AKAP18δ Anchors and Regulates CaMKII Activity at Phospholamban-SERCA2 and RYR.

BACKGROUND: The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-ATPase 2 (SERCA2) mediates Ca2+ reuptake into SR and thereby promotes cardiomyocyte relaxation, whereas the ryanodine receptor (RYR) mediates Ca2+ release from SR and triggers contraction. Ca2+/CaMKII (CaM [calmodulin]-dependent protein kinase II) regulates activities of SERCA2 through phosphorylation of PLN (phospholamban) and RYR through direct phosphorylation. However, the mechanisms for CaMKIIδ anchoring to SERCA2-PLN and RYR and its regulation by local Ca2+ signals remain elusive. The objective of this study was to investigate CaMKIIδ anchoring and regulation at SERCA2-PLN and RYR. METHODS: A role for AKAP18δ (A-kinase anchoring protein 18δ) in CaMKIIδ anchoring and regulation was analyzed by bioinformatics, peptide arrays, cell-permeant peptide technology, immunoprecipitations, pull downs, transfections, immunoblotting, proximity ligation, FRET-based CaMKII activity and ELISA-based assays, whole cell and SR vesicle fluorescence imaging, high-resolution microscopy, adenovirus transduction, adenoassociated virus injection, structural modeling, surface plasmon resonance, and alpha screen technology. RESULTS: Our results show that AKAP18δ anchors and directly regulates CaMKIIδ activity at SERCA2-PLN and RYR, via 2 distinct AKAP18δ regions. An N-terminal region (AKAP18δ-N) inhibited CaMKIIδ through binding of a region homologous to the natural CaMKII inhibitor peptide and the Thr17-PLN region. AKAP18δ-N also bound CaM, introducing a second level of control. Conversely, AKAP18δ-C, which shares homology to neuronal CaMKIIα activator peptide (N2B-s), activated CaMKIIδ by lowering the apparent Ca2+ threshold for kinase activation and inducing CaM trapping. While AKAP18δ-C facilitated faster Ca2+ reuptake by SERCA2 and Ca2+ release through RYR, AKAP18δ-N had opposite effects. We propose a model where the 2 unique AKAP18δ regions fine-tune Ca2+-frequency-dependent activation of CaMKIIδ at SERCA2-PLN and RYR. CONCLUSIONS: AKAP18δ anchors and functionally regulates CaMKII activity at PLN-SERCA2 and RYR, indicating a crucial role of AKAP18δ in regulation of the heartbeat. To our knowledge, this is the first protein shown to enhance CaMKII activity in heart and also the first AKAP (A-kinase anchoring protein) reported to anchor a CaMKII isoform, defining AKAP18δ also as a CaM-KAP.

Glycosylated Chromogranin A in Heart Failure: Implications for Processing and Cardiomyocyte Calcium Homeostasis.

BACKGROUND: Chromogranin A (CgA) levels have previously been found to predict mortality in heart failure (HF), but currently no information is available regarding CgA processing in HF and whether the CgA fragment catestatin (CST) may directly influence cardiomyocyte function. METHODS AND RESULTS: CgA processing was characterized in postinfarction HF mice and in patients with acute HF, and the functional role of CST was explored in experimental models. Myocardial biopsies from HF, but not sham-operated mice, demonstrated high molecular weight CgA bands. Deglycosylation treatment attenuated high molecular weight bands, induced a mobility shift, and increased shorter CgA fragments. Adjusting for established risk indices and biomarkers, circulating CgA levels were found to be associated with mortality in patients with acute HF, but not in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Low CgA-to-CST conversion was also associated with increased mortality in acute HF, thus, supporting functional relevance of impaired CgA processing in cardiovascular disease. CST was identified as a direct inhibitor of CaMKIIδ (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIδ) activity, and CST reduced CaMKIIδ-dependent phosphorylation of phospholamban and the ryanodine receptor 2. In line with CaMKIIδ inhibition, CST reduced Ca2+ spark and wave frequency, reduced Ca2+ spark dimensions, increased sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ content, and augmented the magnitude and kinetics of cardiomyocyte Ca2+ transients and contractions. CONCLUSIONS: CgA-to-CST conversion in HF is impaired because of hyperglycosylation, which is associated with clinical outcomes in acute HF. The mechanism for increased mortality may be dysregulated cardiomyocyte Ca2+ handling because of reduced CaMKIIδ inhibition.

Secretoneurin is a novel prognostic cardiovascular biomarker associated with cardiomyocyte calcium handling.

