To investigate the mechanism of regulation of sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca 2؉ -ATPase (SERCA) by phospholamban (PLB), we expressed Cerulean-SERCA and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-PLB in adult rabbit ventricular myocytes using adenovirus vectors. SERCA and PLB were localized in the sarcoplasmic reticulum and were mobile over multiple sarcomeres on a timescale of tens of seconds. We also observed robust fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from Cerulean-SERCA to YFP-PLB. is a P-type ion pump that maintains the Ca 2ϩ gradient across the endoplasmic reticulum. In cardiac muscle cells, calcium (Ca 2ϩ ) sequestration by SERCA is critical for muscle relaxation during the cardiac cycle, and disordered Ca 2ϩ handling is associated with cardiac dysfunction (1-3). SERCA activity is regulated by phospholamban (PLB), a helical transmembrane peptide that reduces the apparent affinity of the pump for Ca 2ϩ . Inhibition of SERCA by PLB is partially relieved through phosphorylation of PLB by protein kinase A and Ca 2ϩ /calmodulindependent protein kinase (4), which alters the structure of the PLB-SERCA regulatory complex (5) and increases PLB oligomerization into non-inhibitory pentamers (5, 6). It is widely recognized that PLB inhibition of SERCA is also relieved by elevated Ca 2ϩ , but the mechanism of this functional effect is unclear. One possibility is that PLB binds selectively to the Ca 2ϩ -free "E2" conformation of SERCA and cannot bind to the Ca 2ϩ -bound "E1" conformation (Fig. 1A, Dissociation Model). This model is supported by the observation that elevated Ca 2ϩ abolishes chemical cross-linking of the PLB transmembrane domain to reactive residues on SERCA (7-11) and reduces coimmunoprecipitation (12). Cross-linking was also prevented by the SERCA inhibitor thapsigargin (Tg) (7, 9 -11). Another recent study showed that oligomerization of a PLB-SERCA fusion construct was increased by micromolar Ca 2ϩ (13), consistent with the idea that Ca 2ϩ causes displacement of PLB from the inhibitory cleft, permitting PLB self-association into pentamers. Overall, these data suggest that only certain conformational substates of SERCA interact with PLB. The dissociation model predicts that PLB unbinds from SERCA during the period of systole (cardiac contraction) when Ca 2ϩ is high, and the regulatory complex reforms during diastole (cardiac relaxation) when the cytoplasmic Ca 2ϩ concentration is low. An alternative theory was generated from in vitro measurements of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between SERCA and PLB. Mueller et al. (14) showed that FRET was decreased, but not abolished, by Ca 2ϩ . This result suggested that relief of inhibition was accomplished by a conformational change of the regulatory complex, rather than unbinding of PLB from the pump. This study estimated a dissociation constant significantly lower than the expected in vivo concentrations of PLB and SERCA. Li et al. (15) also provided evidence from fluorescence spectroscopy that suggests that the binding of PLB and Ca 2ϩ is not...

Depressed sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium cycling, reflecting impaired SR Ca-transport and Ca-release, is a key and universal characteristic of human and experimental heart failure. These SR processes are regulated by multimeric protein complexes, including protein kinases and phosphatases as well as their anchoring and regulatory subunits that fine-tune Ca-handling in specific SR sub-compartments. SR Ca-transport is mediated by the SR Ca-ATPase (SERCA2a) and its regulatory phosphoprotein, phospholamban (PLN). Dephosphorylated PLN is an inhibitor of SERCA2a and phosphorylation by protein kinase A (PKA) or calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CAMKII) relieves these inhibitory effects. Recent studies identified additional regulatory proteins, associated with PLN, that control SR Ca-transport. These include the inhibitor-1 (I-1) of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), the small heat shock protein 20 (Hsp20) and the HS-1 associated protein X-1 (HAX1). In addition, the intra-luminal histidine-rich calcium binding protein (HRC) has been shown to interact with both SERCA2a and triadin. Notably, there is physical and direct interaction between these protein players, mediating a fine-cross talk between SR Ca-uptake, storage and release. Importantly, regulation of SR Ca-cycling by the PLN/SERCA interactome does not only impact cardiomyocyte contractility, but also survival and remodeling. Indeed, naturally occurring variants in these Ca-cycling genes modulate their activity and interactions with other protein partners, resulting in depressed contractility and accelerated remodeling. These genetic variants may serve as potential prognostic or diagnostic markers in cardiac pathophysiology.

Transient receptor potential cation channels have been implicated in the regulation of cardiovascular function, but only recently has our laboratory described the vanilloid-2 subtype (TRPV2) in the cardiomyocyte, though its exact mechanism of action has not yet been established. This study tests the hypothesis that TRPV2 plays an important role in regulating myocyte contractility under physiological conditions. Therefore, we measured cardiac and vascular function in wild-type and TRPV2(-/-) mice in vitro and in vivo and found that TRPV2 deletion resulted in a decrease in basal systolic and diastolic function without affecting loading conditions or vascular tone. TRPV2 stimulation with probenecid, a relatively selective TRPV2 agonist, caused an increase in both inotropy and lusitropy in wild-type mice that was blunted in TRPV2(-/-) mice. We examined the mechanism of TRPV2 inotropy/lusitropy in isolated myocytes and found that it modulates Ca(2+) transients and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) loading. We show that the activity of this channel is necessary for normal cardiac function and that there is increased contractility in response to agonism of TRPV2 with probenecid.

Precise Ca cycling through the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), a Ca storage organelle, is critical for proper cardiac muscle function. This cycling initially involves SR release of Ca via the ryanodine receptor, which is regulated by its interacting proteins junctin and triadin. The sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca ATPase (SERCA) pump then refills SR Ca stores. Histidine-rich Ca-binding protein (HRC) resides in the lumen of the SR, where it contributes to the regulation of Ca cycling by protecting stressed or failing hearts. The common Ser96Ala human genetic variant of HRC strongly correlates with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. However, the underlying molecular pathways of this disease remain undefined. Here, we demonstrate that family with sequence similarity 20C (Fam20C), a recently characterized protein kinase in the secretory pathway, phosphorylates HRC on Ser96. HRC Ser96 phosphorylation was confirmed in cells and human hearts. Furthermore, a Ser96Asp HRC variant, which mimics constitutive phosphorylation of Ser96, diminished delayed aftercontractions in HRC null cardiac myocytes. This HRC phosphomimetic variant was also able to rescue the aftercontractions elicited by the Ser96Ala variant, demonstrating that phosphorylation of Ser96 is critical for the cardioprotective function of HRC. Phosphorylation of HRC on Ser96 regulated the interactions of HRC with both triadin and SERCA2a, suggesting a unique mechanism for regulation of SR Ca homeostasis. This demonstration of the role of Fam20C-dependent phosphorylation in heart disease will open new avenues for potential therapeutic approaches against arrhythmias.histidine-rich calcium-binding protein | Fam20C kinase | heart | arrhythmia | phosphorylation

No abstract