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Mechanosensitive kinases regulate stiffness-induced cardiomyocyte maturation.

ABSTRACT: Cells secrete and assemble extracellular matrix throughout development, giving rise to time-dependent, tissue-specific stiffness. Mimicking myocardial matrix stiffening, i.e. ~10-fold increase over 1 week, with a hydrogel system enhances myofibrillar organization of embryonic cardiomyocytes compared to static hydrogels, and thus we sought to identify specific mechanosensitive proteins involved. Expression and/or phosphorylation state of 309 unique protein kinases were examined in embryonic cardiomyocytes plated on either dynamically stiffening or static mature myocardial stiffness hydrogels. Gene ontology analysis of these kinases identified cardiogenic pathways that exhibited time-dependent up-regulation on dynamic versus static matrices, including PI3K/AKT and p38 MAPK, while GSK3?, a known antagonist of cardiomyocyte maturation, was down-regulated. Additionally, inhibiting GSK3? on static matrices improved spontaneous contraction and myofibril organization, while inhibiting agonist AKT on dynamic matrices reduced myofibril organization and spontaneous contraction, confirming its role in mechanically-driven maturation. Together, these data indicate that mechanically-driven maturation is at least partially achieved via active mechanosensing at focal adhesions, affecting expression and phosphorylation of a variety of protein kinases important to cardiomyogenesis.

SUBMITTER: Young JL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4168277 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Mechanosensitive kinases regulate stiffness-induced cardiomyocyte maturation.

Young Jennifer L JL Kretchmer Kyle K Ondeck Matthew G MG Zambon Alexander C AC Engler Adam J AJ

Scientific reports 20140919

Cells secrete and assemble extracellular matrix throughout development, giving rise to time-dependent, tissue-specific stiffness. Mimicking myocardial matrix stiffening, i.e. ~10-fold increase over 1 week, with a hydrogel system enhances myofibrillar organization of embryonic cardiomyocytes compared to static hydrogels, and thus we sought to identify specific mechanosensitive proteins involved. Expression and/or phosphorylation state of 309 unique protein kinases were examined in embryonic cardi ...[more]

PMID: 25236849

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Project description:BackgroundHypertrophic cardiomyocyte growth and dysfunction accompany various forms of heart disease. The mechanisms responsible for transcriptional changes that affect cardiac physiology and the transition to heart failure are not well understood. The intercalated disc (ID) is a specialized intercellular junction coupling cardiomyocyte force transmission and propagation of electrical activity. The ID is gaining attention as a mechanosensitive signaling hub and hotspot for causative mutations in cardiomyopathy.MethodsTransmission electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, and single-molecule localization microscopy were used to examine changes in ID structure and protein localization in the murine and human heart. We conducted detailed cardiac functional assessment and transcriptional profiling of mice lacking myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF)-A and MRTF-B specifically in adult cardiomyocytes to evaluate the role of mechanosensitive regulation of gene expression in load-induced ventricular remodeling.ResultsWe found that MRTFs localize to IDs in the healthy human heart and accumulate in the nucleus in heart failure. Although mice lacking MRTFs in adult cardiomyocytes display normal cardiac physiology at baseline, pressure overload leads to rapid heart failure characterized by sarcomere disarray, ID disintegration, chamber dilation and wall thinning, cardiac functional decline, and partially penetrant acute lethality. Transcriptional profiling reveals a program of actin cytoskeleton and cardiomyocyte adhesion genes driven by MRTFs during pressure overload. Indeed, conspicuous remodeling of gap junctions at IDs identified by single-molecule localization microscopy may partially stem from a reduction in Mapre1 expression, which we show is a direct mechanosensitive MRTF target.ConclusionsOur study describes a novel paradigm in which MRTFs control an acute mechanosensitive signaling circuit that coordinates cross-talk between the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton and maintains ID integrity and cardiomyocyte homeostasis in heart disease.

Dataset Information

Mechanosensitive kinases regulate stiffness-induced cardiomyocyte maturation.

Publications

Mechanosensitive kinases regulate stiffness-induced cardiomyocyte maturation.

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