Altered myofilament stoichiometry in response to heart failure in a cardioprotective α-myosin heavy chain transgenic rabbit model.

PURPOSE: Decreases in α myosin heavy chain (α-MHC) is a common feature of human heart failure (HF), whereas α-MHC overexpression in transgenic (TG) rabbits is cardioprotective against tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy (TIC). Hypothesizing that MHC isoform content alterations would impact sarcomere and mitochondrial energetics protein complement, we investigated the impact of α-MHC overexpression on global cardiac protein expression. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Protein expression was assessed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and MS on the extracts from TG and nontransgenic (NTG) rabbits under TIC or sham-operated conditions. RESULTS: We observed significant changes in the levels of actin, myosin light chain 2, and desmin between the left ventricular (LV) tissue of TG and NTG animals. The proteome was broadly impacted, with significant changes in mitochondrial energetics and chaperone protein families. No changes were observed in total cellular MHC or in myofibril-associated MHC. In myofibrils isolated from TG(sham) animals, only actin levels were altered in TG(sham) compared with NTG(sham) animals, suggesting careful myofibril assembly regulation. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These data suggest that myofibril protein composition may protect against TIC, emphasizing protein interconnectivity and demonstrating the need for broad-based proteomic studies in understanding targeted genetic manipulations. This study identifies the targets for future development of cardioprotective agents and elucidates tachycardia-induced heart failure pathways.

Two-dimensional gel-based approaches for the assessment of N-Linked and O-GlcNAc glycosylation in human and simian immunodeficiency viruses.

The glycosylation state of envelope glycoproteins in human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV/SIV) is critical to viral infectivity and tropism, viral protein processing, and in virus evasion of the immune system. Using a rapid fluorescent 2-D gel-based method coupled with enzymatic pre-treatment of virus with PNGase F (Peptide: N-Glycosidase F) and fluorescent 2-D gels or 2-D gel Western blotting, we show significant differences in the glycosylation patterns of two SIV strains widely used in animal models of HIV disease and vaccine studies. We also demonstrate the modification of a host protein important in HIV biology (HLA-DR) by O-GlcNAc. Further, this experimental pipeline allows for the identification of the modified protein and the site of N-linked glycosylation by fluorescent 2-DE coupled with MS and the qualitative and semi-quantitative assessment of viral glycosylation. The method is fully compatible with downstream glycomics analysis. This approach will permit correlation of virus glycosylation status with pathological severity and may serve as a rapid screen of viruses from physiological samples for further study by more advanced MS methodology.

Ca(2+) -stimulated basal adenylyl cyclase activity localization in membrane lipid microdomains of cardiac sinoatrial nodal pacemaker cells.

Spontaneous, rhythmic subsarcolemmal local Ca(2+) releases driven by cAMP-mediated, protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent phosphorylation are crucial for normal pacemaker function of sinoatrial nodal cells (SANC). Because local Ca(2+) releases occur beneath the cell surface membrane, near to where adenylyl cyclases (ACs) reside, we hypothesized that the dual Ca(2+) and cAMP/PKA regulatory components of automaticity are coupled via Ca(2+) activation of AC activity within membrane microdomains. Here we show by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR that SANC express Ca(2+)-activated AC isoforms 1 and 8, in addition to AC type 2, 5, and 6 transcripts. Immunolabeling of cell fractions, isolated by sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation, confirmed that ACs localize to membrane lipid microdomains. AC activity within these lipid microdomains is activated by Ca(2+) over the entire physiological Ca(2+) range. In intact SANC, the high basal AC activity produces a high level of cAMP that is further elevated by phosphodiesterase inhibition. cAMP and cAMP-mediated PKA-dependent activation of ion channels and Ca(2+) cycling proteins drive sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) releases, which, in turn, activate ACs. This feed forward "fail safe" system, kept in check by a high basal phosphodiesterase activity, is central to the generation of normal rhythmic, spontaneous action potentials by pacemaker cells.

Endothelial cell activation and neovascularization are prominent in dermatomyositis.

BACKGROUND: While vascular and immune abnormalities are common in juvenile and adult dermatomyositis (DM), the molecular changes that contribute to these abnormalities are not clear. Therefore, we investigated pathways that facilitate new blood vessel formation and dendritic cell migration in dermatomyositis. METHODS: Muscle biopsies from subjects with DM (9 children and 6 adults) and non-myositis controls (6 children and 7 adults) were investigated by immunohistochemistry using antibodies that recognize existing (anti-CD146) and newly formed blood vessels (anti-alphaVbeta3) and mature dendritic cells (anti-DC-LAMP). Blood vessel quantification was performed by digitalized image analysis. Additional muscle biopsies from subjects with adult DM and non-myositis controls were used for global gene expression profiling experiments. RESULTS: A significant increase in neovascularization was found in muscle biopsies of DM patients; neovascularization (alphaVbeta3 positive capillaries and vessels per muscle fiber) was much higher in juvenile than in adult DM patients (control vs juvenile DM: Mean +/- SE: 0.06 +/- 0.01 vs 0.6 +/- 0.05; p < 0.0001 and control vs adult DM: Mean +/- SE: 0.60 +/- 0.1 vs 0.75 +/- 0.1; p = 0.051). Gene expression analysis demonstrated that genes that participate not only in angiogenesis but also in leukocyte trafficking and the complement cascade were highly up regulated in DM muscle in comparison to age matched controls. DC-LAMP positive dendritic cells were highly enriched at perivascular inflammatory sites in juvenile and adult DM patients along with molecules that facilitate dendritic cell transmigration and reverse transmigration (CD142 and CD31). CONCLUSION: These results suggest active neovascularization and endothelial cell activation in both juvenile and adult DM. It is likely that close association of monocytes with endothelial cells initiate rapid dendritic cell maturation and an autoimmune response in DM.

Activation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response in autoimmune myositis: potential role in muscle fiber damage and dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: The etiology and pathogenesis of human inflammatory myopathies remain unclear. Findings of several studies suggest that the degree of inflammation does not correlate consistently with the severity of clinical disease or of structural changes in the muscle fibers, indicating that nonimmune pathways may contribute to the pathogenesis of myositis. This study was undertaken to investigate these pathways in myositis patients and in a class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-transgenic mouse model of myositis. METHODS: We examined muscle tissue from human myositis patients and from class I MHC-transgenic mice for nonimmune pathways, using biochemical, immunohistochemical, and gene expression profiling assays. RESULTS: Up-regulation of class I MHC in skeletal muscle fibers was an early and consistent feature of human inflammatory myopathies. Class I MHC staining in muscle fibers of myositis patients showed both cell surface and a reticular pattern of internal reactivity. The pathways of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, the unfolded protein response (glucose-regulated protein 78 pathway), and the ER overload response (NF-kappaB pathway) were significantly activated in muscle tissue of human myositis patients and in the mouse model. Ectopic expression of wild-type mouse class I MHC (H-2K(b)) but not degradable glycosylation mutants of H-2K(b) induced ER stress response in C(2)C(12) skeletal muscle cells. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the ER stress response may be a major nonimmune mechanism responsible for skeletal muscle damage and dysfunction in autoimmune myositis. Strategies to interfere with this pathway may have therapeutic value in patients with this disease.