. ischemic). Finally, phosphorylation of troponin I and troponin T by kinases (most notably protein kinase C) substantially affect thin filament function in failing human myocardium. These findings indicate that functional deficits in thin filament function in failing myocardium are largely reversible and create the potential for future targeted therapies in the treatment of this deadly disease.

Myosin-binding protein C phosphorylation, myofibril structure, and contractile function during low-flow ischemia

BACKGROUND

Contractile dysfunction develops in the chronically instrumented canine myocardium after bouts of low-flow ischemia and persists after reperfusion. The objective of this study is to identify whether changes in the phosphorylation state of myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-C) are a potential cause of dysfunction.

METHODS AND RESULTS

During low-flow ischemia, MyBP-C is dephosphorylated, and the number of actomyosin cross-bridges in the central core of the sarcomere decreases as thick filaments dissemble from the periphery of the myofibril. During reperfusion, MyBP-C remains dephosphorylated, and its degradation is accelerated.

CONCLUSIONS

Dephosphorylation of MyBP-C may initiate changes in myofibril thick filament structure that decrease the interaction of myosin heads with actin thin filaments. Limiting the formation of actomyosin cross-bridges may contribute to the contractile dysfunction that is apparent after low-flow ischemia. Breakdown of MyBP-C during reperfusion may prolong myocardial stunning.

Effect of MyBP-C binding to actin on contractility in heart muscle

In contrast to skeletal muscle isoforms of myosin binding protein C (MyBP-C), the cardiac isoform has 11 rather than 10 fibronectin or Ig modules (modules are identified as C0 to C10, NH2 to COOH terminus), 3 phosphorylation sites between modules C1 and C2, and 28 additional amino acids rich in proline in C5. Phosphorylation between C1 and C2 increases maximum Ca-activated force (Fmax), alters thick filament structure, and increases the probability of myosin heads on the thick filament binding to actin on the thin filament. Unphosphorylated C1C2 fragment binds to myosin, but phosphorylation inhibits the binding. MyBP-C also binds to actin. Using two types of immunoprecipitation and cosedimentation, we show that fragments of MyBP-C containing C0 bind to actin. In low concentrations C0-containing fragments bind to skinned fibers when the NH2 terminus of endogenous MyBP-C is bound to myosin, but not when MyBP-C is bound to actin. C1C2 fragments bind to skinned fibers when endogenous MyBP-C is bound to actin but not to myosin. Disruption of interactions of endogenous C0 with a high concentration of added C0C2 fragments produces the same effect on contractility as extraction of MyBP-C, namely decrease in Fmax and increase in Ca sensitivity. These results suggest that cardiac contractility can be regulated by shifting the binding of the NH2 terminus of MyBP-C between actin and myosin. This mechanism may have an effect on diastolic filling of the heart.

Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein C

Myosin binding protein-C (MyBP-C) is a thick filament–associated protein localized to the crossbridge-containing C zones of striated muscle sarcomeres. The cardiac isoform is composed of eight immunoglobulin I–like domains and three fibronectin 3–like domains and is known to be a physiological substrate of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. MyBP-C contributes to thick filament structure via interactions at its C-terminus with the light meromyosin section of the myosin rod and with titin. The protein also has a role in the regulation of contraction, due to the binding of its N-terminus to the subfragment-2 portion of myosin, which reduces actomyosin ATPase activity; phosphorylation abolishes this interaction, resulting in release of the “brake” on crossbridge cycling. Several structural models of the interaction of MyBP-C with myosin have been proposed, although its precise arrangement on the thick filament remains to be elucidated. Mutations in the gene encoding cardiac MyBP-C are a common cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and this has led to increased interest in the protein’s function. Investigation of disease-causing mutations in domains with unknown function has led to further insights into the mechanism of cMyBP-C action. This Review aims to collate the published data on those aspects of MyBP-C that are well characterized and to consider new and emerging data that further define its structural and regulatory roles and its arrangement in the sarcomere. We also speculate on the mechanisms by which hypertrophic cardiomyopathy–causing truncation and missense mutations affect the normal functioning of the sarcomere.

Myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-C) in cardiac muscle and contractility

Both the MyBP-C motif between C1 and C2 and the C5 module are important regions for implementing the effect of MyBP-C on myosin and on contractility but in different ways. C5 may determine the folding of MyBP-C and the manner in which MyBP-C interacts with myosin. In spite of its apparent importance this interaction does not appear to be physiologically regulated. Its alteration by mutation however can have a major effect on contractility. On the other hand, the effect of the motif is regulated by phosphorylation and appears to be an important part of a physiological mechanism(s) for modulating contractility. Thick filaments isolated from cardiac muscle exist in one of three different structures (Levine et al 2001). Different degrees of phosphorylation of MyBP-C can produce transitions among the three structures. The combination of the binding results of Flashman et al (2002) with the data of McClellan et al (2001) suggests that the C5 interaction with C8 is critical in maintaining the normal structure of thick filaments and the normal function of the force generators in the filaments. The cardiac-specific sequence in C5 and its normal interaction with another part of the same or a different MyBP-C may be required for the correct 3 dimensional shape of the three MyBP-C molecules at each locus in the C zone and the normal structure of the thick filament. The normal interactions may be necessary to allow transitions in binding and filament structure that are associated with phosphorylation of the MyBP-C motif.

