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Barry ME, Rynkiewicz MJ, Pavadai E, Viana A, Lehman W, Moore JR. Glutamate 139 of tropomyosin is critical for cardiac thin filament blocked-state stabilization. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2024; 188:30-37. [PMID: 38266978 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2024.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The cardiac thin filament proteins troponin and tropomyosin control actomyosin formation and thus cardiac contractility. Calcium binding to troponin changes tropomyosin position along the thin filament, allowing myosin head binding to actin required for heart muscle contraction. The thin filament regulatory proteins are hot spots for genetic mutations causing heart muscle dysfunction. While much of the thin filament structure has been characterized, critical regions of troponin and tropomyosin involved in triggering conformational changes remain unresolved. A poorly resolved region, helix-4 (H4) of troponin I, is thought to stabilize tropomyosin in a position on actin that blocks actomyosin interactions at low calcium concentrations during muscle relaxation. We have proposed that contact between glutamate 139 on tropomyosin and positively charged residues on H4 leads to blocking-state stabilization. In this study, we attempted to disrupt these interactions by replacing E139 with lysine (E139K) to define the importance of this residue in thin filament regulation. Comparison of mutant and wild-type tropomyosin was carried out using in-vitro motility assays, actin co-sedimentation, and molecular dynamics simulations to determine perturbations in troponin-tropomyosin function caused by the tropomyosin mutation. Motility assays revealed that mutant thin filaments moved at higher velocity at low calcium with increased calcium sensitivity demonstrating that tropomyosin residue 139 is vital for proper tropomyosin-mediated inhibition during relaxation. Similarly, molecular dynamic simulations revealed a mutation-induced decrease in interaction energy between tropomyosin-E139K and troponin I (R170 and K174). These results suggest that salt-bridge stabilization of tropomyosin position by troponin IH4 is essential to prevent actomyosin interactions during cardiac muscle relaxation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan E Barry
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, One University Ave, Lowell, MA 01854, United States of America
| | - Michael J Rynkiewicz
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisan School of Medicine, 700 Albany Street, W-408E, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America
| | - Elumalai Pavadai
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisan School of Medicine, 700 Albany Street, W-408E, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America
| | - Alex Viana
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, One University Ave, Lowell, MA 01854, United States of America
| | - William Lehman
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisan School of Medicine, 700 Albany Street, W-408E, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey R Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, One University Ave, Lowell, MA 01854, United States of America.
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2
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Wiseman RW, Brown CM, Beck TW, Brault JJ, Reinoso TR, Shi Y, Chase PB. Creatine Kinase Equilibration and ΔG ATP over an Extended Range of Physiological Conditions: Implications for Cellular Energetics, Signaling, and Muscle Performance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13244. [PMID: 37686064 PMCID: PMC10487889 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In this report, we establish a straightforward method for estimating the equilibrium constant for the creatine kinase reaction (CK Keq″) over wide but physiologically and experimentally relevant ranges of pH, Mg2+ and temperature. Our empirical formula for CK Keq″ is based on experimental measurements. It can be used to estimate [ADP] when [ADP] is below the resolution of experimental measurements, a typical situation because [ADP] is on the order of micromolar concentrations in living cells and may be much lower in many in vitro experiments. Accurate prediction of [ADP] is essential for in vivo studies of cellular energetics and metabolism and for in vitro studies of ATP-dependent enzyme function under near-physiological conditions. With [ADP], we were able to obtain improved estimates of ΔGATP, necessitating the reinvestigation of previously reported ADP- and ΔGATP-dependent processes. Application to actomyosin force generation in muscle provides support for the hypothesis that, when [Pi] varies and pH is not altered, the maximum Ca2+-activated isometric force depends on ΔGATP in both living and permeabilized muscle preparations. Further analysis of the pH studies introduces a novel hypothesis around the role of submicromolar ADP in force generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Woodbury Wiseman
- Departments of Physiology and Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
| | - Caleb Micah Brown
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Thomas Wesley Beck
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jeffrey John Brault
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
| | - Tyler Robert Reinoso
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Yun Shi
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Prescott Bryant Chase
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
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3
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Tikunova SB, Thuma J, Davis JP. Mouse Models of Cardiomyopathies Caused by Mutations in Troponin C. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12349. [PMID: 37569724 PMCID: PMC10419064 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiac muscle contraction is regulated via Ca2+ exchange with the hetero-trimeric troponin complex located on the thin filament. Binding of Ca2+ to cardiac troponin C, a Ca2+ sensing subunit within the troponin complex, results in a series of conformational re-arrangements among the thin filament components, leading to an increase in the formation of actomyosin cross-bridges and muscle contraction. Ultimately, a decline in intracellular Ca2+ leads to the dissociation of Ca2+ from troponin C, inhibiting cross-bridge cycling and initiating muscle relaxation. Therefore, troponin C plays a crucial role in the regulation of cardiac muscle contraction and relaxation. Naturally occurring and engineered mutations in troponin C can lead to altered interactions among components of the thin filament and to aberrant Ca2+ binding and exchange with the thin filament. Mutations in troponin C have been associated with various forms of cardiac disease, including hypertrophic, restrictive, dilated, and left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathies. Despite progress made to date, more information from human studies, biophysical characterizations, and animal models is required for a clearer understanding of disease drivers that lead to cardiomyopathies. The unique use of engineered cardiac troponin C with the L48Q mutation that had been thoroughly characterized and genetically introduced into mouse myocardium clearly demonstrates that Ca2+ sensitization in and of itself should not necessarily be considered a disease driver. This opens the door for small molecule and protein engineering strategies to help boost impaired systolic function. On the other hand, the engineered troponin C mutants (I61Q and D73N), genetically introduced into mouse myocardium, demonstrate that Ca2+ desensitization under basal conditions may be a driving factor for dilated cardiomyopathy. In addition to enhancing our knowledge of molecular mechanisms that trigger hypertrophy, dilation, morbidity, and mortality, these cardiomyopathy mouse models could be used to test novel treatment strategies for cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we will discuss (1) the various ways mutations in cardiac troponin C might lead to disease; (2) relevant data on mutations in cardiac troponin C linked to human disease, and (3) all currently existing mouse models containing cardiac troponin C mutations (disease-associated and engineered).