BACKGROUND: Secretoneurin (SN) levels are increased in patients with heart failure (HF), but whether SN provides prognostic information and influences cardiomyocyte function is unknown. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate the merit of SN as a cardiovascular biomarker and assess effects of SN on cardiomyocyte Ca(2+) handling. METHODS: We assessed the association between circulating SN levels and mortality in 2 patient cohorts and the functional properties of SN in experimental models. RESULTS: In 143 patients hospitalized for acute HF, SN levels were closely associated with mortality (n = 66) during follow-up (median 776 days; hazard ratio [lnSN]: 4.63; 95% confidence interval: 1.93 to 11.11; p = 0.001 in multivariate analysis). SN reclassified patients to their correct risk strata on top of other predictors of mortality. In 155 patients with ventricular arrhythmia-induced cardiac arrest, SN levels were also associated with short-term mortality (n = 51; hazard ratio [lnSN]: 3.33; 95% confidence interval: 1.83 to 6.05; p < 0.001 in multivariate analysis). Perfusing hearts with SN yielded markedly increased myocardial levels and SN internalized into cardiomyocytes by endocytosis. Intracellularly, SN reduced Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II δ (CaMKIIδ) activity via direct SN-CaM and SN-CaMKII binding and attenuated CaMKIIδ-dependent phosphorylation of the ryanodine receptor. SN also reduced sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) leak, augmented sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) content, increased the magnitude and kinetics of cardiomyocyte Ca(2+) transients and contractions, and attenuated Ca(2+) sparks and waves in HF cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSIONS: SN provided incremental prognostic information to established risk indices in acute HF and ventricular arrhythmia-induced cardiac arrest.

Syndecan-4 is essential for development of concentric myocardial hypertrophy via stretch-induced activation of the calcineurin-NFAT pathway.

Sustained pressure overload leads to compensatory myocardial hypertrophy and subsequent heart failure, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Further unraveling of the cellular processes involved is essential for development of new treatment strategies. We have investigated the hypothesis that the transmembrane Z-disc proteoglycan syndecan-4, a co-receptor for integrins, connecting extracellular matrix proteins to the cytoskeleton, is an important signal transducer in cardiomyocytes during development of concentric myocardial hypertrophy following pressure overload. Echocardiographic, histochemical and cardiomyocyte size measurements showed that syndecan-4(-/-) mice did not develop concentric myocardial hypertrophy as found in wild-type mice, but rather left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction following pressure overload. Protein and gene expression analyses revealed diminished activation of the central, pro-hypertrophic calcineurin-nuclear factor of activated T-cell (NFAT) signaling pathway. Cardiomyocytes from syndecan-4(-/-)-NFAT-luciferase reporter mice subjected to cyclic mechanical stretch, a hypertrophic stimulus, showed minimal activation of NFAT (1.6-fold) compared to 5.8-fold increase in NFAT-luciferase control cardiomyocytes. Accordingly, overexpression of syndecan-4 or introducing a cell-permeable membrane-targeted syndecan-4 polypeptide (gain of function) activated NFATc4 in vitro. Pull-down experiments demonstrated a direct intracellular syndecan-4-calcineurin interaction. This interaction and activation of NFAT were increased by dephosphorylation of serine 179 (pS179) in syndecan-4. During pressure overload, phosphorylation of syndecan-4 was decreased, and association between syndecan-4, calcineurin and its co-activator calmodulin increased. Moreover, calcineurin dephosphorylated pS179, indicating that calcineurin regulates its own binding and activation. Finally, patients with hypertrophic myocardium due to aortic stenosis had increased syndecan-4 levels with decreased pS179 which was associated with increased NFAT activation. In conclusion, our data show that syndecan-4 is essential for compensatory hypertrophy in the pressure overloaded heart. Specifically, syndecan-4 regulates stretch-induced activation of the calcineurin-NFAT pathway in cardiomyocytes. Thus, our data suggest that manipulation of syndecan-4 may provide an option for therapeutic modulation of calcineurin-NFAT signaling.

Time-course of experimental choroidal neovascularization in Dutch-Belted rabbit: clinical and histological evaluation.

In order to study the pathogenesis of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and explore a suitable animal model for assessing anti-angiogenic agents, rabbit CNV was induced by subretinal injection of a cocktail containing endotoxin and growth-factor, incorporated in Heparin-sepharose beads. The presence and development of CNV lesions was visualized by fluorescein angiography and quantified by image analysis. The time-course of experimental CNV was evaluated clinically and histologically, with some lesions followed up to 3-years. The suitability of this model for drug evaluation was appraised by the systemic administration of dexamethasone. The experimental results suggest two subsets of CNV, primary and secondary, observed in all treated eyes. Primary CNV, defined as neovascularization extending into the subretinal space and associated with injury to Bruch's membrane at the time of injection, was visible in 100% of eyes by 2-weeks and stable by 3-months. Secondary CNV, defined as neovascularization extending into the sub RPE space away from the initial injection related injury, became visible as early as 2-weeks in some of eyes and developed in 100% of eyes by 8-months. Both primary and secondary CNV were maintained and demonstrated leakage throughout the entire observation period. Atrophy of primary retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells and hyper-proliferation of secondary RPE cells were observed in tissue sections with CNV lesions. The formation and growth of primary and secondary CNV were significantly inhibited by dexamethasone. This study indicates that a reproducible and quantitative model of rabbit CNV has been established utilizing subretinal administration of endotoxin and growth-factor. Studies of the stages of experimental CNV both clinically and histologically indicated an intimate relationship between CNV, macrophages and RPE. Furthermore, the inhibition observed with dexamethasone points to the possibility of being able to evaluate effective means of pharmacological intervention.