Role of Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein C in Sustaining Left Ventricular Systolic Stiffening

Despite advances in the molecular biology of cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C), little is understood about its precise role in muscle contraction, particularly in the intact heart. We tested the hypothesis that cMyBP-C is central to the time course and magnitude of left ventricular systolic elastance (chamber stiffening), and assessed mechanisms for this influence in intact hearts, trabeculae, and skinned fibers from wild-type (+/+) and homozygous truncated cMyBP-C (t/t) male mice. cMyBP-C protein was not detected by gel electrophoresis or Western blot in t/t myocardium. cMyBP-C t/t ventricles displayed reduced peak elastance, but more strikingly a marked abbreviation of the systolic elastance time course, which peaked earlier (27.6±2.1 ms) than in +/+ controls (47.8±1.6 ms). Control hearts reached only 42±4% of maximum elastance at the onset of ejection, with substantial further stiffening during ejection. This contrasted to t/t mutants, which reached 77±3% of peak elastance before ejection of peak. These unusual findings were not observed in alternative models involving severe cardiomyopathy, but were recapitulated in a cMyBP-C null mouse. The abbreviated elastance time course and lower peak were consistent with earlier time-to-peak trabecular tension, increased unloaded shortening velocity in t/t skinned muscle strips, and dramatically reduced myofilament stiffness at diastolic calcium concentrations. These results provide novel insights into the role of cMyBP-C in myocardial systolic mechanics. Abnormal sarcomere shortening velocity and abbreviated muscle stiffening may underlie development of cardiac dysfunction associated with deficient incorporation of cMyBP-C.

Effect of extraction of myosin binding protein C on contractility of rat heart

Human hearts with reduced or mutant myosin binding protein C (MyBP-C) undergo hypertrophy and dilation, suggesting that reduction or alteration of MyBP-C interferes with normal contraction. Extraction of 60-70% of MyBP-C over 1 h from a mechanically disrupted cardiac myocyte has been shown to increase Ca sensitivity but does not appear to impair development of maximum Ca-activated force (Fmax). To determine whether loss of MyBP-C over a longer period of time will decrease force development in a reversible manner, MyBP-C has been extracted from chemically skinned rat cardiac trabeculae for 1-4 h, and force production, Ca sensitivity, and thick filament structure were measured. Although extraction of MyBP-C for 1 h did not alter Fmax, after 4 h, myosin heads became disordered and Fmax decreased. At this point, incubation of the trabeculae with rat cardiac MyBP-C in a relaxing solution reversed the decline in Fmax and most of the change in order of myosin heads. Extraction of MyBP-C appears to produce a change in the orientation of myosin heads that is associated with a decreased ability of the contractile system to develop force.

Solution structure of heavy meromyosin by small-angle scattering

Elucidation of x-ray crystal structures for the S1 subfragment of myosin afforded atomic resolution of the nucleotide and actin binding sites of the enzyme. The structures have led to more detailed hypotheses regarding the mechanisms by which force generation is coupled to ATP hydrolysis. However, the three-dimensional structure of double-headed myosin consisting of two S1 subfragments has not yet been solved. Therefore, to investigate the overall shape and relative orientations of the two heads of myosin, we performed small-angle x-ray and neutron scattering measurements of heavy meromyosin containing all three light chains (LC(1-3)) in solution. The resulting small-angle scattering intensity profiles were best fit by models of the heavy meromyosin head-tail junction in which the angular separation between heads was less than 180 degrees. The S1 heads of the best fit models are not related by an axis of symmetry, and one of the two S1 heads is bent back along the rod. These results provide new information on the structure of the head-tail junction of myosin and indicate that combining scattering measurements with high resolution structural modeling is a feasible approach for investigating myosin head-head interactions in solution.

Identification of novel interactions between domains of Myosin binding protein-C that are modulated by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy missense mutations

Cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBPC) is a modular protein consisting of 11 domains whose precise function and sarcomeric arrangement are incompletely understood. Identification of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)--causing missense mutations in cMyBPC has highlighted the significance of certain domains. Of particular interest is domain C5, an immunoglobulin-like domain with a cardiac-specific insert, which is of unknown function yet is the site of two HCM-causing missense mutations. To identify interactors with this region, a human cardiac cDNA library was screened in a yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assay using the C5 sequence as bait. Screening >7x10(6) clones surprisingly revealed that domain C5 preferentially bound to clones encoding C-terminal fragments of cMyBPC; the interacting region was narrowed to domain C8 by deletion mapping. A surface plasmon resonance assay using purified recombinant cMyBPC domains was used to measure the affinity of C5 and C8 in vitro (K(a)=1x10(5) mol/L(-1)). This affinity was decreased about 2-fold by the HCM mutation R654H, and by at least 10-fold by the mutation N755K. Further Y2H assays also demonstrated specific binding between domains C7 and C10 of cMyBPC. Based on these novel interactions, and previous biochemical and structural data, we propose that cMyBPC molecules trimerize into a collar around the thick filament, with overlaps of domains C5-C7 of one cMyBPC with C8-C10 of another. We speculate that this interaction may be dynamically formed and released, thereby restricting or favoring cross-bridge formation, respectively. We suggest that the HCM mutations act by altering the cMyBPC collar, indicating its importance in thick filament structure and regulation.