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana B. Tikunova
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA (J.P.D.)
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4
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Dube DK, Dube S, Abbott L, Elsekaily O, Randhawa SS, Sanger JM, Sanger JW, Poiesz BJ. Tropomyosin Isoform Diversity in the Cynomolgus Monkey Heart and Skeletal Muscles Compared to Human Tissues. Biochem Res Int 2023; 2023:1303500. [PMID: 36733713 DOI: 10.1155/2023/1303500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Old world monkeys separated from the great apes, including the ancestor of humans, about 25 million years ago, but most of the genes in humans and various nonhuman primates are quite similar even though their anatomical appearances are quite different. Like other mammals, primates have four tropomyosin genes (TPM1, TPM2, TPM3, and TPM4) each of which generates a multitude of TPM isoforms via alternative splicing. Only TPM1 produces two sarcomeric isoforms (TPM1α and TPM1κ), and TPM2, TPM3, and TPM4 each generate one sarcomeric isoform. We have cloned and sequenced TPM1α, TPM1κ, TPM2α, TPM3α, and TPM4α with RNA from cynomolgus (Cyn) monkey hearts and skeletal muscle. We believe this is the first report of directly cloning and sequencing of these monkey transcripts. In the Cyn monkey heart, the rank order of TPM isoform expression is TPM1α > TPM2α > TPM1κ > TPM3α > TPM4α. In the Cyn monkey skeletal muscle, the rank order of expression is TPM1α > TPM2α > TPM3α > TPM1κ > TPM4α. The major differences in the human heart are the increased expression of TPM1κ, although TPM1α is still the dominant transcript. In the Cyn monkey heart, the only sarcomeric TPM isoform at the protein level is TPM1α. This is in contrast to human hearts where TPM1α is the major sarcomeric isoform but a lower quantity of TPM1κ, TPM2α, and TPM3α is also detected at the protein level. These differences of tropomyosin and/or other cardiac protein expression in human and Cyn monkey hearts may reflect the differences in physiological activities in daily life.
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5
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Risi CM, Belknap B, White HD, Dryden K, Pinto JR, Chase PB, Galkin VE. High-resolution cryo-EM structure of the junction region of the native cardiac thin filament in relaxed state. PNAS Nexus 2023; 2:pgac298. [PMID: 36712934 PMCID: PMC9832952 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac contraction depends on molecular interactions among sarcomeric proteins coordinated by the rising and falling intracellular Ca2+ levels. Cardiac thin filament (cTF) consists of two strands composed of actin, tropomyosin (Tm), and equally spaced troponin (Tn) complexes forming regulatory units. Tn binds Ca2+ to move Tm strand away from myosin-binding sites on actin to enable actomyosin cross-bridges required for force generation. The Tn complex has three subunits-Ca2+-binding TnC, inhibitory TnI, and Tm-binding TnT. Tm strand is comprised of adjacent Tm molecules that overlap "head-to-tail" along the actin filament. The N-terminus of TnT (e.g., TnT1) binds to the Tm overlap region to form the cTF junction region-the region that connects adjacent regulatory units and confers to cTF internal cooperativity. Numerous studies have predicted interactions among actin, Tm, and TnT1 within the junction region, although a direct structural description of the cTF junction region awaited completion. Here, we report a 3.8 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of the native cTF junction region at relaxing (pCa 8) Ca2+ conditions. We provide novel insights into the "head-to-tail" interactions between adjacent Tm molecules and interactions between the Tm junction with F-actin. We demonstrate how TnT1 stabilizes the Tm overlap region via its interactions with the Tm C- and N-termini and actin. Our data show that TnT1 works as a joint that anchors the Tm overlap region to actin, which stabilizes the relaxed state of the cTF. Our structure provides insight into the molecular basis of cardiac diseases caused by missense mutations in TnT1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina M Risi
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA
| | - Betty Belknap
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA
| | - Howard D White
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA
| | - Kelly Dryden
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Jose R Pinto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL 32304, USA
| | - P Bryant Chase
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Vitold E Galkin
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA
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6
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Kane AE, Bisset ES, Keller KM, Ghimire A, Pyle WG, Howlett SE. Age, Sex and Overall Health, Measured As Frailty, Modify Myofilament Proteins in Hearts From Naturally Aging Mice. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10052. [PMID: 32572088 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66903-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated effects of age, sex and frailty on contractions, calcium transients and myofilament proteins to determine if maladaptive changes associated with aging were sex-specific and modified by frailty. Ventricular myocytes and myofilaments were isolated from middle-aged (~12 mos) and older (~24 mos) mice. Frailty was assessed with a non-invasive frailty index. Calcium transients declined and slowed with age in both sexes, but contractions were largely unaffected. Actomyosin Mg-ATPase activity increased with age in females but not males; this could maintain contractions with smaller calcium transients in females. Phosphorylation of myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-C), desmin, tropomyosin and myosin light chain-1 (MLC-1) increased with age in males, but only MyBP-C and troponin-T increased in females. Enhanced phosphorylation of MyBP-C and MLC-1 could preserve contractions in aging. Interestingly, the age-related decline in Hill coefficients (r = −0.816; p = 0.002) and increase in phosphorylation of desmin (r = 0.735; p = 0.010), tropomyosin (r = 0.779; p = 0.005) and MLC-1 (r = 0.817; p = 0.022) were graded by the level of frailty in males but not females. In these ways, cardiac remodeling at cellular and subcellular levels is graded by overall health in aging males. Such changes may contribute to heart diseases in frail older males, whereas females may be resistant to these effects of frailty.
