Summary Developmental modifications in cell shape depend on dynamic interactions between the extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton. In contrast, existing models of cytokinesis describe substantial cell surface remodeling that involves many intracellular regulatory and structural proteins but includes no contribution from the extracellular matrix [1–3]. Here, we show that extracellular hemicentins assemble at the cleavage furrow of dividing cells in the C. elegans germline and in preimplantation mouse embryos. In the absence of hemicentin, cleavage furrows form but retract prior to completion, resulting in multinucleate cells. In addition to their role in tissue organization, the data indicate that hemicentins are the first secreted proteins required during mammalian development and the only known secreted proteins required for cytokinesis, with an evolutionarily conserved role in stabilizing and preventing retraction of nascent cleavage furrows. Together with studies showing that extracellular polysaccharides are required for cytokinesis in diverse species [4–9], our data suggest that assembly of a cell type-specific extracellular matrix may be a general requirement for cleavage furrow maturation and contractile ring function during cytokinesis.

Background FK506 binding protein 12 (FKBP12) is a known cis-trans peptidyl prolyl isomerase and highly expressed in the heart. Its role in regulating postnatal cardiac function remains largely unknown. Methods and Results We generated FKBP12 overexpressing transgenic (αMyHC-FKBP12) mice and cardiomyocyte-restricted FKBP12 conditional knockout (FKBP12f/f/αMyHC-Cre) mice, and analyzed their cardiac electrophysiology in vivo and in vitro. A high incidence (38%) of sudden death was found in αMyHC-FKBP12 mice. Surface and ambulatory ECGs documented cardiac conduction defects, which were further confirmed by electrical measurements and optical mapping in Langendorff-perfused hearts. αMyHC-FKBP12 hearts had slower action potential upstrokes, and longer action potential durations. Whole-cell patch-clamp analyses demonstrated an ~80% reduction in peak density of the tetrodotoxin-resistant, voltage-gated sodium current, INa, in αMyHC-FKBP12 ventricular cardiomyocytes, a slower recovery of INa from inactivation, shifts of steady-state activation and inactivation curves of INa to more depolarized potentials, and augmentation of late INa, suggesting that the arrhythmogenic phenotype of αMyHC-FKBP12 mice is due to abnormal INa. Ventricular cardiomyocytes isolated from FKBP12f/f/αMyHC-Cre hearts showed faster action potential upstrokes and a more than 2-fold increase in peak INa density. Dialysis of exogenous recombinant FKBP12 protein into FKBP12-deficient cardiomyocytes promptly recapitulated alterations in INa seen in αMyHC-FKBP12 myocytes. Conclusions FKBP12 is a critical regulator of INa and is important to cardiac arrhythmogenic physiology. FKPB12-mediated dysregulation of INa may underlie clinical arrhythmias associated with FK506 administration.

Ryanodine is a plant alkaloid that was originally used as an insecticide. To study the function and regulation of the ryanodine receptor (RyR) from insect cells, we have cloned the entire cDNA sequence of RyR from the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The primary sequence of the Drosophila RyR contains 5134 amino acids, which shares approximately 45% identity with RyRs from mammalian cells, with a large cytoplasmic domain at the amino-terminal end and a small transmembrane domain at the carboxyl-terminal end. To characterize the Ca(2+) release channel activity of the cloned Drosophila RyR, we expressed both full-length and a deletion mutant of Drosophila RyR lacking amino acids 277-3650 (Drosophila RyR-C) in Chinese hamster ovary cells. For subcellular localization of the expressed Drosophila RyR and Drosophila RyR-C proteins, green fluorescent protein (GFP)-Drosophila RyR and GFP-Drosophila RyR-C fusion constructs were generated. Confocal microscopic imaging identified GFP-Drosophila RyR and GFP-Drosophila RyR-C on the endoplasmic reticulum membranes of transfected cells. Upon reconstitution into the lipid bilayer membrane, Drosophila RyR-C formed a large conductance cation-selective channel, which was sensitive to modulation by ryanodine. Opening of the Drosophila RyR-C channel required the presence of microM concentration of Ca(2+) in the cytosolic solution, but the channel was insensitive to inhibition by Ca(2+) at concentrations as high as 20 mM. Our data are consistent with our previous observation with the mammalian RyR that the conduction pore of the calcium release channel resides within the carboxyl-terminal end of the protein and further demonstrate that structural and functional features are essentially shared by mammalian and insect RyRs.