Article,

Abnormal interactions of calsequestrin with the ryanodine receptor calcium release channel complex linked to exercise-induced sudden cardiac death.

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Circ. Res., 98 (9): 1151--1158 (May 2006)
DOI: 10.1161/01.RES.0000220647.93982.08

Abstract

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a familial arrhythmogenic disorder associated with mutations in the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) and cardiac calsequestrin (CASQ2) genes. Previous in vitro studies suggested that RyR2 and CASQ2 interact as parts of a multimolecular Ca$^2+$-signaling complex; however, direct evidence for such interactions and their potential significance to myocardial function remain to be determined. We identified a novel CASQ2 mutation in a young female with a structurally normal heart and unexplained syncopal episodes. This mutation results in the nonconservative substitution of glutamine for arginine at amino acid 33 of CASQ2 (R33Q). Adenoviral-mediated expression of CASQ2(R33Q) in adult rat myocytes led to an increase in excitation-contraction coupling gain and to more frequent occurrences of spontaneous propagating (Ca$^2+$ waves) and local Ca$^2+$ signals (sparks) with respect to control cells expressing wild-type CASQ2 (CASQ2WT). As revealed by a Ca$^2+$ indicator entrapped inside the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of permeabilized myocytes, the increased occurrence of spontaneous Ca$^2+$ sparks and waves was associated with a dramatic decrease in intra-SR Ca$^2+$. Recombinant CASQ2WT and CASQ2R33Q exhibited similar Ca$^2+$-binding capacities in vitro; however, the mutant protein lacked the ability of its WT counterpart to inhibit RyR2 activity at low luminal Ca$^2+$ in planar lipid bilayers. We conclude that the R33Q mutation disrupts interactions of CASQ2 with the RyR2 channel complex and impairs regulation of RyR2 by luminal Ca$^2+$. These results show that intracellular Ca$^2+$ cycling in normal heart relies on an intricate interplay of CASQ2 with the proteins of the RyR2 channel complex and that disruption of these interactions can lead to cardiac arrhythmia.

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