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7
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Matyushenko AM, Levitsky DI. Molecular Mechanisms of Pathologies of Skeletal and Cardiac Muscles Caused by Point Mutations in the Tropomyosin Genes. Biochemistry (Mosc) 2020; 85:S20-S33. [PMID: 32087052 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297920140023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The review is devoted to tropomyosin (Tpm) - actin-binding protein, which plays a crucial role in the regulation of contraction of skeletal and cardiac muscles. Special attention is paid to myopathies and cardiomyopathies - severe hereditary diseases of skeletal and cardiac muscles associated with point mutations in Tpm genes. The current views on the molecular mechanisms of these diseases and the effects of such mutations on the Tpm structure and functions are considered in detail. Besides, some part of the review is devoted to analysis of the properties of Tpm homodimers and heterodimers with myopathic substitutions of amino acid residues in only one of the two chains of the Tpm dimeric molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Matyushenko
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center on Fundamentals of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia.
| | - D I Levitsky
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center on Fundamentals of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia. .,Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
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8
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Nakano SJ, Walker JS, Walker LA, Li X, Du Y, Miyamoto SD, Sucharov CC, Garcia AM, Mitchell MB, Ambardekar AV, Stauffer BL. Increased myocyte calcium sensitivity in end-stage pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2019; 317:H1221-H1230. [PMID: 31625780 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00409.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common cause of heart failure (HF) in children, resulting in high mortality and need for heart transplantation. The pathophysiology underlying pediatric DCM is largely unclear; however, there is emerging evidence that molecular adaptations and response to conventional HF medications differ between children and adults. To gain insight into alterations leading to systolic dysfunction in pediatric DCM, we measured cardiomyocyte contractile properties and sarcomeric protein phosphorylation in explanted pediatric DCM myocardium (N = 8 subjects) compared with nonfailing (NF) pediatric hearts (N = 8 subjects). Force-pCa curves were generated from skinned cardiomyocytes in the presence and absence of protein kinase A. Sarcomeric protein phosphorylation was quantified with Pro-Q Diamond staining after gel electrophoresis. Pediatric DCM cardiomyocytes demonstrate increased calcium sensitivity (pCa50 =5.70 ± 0.0291), with an associated decrease in troponin (Tn)I phosphorylation compared with NF pediatric cardiomyocytes (pCa50 =5.59 ± 0.0271, P = 0.0073). Myosin binding protein C and TnT phosphorylation are also lower in pediatric DCM, whereas desmin phosphorylation is increased. Pediatric DCM cardiomyocytes generate peak tension comparable to that of NF pediatric cardiomyocytes [DCM 29.7 mN/mm2, interquartile range (IQR) 21.5-49.2 vs. NF 32.8 mN/mm2, IQR 21.5-49.2 mN/mm2; P = 0.6125]. In addition, cooperativity is decreased in pediatric DCM compared with pediatric NF (Hill coefficient: DCM 1.56, IQR 1.31-1.94 vs. NF 1.94, IQR 1.36-2.86; P = 0.0425). Alterations in sarcomeric phosphorylation and cardiomyocyte contractile properties may represent an impaired compensatory response, contributing to the detrimental DCM phenotype in children.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our study is the first to demonstrate that cardiomyocytes from infants and young children with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) exhibit increased calcium sensitivity (likely mediated by decreased troponin I phosphorylation) compared with nonfailing pediatric cardiomyocytes. Compared with published values in adult cardiomyocytes, pediatric cardiomyocytes have notably decreased cooperativity, with a further reduction in the setting of DCM. Distinct adaptations in cardiomyocyte contractile properties may contribute to a differential response to pharmacological therapies in the pediatric DCM population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie J Nakano
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - John S Walker
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Lori A Walker
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Xiaotao Li
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Yanmei Du
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Shelley D Miyamoto
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Carmen C Sucharov
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Anastacia M Garcia
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Max B Mitchell
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Amrut V Ambardekar
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Brian L Stauffer
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado.,Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Denver, Colorado
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9
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Aboelkassem Y, McCabe KJ, Huber GA, Regnier M, McCammon JA, McCulloch AD. A Stochastic Multiscale Model of Cardiac Thin Filament Activation Using Brownian-Langevin Dynamics. Biophys J 2019; 117:2255-2272. [PMID: 31547973 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We use Brownian-Langevin dynamics principles to derive a coarse-graining multiscale myofilament model that can describe the thin-filament activation process during contraction. The model links atomistic molecular simulations of protein-protein interactions in the thin-filament regulatory unit to sarcomere-level activation dynamics. We first calculate the molecular interaction energy between tropomyosin and actin surface using Brownian dynamics simulations. This energy profile is then generalized to account for the observed tropomyosin transitions between its regulatory stable states. The generalized energy landscape then served as a basis for developing a filament-scale model using Langevin dynamics. This integrated analysis, spanning molecular to thin-filament scales, is capable of tracking the events of the tropomyosin conformational changes as it moves over the actin surface. The tropomyosin coil with flexible overlap regions between adjacent tropomyosins is represented in the model as a system of coupled stochastic ordinary differential equations. The proposed multiscale approach provides a more detailed molecular connection between tropomyosin dynamics, the trompomyosin-actin interaction-energy landscape, and the generated force by the sarcomere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasser Aboelkassem
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.
