Neural activity selects myosin IIB and VI with a specific time window in distinct dynamin isoform-mediated synaptic vesicle reuse pathways.

Presynaptic nerve terminals must maintain stable neurotransmissions via synaptic vesicle (SV) resupply despite encountering wide fluctuations in the number and frequency of incoming action potentials (APs). However, the molecular mechanism linking variation in neural activity to SV resupply is unknown. Myosins II and VI are actin-based cytoskeletal motors that drive dendritic actin dynamics and membrane transport, respectively, at brain synapses. Here we combined genetic knockdown or molecular dysfunction and direct physiological measurement of fast synaptic transmission from paired rat superior cervical ganglion neurons in culture to show that myosins IIB and VI work individually in SV reuse pathways, having distinct dependency and time constants with physiological AP frequency. Myosin VI resupplied the readily releasable pool (RRP) with slow kinetics independently of firing rates but acted quickly within 50 ms after AP. Under high-frequency AP firing, myosin IIB resupplied the RRP with fast kinetics in a slower time window of 200 ms. Knockdown of both myosin and dynamin isoforms by mixed siRNA microinjection revealed that myosin IIB-mediated SV resupply follows amphiphysin/dynamin-1-mediated endocytosis, while myosin VI-mediated SV resupply follows dynamin-3-mediated endocytosis. Collectively, our findings show how distinct myosin isoforms work as vesicle motors in appropriate SV reuse pathways associated with specific firing patterns.

Inducing positive inotropy in human iPSC-derived cardiac muscle by gene editing-based activation of the cardiac α-myosin heavy chain.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells and their differentiation into cardiac myocytes (hiPSC-CMs) provides a unique and valuable platform for studies of cardiac muscle structure-function. This includes studies centered on disease etiology, drug development, and for potential clinical applications in heart regeneration/repair. Ultimately, for these applications to achieve success, a thorough assessment and physiological advancement of the structure and function of hiPSC-CMs is required. HiPSC-CMs are well noted for their immature and sub-physiological cardiac muscle state, and this represents a major hurdle for the field. To address this roadblock, we have developed a hiPSC-CMs (ß-MHC dominant) experimental platform focused on directed physiological enhancement of the sarcomere, the functional unit of cardiac muscle. We focus here on the myosin heavy chain (MyHC) protein isoform profile, the molecular motor of the heart, which is essential to cardiac physiological performance. We hypothesized that inducing increased expression of α-MyHC in ß-MyHC dominant hiPSC-CMs would enhance contractile performance of hiPSC-CMs. To test this hypothesis, we used gene editing with an inducible α-MyHC expression cassette into isogeneic hiPSC-CMs, and separately by gene transfer, and then investigated the direct effects of increased α-MyHC expression on hiPSC-CMs contractility and relaxation function. Data show improved cardiac functional parameters in hiPSC-CMs induced with α-MyHC. Positive inotropy and relaxation was evident in comparison to ß-MyHC dominant isogenic controls both at baseline and during pacing induced stress. This approach should facilitate studies of hiPSC-CMs disease modeling and drug screening, as well as advancing fundamental aspects of cardiac function parameters for the optimization of future cardiac regeneration, repair and re-muscularization applications.

Modulation of muscle contraction by a cell-permeable peptide.

In contrast to immortal cell lines, primary cells are hardly susceptible to intracellular delivery methods such as transfection. In this study, we evaluated the direct delivery of several cell-permeable peptides under noninvasive conditions into living primary adult rat cardiomyocytes. We specifically monitored the functional effects of a cell-permeable peptide containing the 15 amino acid N-terminal peptide from human ventricular light chain-1 (VLC-1) on contraction and intracellular Ca2+ signals after electrical stimulation in primary adult cardiomyocytes. The transducible VLC-1 variant was taken up by cardiomyocytes within 5 min with more than 95% efficiency and localized to sarcomeric structures. Analysis of the functional effects of the cell-permeable VLC-1 revealed an enhancement of the intrinsic contractility of cardiomyocytes without affecting the intracellular Ca2+. Therefore, peptide transduction mediated by cell-penetrating peptides represents not only a unique strategy to enhance heart muscle function with no secondary effect on intracellular Ca2+ but also an invaluable tool for the modulation and manipulation of protein interactions in general and in primary cells.