Minjun Kang,Choon-Soo Lee,HyunJu Son,Jeongha Lee,Jaewon Lee,Hyun Ju Seo,Moo-Kang Kim,Murim Choi,Hyun-Jai Cho,Hyo-Soo Kim
{"title":"Latrophilin-2 Deletion in Cardiomyocyte Disrupts Cell Junction, Leading to D-CMP.","authors":"Minjun Kang,Choon-Soo Lee,HyunJu Son,Jeongha Lee,Jaewon Lee,Hyun Ju Seo,Moo-Kang Kim,Murim Choi,Hyun-Jai Cho,Hyo-Soo Kim","doi":"10.1161/circresaha.124.324670","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND\r\nLatrophilin-2 (Lphn2), an adhesive GPCR (G protein-coupled receptor), was found to be a specific marker of cardiac progenitors during the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes or during embryonic heart development in our previous studies. Its role in adult heart physiology, however, remains unclear.\r\n\r\nMETHODS\r\nThe embryonic lethality resulting from Lphn2 deletion necessitates the establishment of cardiomyocyte-specific, tamoxifen-inducible Lphn2 knockout mice, which was achieved by crossing Lphn2flox/flox mice with mice having MerCreMer (tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase) under the α-myosin heavy chain promoter.\r\n\r\nRESULTS\r\nTamoxifen treatment for several days completely suppressed Lphn2 expression, specifically in the myocardium, and induced the dilated cardiomyopathy (D-CMP) phenotype with serious arrhythmia and sudden death in a short period of time. Transmission electron microscopy showed mitochondrial abnormalities, blurred Z-discs, and dehiscent myofibrils. The D-CMP phenotype, or heart failure, worsened during myocardial infarction. In a mechanistic study of D-CMP, Lphn2 knockout suppressed PGC-1α and mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and the global suppression of junctional molecules, such as N-cadherin (adherens junction), DSC-2 (desmocollin-2; desmosome), and connexin-43 (gap junction), leading to the dehiscence of cardiac myofibers and serious arrhythmia. In an experimental therapeutic trial, activators of p38-MAPK, which is a downstream signaling molecule of Lphn2, remarkably rescued the D-CMP phenotype of Lphn2 knockout in the heart by restoring PGC-1α and mitochondrial function and recovering global junctional proteins.\r\n\r\nCONCLUSIONS\r\nLphn2 is a critical regulator of heart integrity by controlling mitochondrial functions and cell-to-cell junctions in cardiomyocytes. Its deficiency leads to D-CMP, which can be rescued by activators of the p38-MAPK pathway.","PeriodicalId":10147,"journal":{"name":"Circulation research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Circulation research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1161/circresaha.124.324670","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CARDIAC & CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Latrophilin-2 (Lphn2), an adhesive GPCR (G protein-coupled receptor), was found to be a specific marker of cardiac progenitors during the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes or during embryonic heart development in our previous studies. Its role in adult heart physiology, however, remains unclear.
METHODS
The embryonic lethality resulting from Lphn2 deletion necessitates the establishment of cardiomyocyte-specific, tamoxifen-inducible Lphn2 knockout mice, which was achieved by crossing Lphn2flox/flox mice with mice having MerCreMer (tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase) under the α-myosin heavy chain promoter.
RESULTS
Tamoxifen treatment for several days completely suppressed Lphn2 expression, specifically in the myocardium, and induced the dilated cardiomyopathy (D-CMP) phenotype with serious arrhythmia and sudden death in a short period of time. Transmission electron microscopy showed mitochondrial abnormalities, blurred Z-discs, and dehiscent myofibrils. The D-CMP phenotype, or heart failure, worsened during myocardial infarction. In a mechanistic study of D-CMP, Lphn2 knockout suppressed PGC-1α and mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and the global suppression of junctional molecules, such as N-cadherin (adherens junction), DSC-2 (desmocollin-2; desmosome), and connexin-43 (gap junction), leading to the dehiscence of cardiac myofibers and serious arrhythmia. In an experimental therapeutic trial, activators of p38-MAPK, which is a downstream signaling molecule of Lphn2, remarkably rescued the D-CMP phenotype of Lphn2 knockout in the heart by restoring PGC-1α and mitochondrial function and recovering global junctional proteins.
CONCLUSIONS
Lphn2 is a critical regulator of heart integrity by controlling mitochondrial functions and cell-to-cell junctions in cardiomyocytes. Its deficiency leads to D-CMP, which can be rescued by activators of the p38-MAPK pathway.
期刊介绍:
Circulation Research is a peer-reviewed journal that serves as a forum for the highest quality research in basic cardiovascular biology. The journal publishes studies that utilize state-of-the-art approaches to investigate mechanisms of human disease, as well as translational and clinical research that provide fundamental insights into the basis of disease and the mechanism of therapies.
Circulation Research has a broad audience that includes clinical and academic cardiologists, basic cardiovascular scientists, physiologists, cellular and molecular biologists, and cardiovascular pharmacologists. The journal aims to advance the understanding of cardiovascular biology and disease by disseminating cutting-edge research to these diverse communities.
In terms of indexing, Circulation Research is included in several prominent scientific databases, including BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts, Current Contents, EMBASE, and MEDLINE. This ensures that the journal's articles are easily discoverable and accessible to researchers in the field.
Overall, Circulation Research is a reputable publication that attracts high-quality research and provides a platform for the dissemination of important findings in basic cardiovascular biology and its translational and clinical applications.