| | - Kimberly J McCabe
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Gary A Huber
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Michael Regnier
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - J Andrew McCammon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Andrew D McCulloch
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
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10
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Aboelkassem Y, Trayanova N. Tropomyosin dynamics during cardiac muscle contraction as governed by a multi-well energy landscape. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 2019; 144:102-115. [PMID: 30145015 PMCID: PMC6386637 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The dynamic oscillations of tropomyosin molecules in the azimuthal direction over the surface of the actin filament during thin filament activation are studied here from an energy landscape perspective. A mathematical model based on principles from nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory is derived to describe these dynamical motions. In particular, an energy potential with three wells is proposed to govern the tropomyosin oscillations between the observed regulatory positions observed during muscle contraction, namely the blocked "B", closed "C" and open "M" states. Based on the variations in both the frequency and amplitude of the environmental (surrounding the thin filament system) driving tractions, such as the electrostatic, hydrophobic, and Ca2+-dependent forces, the tropomyosin movements are shown to be complex; they can change from being simple harmonic oscillations to being fully chaotic. Three cases (periodic, period-2, and chaotic patterns) are presented to showcase the different possible dynamic responses of tropomyosin sliding over the actin filament. A probability density function is used as a statistical measure to calculate the average residence time spanned out by the tropomyosin molecule when visiting each (B, C, M) equilibrium state. The results were found to depend strongly on the energy landscape profile and its featured barriers, which normally govern the transitions between the B-C-M states during striated muscle activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasser Aboelkassem
- Institute for Computational Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Natalia Trayanova
- Institute for Computational Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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11
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Schmidt W, Cammarato A. The actin 'A-triad's' role in contractile regulation in health and disease. J Physiol 2019; 598:2897-2908. [PMID: 30770548 DOI: 10.1113/jp276741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Striated muscle contraction is regulated by Ca2+ -dependent modulation of myosin cross-bridge binding to F-actin by the thin filament troponin (Tn)-tropomyosin (Tm) complex. In the absence of Ca2+ , Tn binds to actin and constrains Tm to an azimuthal location where it sterically occludes myosin binding sites along the thin filament surface. This limits force production and promotes muscle relaxation. In addition to Tn-actin interactions, inhibitory Tm positioning requires associations between other thin filament constituents. For example, the actin 'A-triad', composed of residues K326, K328 and R147, forms numerous, highly favourable electrostatic contacts with Tm that are critical for establishing its inhibitory azimuthal binding position. Here, we review recent findings, including the identification and interrogation of modifications within and proximal to the A-triad that are associated with disease and/or altered muscle behaviour, which highlight the surface feature's role in F-actin-Tm interactions and contractile regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Schmidt
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N Broadway, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anthony Cammarato
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N Broadway, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 N Broadway, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
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12
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Lehman W, Rynkiewicz MJ, Moore JR. A new twist on tropomyosin binding to actin filaments: perspectives on thin filament function, assembly and biomechanics. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 2019; 41:23-38. [PMID: 30771202 DOI: 10.1007/s10974-019-09501-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tropomyosin, best known for its role in the steric regulation of muscle contraction, polymerizes head-to-tail to form cables localized along the length of both muscle and non-muscle actin-based thin filaments. In skeletal and cardiac muscles, tropomyosin, under the control of troponin and myosin, moves in a cooperative manner between blocked, closed and open positions on filaments, thereby masking and exposing actin-binding sites necessary for myosin crossbridge head interactions. While the coiled-coil signature of tropomyosin appears to be simple, closer inspection reveals surprising structural complexity required to perform its role in steric regulation. For example, component α-helices of coiled coils are typically zippered together along a continuous core hydrophobic stripe. Tropomyosin, however, contains a number of anomalous, functionally controversial, core amino acid residues. We argue that the atypical residues at this interface, including clusters of alanines and a charged aspartate, are required for preshaping tropomyosin to readily fit to the surface of the actin filament, but do so without compromising tropomyosin rigidity once the filament is assembled. Indeed, persistence length measurements of tropomyosin are characteristic of a semi-rigid cable, in this case conducive to cooperative movement on thin filaments. In addition, we also maintain that tropomyosin displays largely unrecognized and residue-specific torsional variance, which is involved in optimizing contacts between actin and tropomyosin on the assembled thin filament. Corresponding twist-induced stiffness may also enhance cooperative translocation of tropomyosin across actin filaments. We conclude that anomalous core residues of tropomyosin facilitate thin filament regulatory behavior in a multifaceted way.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Lehman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Michael J Rynkiewicz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
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13
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Takasaki A, Hirono K, Hata Y, Wang C, Takeda M, Yamashita JK, Chang B, Nakaoka H, Okabe M, Miyao N, Saito K, Ibuki K, Ozawa S, Sekine M, Yoshimura N, Nishida N, Bowles NE, Ichida F. Sarcomere gene variants act as a genetic trigger underlying the development of left ventricular noncompaction. Pediatr Res 2018; 84:733-42. [PMID: 30188508 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-018-0162-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a primary cardiomyopathy with heterogeneous genetic origins. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of sarcomere gene variants in the pathogenesis and prognosis of LVNC. METHODS AND RESULTS We screened 82 Japanese patients (0-35 years old), with a diagnosis of LVNC, for mutations in seven genes encoding sarcomere proteins, by direct DNA sequencing. We identified variants in a significant proportion of cases (27%), which were associated with poor prognosis (p = 0.012), particularly variants in TPM1, TNNC1, and ACTC1 (p = 0.012). To elucidate the pathological role, we developed and studied human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) from a patient carrying a TPM1 p.Arg178His mutation, who underwent heart transplantation. These cells displayed pathological changes, with mislocalization of tropomyosin 1, causing disruption of the sarcomere structure in cardiomyocytes, and impaired calcium handling. Microarray analysis indicated that the TPM1 mutation resulted in the down-regulation of the expression of numerous genes involved in heart development, and positive regulation of cellular process, especially the calcium signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS Sarcomere genes are implicated as genetic triggers in the development of LVNC, regulating the expression of numerous genes involved in heart development, or modifying the severity of disease.
