Crucial Role for Ca2+/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase-II in Regulating Diastolic Stress of Normal and Failing Hearts via Titin Phosphorylation

N Hamdani, J Krysiak, MM Kreusser, S Neef… - Circulation …, 2013 - Am Heart Assoc
N Hamdani, J Krysiak, MM Kreusser, S Neef, CG Dos Remedios, LS Maier, M Krüger…
Circulation research, 2013Am Heart Assoc
Rationale: Myocardial diastolic stiffness and cardiomyocyte passive force (Fpassive) depend
in part on titin isoform composition and phosphorylation. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent
protein kinase-II (CaMKII) phosphorylates ion channels, Ca2+-handling proteins, and
chromatin-modifying enzymes in the heart, but has not been known to target titin. Objective:
To elucidate whether CaMKII phosphorylates titin and modulates Fpassive in normal and
failing myocardium. Methods and Results: Titin phosphorylation was assessed in CaMKIIδ/γ …
Rationale:
Myocardial diastolic stiffness and cardiomyocyte passive force (Fpassive) depend in part on titin isoform composition and phosphorylation. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase-II (CaMKII) phosphorylates ion channels, Ca2+-handling proteins, and chromatin-modifying enzymes in the heart, but has not been known to target titin.
Objective:
To elucidate whether CaMKII phosphorylates titin and modulates Fpassive in normal and failing myocardium.
Methods and Results:
Titin phosphorylation was assessed in CaMKIIδ/γ double-knockout (DKO) mouse, transgenic CaMKIIδC-overexpressing mouse, and human hearts, by Pro-Q-Diamond/Sypro-Ruby staining, autoradiography, and immunoblotting using phosphoserine-specific titin-antibodies. CaMKII-dependent site-specific titin phosphorylation was quantified in vivo by mass spectrometry using stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture mouse heart mixed with wild-type (WT) or DKO heart. Fpassive of single permeabilized cardiomyocytes was recorded before and after CaMKII-administration. All-titin phosphorylation was reduced by >50% in DKO but increased by up to ≈100% in transgenic versus WT hearts. Conserved CaMKII-dependent phosphosites were identified within the PEVK-domain of titin by quantitative mass spectrometry and confirmed in recombinant human PEVK-fragments. CaMKII also phosphorylated the cardiac titin N2B-unique sequence. Phosphorylation at specific PEVK/titin N2B-unique sequence sites was decreased in DKO and amplified in transgenic versus WT hearts. Fpassive was elevated in DKO and reduced in transgenic compared with WT cardiomyocytes. CaMKII-administration lowered Fpassive of WT and DKO cardiomyocytes, an effect blunted by titin antibody pretreatment. Human end-stage failing hearts revealed higher CaMKII expression/activity and phosphorylation at PEVK/titin N2B-unique sequence sites than nonfailing donor hearts.
Conclusions:
CaMKII phosphorylates the titin springs at conserved serines/threonines, thereby lowering Fpassive. Deranged CaMKII-dependent titin phosphorylation occurs in heart failure and contributes to altered diastolic stress.
Am Heart Assoc