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14
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Bohlooli Ghashghaee N, Tanner BCW, Dong WJ. Functional significance of C-terminal mobile domain of cardiac troponin I. Arch Biochem Biophys 2017; 634:38-46. [PMID: 28958680 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2017.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Ca2+-regulation of cardiac contractility is mediated through the troponin complex, which comprises three subunits: cTnC, cTnI, and cTnT. As intracellular [Ca2+] increases, cTnI reduces its binding interactions with actin to primarily interact with cTnC, thereby enabling contraction. A portion of this regulatory switching involves the mobile domain of cTnI (cTnI-MD), the role of which in muscle contractility is still elusive. To study the functional significance of cTnI-MD, we engineered two cTnI constructs in which the MD was truncated to various extents: cTnI(1-167) and cTnI(1-193). These truncations were exchanged for endogenous cTnI in skinned rat papillary muscle fibers, and their influence on Ca2+-activated contraction and cross-bridge cycling kinetics was assessed at short (1.9 μm) and long (2.2 μm) sarcomere lengths (SLs). Our results show that the cTnI(1-167) truncation diminished the SL-induced increase in Ca2+-sensitivity of contraction, but not the SL-dependent increase in maximal tension, suggesting an uncoupling between the thin and thick filament contributions to length dependent activation. Compared to cTnI(WT), both truncations displayed greater Ca2+-sensitivity and faster cross-bridge attachment rates at both SLs. Furthermore, cTnI(1-167) slowed MgADP release rate and enhanced cross-bridge binding. Our findings imply that cTnI-MD truncations affect the blocked-to closed-state transition(s) and destabilize the closed-state position of tropomyosin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazanin Bohlooli Ghashghaee
- The Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Bertrand C W Tanner
- The Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Wen-Ji Dong
- The Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; The Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
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15
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Abstract
Cardiac and skeletal striated muscles are intricately designed machines responsible for muscle contraction. Coordination of the basic contractile unit, the sarcomere, and the complex cytoskeletal networks are critical for contractile activity. The sarcomere is comprised of precisely organized individual filament systems that include thin (actin), thick (myosin), titin, and nebulin. Connecting the sarcomere to other organelles (e.g., mitochondria and nucleus) and serving as the scaffold to maintain cellular integrity are the intermediate filaments. The costamere, on the other hand, tethers the sarcomere to the cell membrane. Unique structures like the intercalated disc in cardiac muscle and the myotendinous junction in skeletal muscle help synchronize and transmit force. Intense investigation has been done on many of the proteins that make up these cytoskeletal assemblies. Yet the details of their function and how they interconnect have just started to be elucidated. A vast number of human myopathies are contributed to mutations in muscle proteins; thus understanding their basic function provides a mechanistic understanding of muscle disorders. In this review, we highlight the components of striated muscle with respect to their interactions, signaling pathways, functions, and connections to disease. © 2017 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 7:891-944, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine A Henderson
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.,Sarver Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Christopher G Gomez
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.,Sarver Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Stefanie M Novak
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.,Sarver Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Lei Mi-Mi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.,Sarver Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Carol C Gregorio
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.,Sarver Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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16
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Lynn ML, Tal Grinspan L, Holeman TA, Jimenez J, Strom J, Tardiff JC. The structural basis of alpha-tropomyosin linked (Asp230Asn) familial dilated cardiomyopathy. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2017; 108:127-137. [PMID: 28600229 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2017.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Recently, linkage analysis of two large unrelated multigenerational families identified a novel dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)-linked mutation in the gene coding for alpha-tropomyosin (TPM1) resulting in the substitution of an aspartic acid for an asparagine (at residue 230). To determine how a single amino acid mutation in α-tropomyosin (Tm) can lead to a highly penetrant DCM we generated a novel transgenic mouse model carrying the D230N mutation. The resultant mouse model strongly phenocopied the early onset of cardiomyopathic remodeling observed in patients as significant systolic dysfunction was observed by 2months of age. To determine the precise cellular mechanism(s) leading to the observed cardiac pathology we examined the effect of the mutation on Ca2+ handling in isolated myocytes and myofilament activation in vitro. D230N-Tm filaments exhibited a reduced Ca2+ sensitivity of sliding velocity. This decrease in sensitivity was coupled to increase in the peak amplitude of Ca2+ transients. While significant, and consistent with other DCMs, these measurements are comprised of complex inputs and did not provide sufficient experimental resolution. We then assessed the primary structural effects of D230N-Tm. Measurements of the thermal unfolding of D230N-Tm vs WT-Tm revealed an increase in stability primarily affecting the C-terminus of the Tm coiled-coil. We conclude that the D230N-Tm mutation induces a decrease in flexibility of the C-terminus via propagation through the helical structure of the protein, thus decreasing the flexibility of the Tm overlap and impairing its ability to regulate contraction. Understanding this unique structural mechanism could provide novel targets for eventual therapeutic interventions in patients with Tm-linked cardiomyopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Lynn
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States
| | - L Tal Grinspan
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - T A Holeman
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States; Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States
| | - J Jimenez
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - J Strom
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States
| | - J C Tardiff
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States; Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States.
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17
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Dewan S, McCabe KJ, Regnier M, McCulloch AD. Insights and Challenges of Multi-Scale Modeling of Sarcomere Mechanics in cTn and Tm DCM Mutants-Genotype to Cellular Phenotype. Front Physiol 2017; 8:151. [PMID: 28352236 PMCID: PMC5348544 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death characterized by impaired pump function and dilatation of cardiac ventricles. In this review we discuss various in silico approaches to elucidating the mechanisms of genetic mutations leading to DCM. The approaches covered in this review focus on bridging the spatial and temporal gaps that exist between molecular and cellular processes. Mutations in sarcomeric regulatory thin filament proteins such as the troponin complex (cTn) and Tropomyosin (Tm) have been associated with DCM. Despite the experimentally-observed myofilament measures of contractility in the case of these mutations, the mechanisms by which the underlying molecular changes and protein interactions scale up to organ failure by these mutations remains elusive. The review highlights multi-scale modeling approaches and their applicability to study the effects of sarcomeric gene mutations in-silico. We discuss some of the insights that can be gained from computational models of cardiac biomechanics when scaling from molecular states to cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukriti Dewan
- Departments of Bioengineering and Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kimberly J McCabe
- Departments of Bioengineering and Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael Regnier
- Departments of Bioengineering and Medicine, University of Washington Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrew D McCulloch
- Departments of Bioengineering and Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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18
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Sewanan LR, Moore JR, Lehman W, Campbell SG. Predicting Effects of Tropomyosin Mutations on Cardiac Muscle Contraction through Myofilament Modeling. Front Physiol 2016; 7:473. [PMID: 27833562 PMCID: PMC5081029 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Point mutations to the human gene TPM1 have been implicated in the development of both hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies. Such observations have led to studies investigating the link between single residue changes and the biophysical behavior of the tropomyosin molecule. However, the degree to which these molecular perturbations explain the performance of intact sarcomeres containing mutant tropomyosin remains uncertain. Here, we present a modeling approach that integrates various aspects of tropomyosin's molecular properties into a cohesive paradigm representing their impact on muscle function. In particular, we considered the effects of tropomyosin mutations on (1) persistence length, (2) equilibrium between thin filament blocked and closed regulatory states, and (3) the crossbridge duty cycle. After demonstrating the ability of the new model to capture Ca-dependent myofilament responses during both dynamic and steady-state activation, we used it to capture the effects of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) related E180G and D175N mutations on skinned myofiber mechanics. Our analysis indicates that the fiber-level effects of the two mutations can be accurately described by a combination of changes to the three tropomyosin properties represented in the model. Subsequently, we used the model to predict mutation effects on muscle twitch. Both mutations led to increased twitch contractility as a consequence of diminished cooperative inhibition between thin filament regulatory units. Overall, simulations suggest that a common twitch phenotype for HCM-linked tropomyosin mutations includes both increased contractility and elevated diastolic tension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo R Sewanan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, USA; Yale School of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell, MA, USA
| | - William Lehman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stuart G Campbell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of MedicineNew Haven, CT, USA
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19
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Badr MA, Pinto JR, Davidson MW, Chase PB. Fluorescent Protein-Based Ca2+ Sensor Reveals Global, Divalent Cation-Dependent Conformational Changes in Cardiac Troponin C. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164222. [PMID: 27736894 PMCID: PMC5063504 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac troponin C (cTnC) is a key effector in cardiac muscle excitation-contraction coupling as the Ca2+ sensing subunit responsible for controlling contraction. In this study, we generated several FRET sensors for divalent cations based on cTnC flanked by a donor fluorescent protein (CFP) and an acceptor fluorescent protein (YFP). The sensors report Ca2+ and Mg2+ binding, and relay global structural information about the structural relationship between cTnC’s N- and C-domains. The sensors were first characterized using end point titrations to decipher the response to Ca2+ binding in the presence or absence of Mg2+. The sensor that exhibited the largest responses in end point titrations, CTV-TnC, (Cerulean, TnC, and Venus) was characterized more extensively. Most of the divalent cation-dependent FRET signal originates from the high affinity C-terminal EF hands. CTV-TnC reconstitutes into skinned fiber preparations indicating proper assembly of troponin complex, with only ~0.2 pCa unit rightward shift of Ca2+-sensitive force development compared to WT-cTnC. Affinity of CTV-TnC for divalent cations is in agreement with known values for WT-cTnC. Analytical ultracentrifugation indicates that CTV-TnC undergoes compaction as divalent cations bind. C-terminal sites induce ion-specific (Ca2+ versus Mg2+) conformational changes in cTnC. Our data also provide support for the presence of additional, non-EF-hand sites on cTnC for Mg2+ binding. In conclusion, we successfully generated a novel FRET-Ca2+ sensor based on full length cTnC with a variety of cellular applications. Our sensor reveals global structural information about cTnC upon divalent cation binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam A. Badr
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jose R. Pinto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Michael W. Davidson
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - P. Bryant Chase
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
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20
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Rynkiewicz MJ, Fischer S, Lehman W. The propensity for tropomyosin twisting in the presence and absence of F-actin. Arch Biochem Biophys 2016; 609:51-58. [PMID: 27663225 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2016.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A canonical model of muscle α-tropomyosin (Tpm1.1), based on molecular-mechanics and electron microscopy of different contractile states, shows that the two-stranded coiled-coiled is pre-bent to present a specific molecular-face to the F-actin filament. This conformation is thought to facilitate both filament assembly and tropomyosin sliding across actin to modulate myosin-binding. However, to bind effectively to actin filaments, the 42 nm-long tropomyosin coiled-coil is not strictly canonical. Here, the mid-region of tropomyosin twists an additional ∼20° in order to better match the F-actin helix. In addition, the N- and C-terminal regions of tropomyosin polymerize head-to-tail to form continuous super-helical cables. In this case, 9 to 10 residue-long overlapping domains between adjacent molecules untwist relative to each other to accommodate orthogonal interactions between chains in the junctional four-helix nexus. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations show that the twisting and untwisting motions of tropomyosin vary appreciably along tropomyosin length, and in particular that substantial terminal domain winding and unwinding occurs whether tropomyosin is bound to F-actin or not. The local and regional twisting and untwisting do not appear to proceed in a concerted fashion, resembling more of a "wringing-type" behavior rather than a rotation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Rynkiewicz
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Stefan Fischer
- Computational Biochemistry Group, Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 368, D69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - William Lehman
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
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21
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Nabiev SR, Ovsyannikov DA, Kopylova GV, Shchepkin DV, Matyushenko AM, Koubassova NA, Levitsky DI, Tsaturyan AK, Bershitsky SY. Stabilizing the central part of tropomyosin increases the bending stiffness of the thin filament. Biophys J 2016. [PMID: 26200873 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A two-beam optical trap was used to measure the bending stiffness of F-actin and reconstructed thin filaments. A dumbbell was formed by a filament segment attached to two beads that were held in the two optical traps. One trap was static and held a bead used as a force transducer, whereas an acoustooptical deflector moved the beam holding the second bead, causing stretch of the dumbbell. The distance between the beads was measured using image analysis of micrographs. An exact solution to the problem of bending of an elastic filament attached to two beads and subjected to a stretch was used for data analysis. Substitution of noncanonical residues in the central part of tropomyosin with canonical ones, G126R and D137L, and especially their combination, caused an increase in the bending stiffness of the thin filaments. The data confirm that the effect of these mutations on the regulation of actin-myosin interactions may be caused by an increase in tropomyosin stiffness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salavat R Nabiev
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Denis A Ovsyannikov
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Galina V Kopylova
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Daniil V Shchepkin
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Alexander M Matyushenko
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; Department of Biochemistry, School of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Dmitrii I Levitsky
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Sergey Y Bershitsky
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia.
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22
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Abstract
By interacting with the troponin-tropomyosin complex on myofibrillar thin filaments, Ca2+ and myosin govern the regulatory switching processes influencing contractile activity of mammalian cardiac and skeletal muscles. A possible explanation of the roles played by Ca2+ and myosin emerged in the early 1970s when a compelling "steric model" began to gain traction as a likely mechanism accounting for muscle regulation. In its most simple form, the model holds that, under the control of Ca2+ binding to troponin and myosin binding to actin, tropomyosin strands running along thin filaments either block myosin-binding sites on actin when muscles are relaxed or move away from them when muscles are activated. Evidence for the steric model was initially based on interpretation of subtle changes observed in X-ray fiber diffraction patterns of intact skeletal muscle preparations. Over the past 25 years, electron microscopy coupled with three-dimensional reconstruction directly resolved thin filament organization under many experimental conditions and at increasingly higher resolution. At low-Ca2+, tropomyosin was shown to occupy a "blocked-state" position on the filament, and switched-on in a two-step process, involving first a movement of tropomyosin away from the majority of the myosin-binding site as Ca2+ binds to troponin and then a further movement to fully expose the site when small numbers of myosin heads bind to actin. In this contribution, basic information on Ca2+-regulation of muscle contraction is provided. A description is then given relating the voyage of discovery taken to arrive at the present understanding of the steric regulatory model.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Lehman
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A
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23
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Abstract
Tropomyosin is a two chained α-helical coiled coil protein that binds actin filaments and interacts with various actin binding proteins. Tropomyosin function depends on its ability to move to distinct locations on the surface of actin in response to the binding of different thin filament effectors. Tropomyosin dynamics plays an important role in these fluctuating interactions with actin and is thought to be fundamental to many of its biological activities. For example tropomyosin concerted movement on the surface of actin triggered by Ca(2+) binding to troponin or myosin head binding to actin has been argued to be key to the cooperative allosteric regulation of muscle contraction. These large-scale motions are affected by tropomyosin internal dynamics and mechanical properties. Tropomyosin internal dynamics corresponding to smaller and more localised structural fluctuations are increasingly recognised to play an important role in its function. A thorough understanding of the coupling between local and global structural fluctuations in tropomyosin is required to understand how time dependent structural fluctuations in tropomyosin contribute to the overall thin filament dynamics and dictate their various biological activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed El-Mezgueldi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, University of Leicester, Henry Wellcome Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK,
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24
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Yar S, Monasky MM, Solaro RJ. Maladaptive modifications in myofilament proteins and triggers in the progression to heart failure and sudden death. Pflugers Arch 2014; 466:1189-97. [PMID: 24488009 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-014-1457-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Revised: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we address the following question: Are modifications at the level of sarcomeric proteins in acquired heart failure early inducers of altered cardiac dynamics and signaling leading to remodeling and progression to decompensation? There is no doubt that most inherited cardiomyopathies are caused by mutations in proteins of the sarcomere. We think this linkage indicates that early changes at the level of the sarcomeres in acquired cardiac disorders may be significant in triggering the progression to failure. We consider evidence that there are rate-limiting mechanisms downstream of the trigger event of Ca(2+) binding to troponin C, which control cardiac dynamics. We discuss new perspectives on how modifications in these mechanisms may be of relevance to redox signaling in diastolic heart failure, to angiotensin II signaling via β-arrestin, and to remodeling related to altered structural rigidity of tropomyosin. We think that these new perspectives provide a rationale for future studies directed at a more thorough understanding of the question driving our review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumeyye Yar
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, M/C 901, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
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25
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Lehman W, Orzechowski M, Li XE, Fischer S, Raunser S. Gestalt-binding of tropomyosin on actin during thin filament activation. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 2013; 34:155-63. [PMID: 23666668 DOI: 10.1007/s10974-013-9342-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Our thesis is that thin filament function can only be fully understood and muscle regulation then elucidated if atomic structures of the thin filament are available to reveal the positions of tropomyosin on actin in all physiological states. After all, it is tropomyosin influenced by troponin that regulates myosin-crossbridge cycling on actin and therefore controls contraction in all muscles. In addition, we maintain that a complete appreciation of thin filament activation also requires that the mechanical properties of tropomyosin itself are recognized and then related to the effect of myosin-association on actin. Taking the Gestalt-binding of tropomyosin into account, coupled with our electron microscopy structures and computational chemistry, we propose a comprehensive mechanism for tropomyosin regulatory movement over the actin filament surface that explains the cooperative muscle activation process. In fact, well-known point mutations of critical amino acids on the actin-tropomyosin binding interface disrupt Gestalt-binding and are associated with a number of inherited myopathies. Moreover, dysregulation of tropomyosin may also be a factor that interferes with the gatekeeping operation of non-muscle tropomyosin in the controlling interactions of a wide variety of cellular actin-binding proteins. The clinical relevance of Gestalt-binding is discussed in articles by the Marston and the Gunning groups in this special journal issue devoted to the impact of tropomyosin on biological systems.
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26
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Loong CKP, Takeda AK, Badr MA, Rogers JS, Chase PB. Slowed Dynamics of Thin Filament Regulatory Units Reduces Ca 2+-Sensitivity of Cardiac Biomechanical Function. Cell Mol Bioeng 2013; 6:183-198. [PMID: 23833690 DOI: 10.1007/s12195-013-0269-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Actomyosin kinetics in both skinned skeletal muscle fibers at maximum Ca2+-activation and unregulated in vitro motility assays are modulated by solvent microviscosity in a manner consistent with a diffusion limited process. Viscosity might also influence cardiac thin filament Ca2+-regulatory protein dynamics. In vitro motility assays were conducted using thin filaments reconstituted with recombinant human cardiac troponin and tropomyosin; solvent microviscosity was varied by addition of sucrose or glucose. At saturating Ca2+, filament sliding speed (s) was inversely proportional to viscosity. Ca2+-sensitivity (pCa50 ) of s decreased markedly with elevated viscosity (η/η0 ≥ ~1.3). For comparison with unloaded motility assays, steady-state isometric force (F) and kinetics of isometric tension redevelopment (kTR ) were measured in single, permeabilized porcine cardiomyocytes when viscosity surrounding the myofilaments was altered. Maximum Ca2+-activated F changed little for sucrose ≤ 0.3 M (η/η0 ~1.4) or glucose ≤ 0.875 M (η/η0 ~1.66), but decreased at higher concentrations. Sucrose (0.3 M) or glucose (0.875 M) decreased pCa50 for F. kTR at saturating Ca2+ decreased steeply and monotonically with increased viscosity but there was little effect on kTR at sub-maximum Ca2+. Modeling indicates that increased solutes affect dynamics of cardiac muscle Ca2+-regulatory proteins to a much greater extent than actomyosin cross-bridge cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Campion K P Loong
- Department of Biological Science, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA ; Department of Physics, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
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Loong CKP, Zhou HX, Chase PB. Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy related E180G mutation increases flexibility of human cardiac α-tropomyosin. FEBS Lett 2012; 586:3503-7. [PMID: 22958892 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2012.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2012] [Revised: 08/02/2012] [Accepted: 08/03/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
α-Tropomyosin (αTm) is central to Ca(2+)-regulation of cardiac muscle contraction. The familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutation αTm E180G enhances Ca(2+)-sensitivity in functional assays. To investigate the molecular basis, we imaged single molecules of human cardiac αTm E180G by direct probe atomic force microscopy. Analyses of tangent angles along molecular contours yielded persistence length corresponding to ~35% increase in flexibility compared to wild-type. Increased flexibility of the mutant was confirmed by fitting end-to-end length distributions to the worm-like chain model. This marked increase in flexibility can significantly impact systolic and possibly diastolic phases of cardiac contraction, ultimately leading to hypertrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Campion K P Loong
- Department of Biological Science, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4370, USA
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Li XE, Suphamungmee W, Janco M, Geeves MA, Marston SB, Fischer S, Lehman W. The flexibility of two tropomyosin mutants, D175N and E180G, that cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2012; 424:493-6. [PMID: 22789852 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.06.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Point mutations targeting muscle thin filament proteins are the cause of a number of cardiomyopathies. In many cases, biological effects of the mutations are well-documented, whereas their structural and mechanical impact on filament assembly and regulatory function is lacking. In order to elucidate molecular defects leading to cardiac dysfunction, we have examined the structural mechanics of two tropomyosin mutants, E180G and D175N, which are associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Tropomyosin is an α-helical coiled-coil dimer which polymerizes end-to-end to create an elongated superhelix that wraps around F-actin filaments of muscle and non-muscle cells, thus modulating the binding of other actin-binding proteins. Here, we study how flexibility changes in the E180G and D175N mutants might affect tropomyosin binding and regulatory motion on F-actin. Electron microscopy and Molecular Dynamics simulations show that E180G and D175N mutations cause an increase in bending flexibility of tropomyosin both locally and globally. This excess flexibility is likely to increase accessibility of the myosin-binding sites on F-actin, thus destabilizing the low-Ca(2+) relaxed-state of cardiac muscle. The resulting imbalance in the on-off switching mechanism of the mutants will shift the regulatory equilibrium towards Ca(2+)-activation of cardiac muscle, as is observed in affected muscle, accompanied by enhanced systolic activity, diastolic dysfunction, and cardiac compensations associated with HCM and heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochuan Edward Li
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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Loong CKP, Zhou HX, Chase PB. Persistence length of human cardiac α-tropomyosin measured by single molecule direct probe microscopy. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39676. [PMID: 22737252 PMCID: PMC3380901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2012] [Accepted: 05/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Tropomyosin (αTm) is the predominant tropomyosin isoform in adult human heart and constitutes a major component in Ca²+-regulated systolic contraction of cardiac muscle. We present here the first direct probe images of WT human cardiac αTm by atomic force microscopy, and quantify its mechanical flexibility with three independent analysis methods. Single molecules of bacterially-expressed human cardiac αTm were imaged on poly-lysine coated mica and their contours were analyzed. Analysis of tangent-angle (θ(s)) correlation along molecular contours, second moment of tangent angles (<θ²(s)>), and end-to-end length (L(e-e)) distributions respectively yielded values of persistence length (L(p)) of 41-46 nm, 40-45 nm, and 42-52 nm, corresponding to 1-1.3 molecular contour lengths (L(c)). We also demonstrate that a sufficiently large population, with at least 100 molecules, is required for a reliable L(p) measurement of αTm in single molecule studies. Our estimate that L(p) for αTm is only slightly longer than L(c) is consistent with a previous study showing there is little spread of cooperative activation into near-neighbor regulatory units of cardiac thin filaments. The L(p) determined here for human cardiac αTm perhaps represents an evolutionarily tuned optimum between Ca²+ sensitivity and cooperativity in cardiac thin filaments and likely constitutes an essential parameter for normal function in the human heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Campion K. P. Loong
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Physics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PBC) (CKPL)
| | - Huan-Xiang Zhou
- Department of Physics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - P. Bryant Chase
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PBC) (CKPL)
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