Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Mol Cell Biol. 2012 Mar;32(6):1056-67. doi: 10.1128/MCB.06188-11. Epub 2012 Jan 17.
Arrhythmic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a hereditary heart muscle disease that causes sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young people. Almost half of ARVC patients have a mutation in genes encoding cell adhesion proteins of the desmosome, including plakoglobin (JUP). We previously reported that cardiac tissue-specific plakoglobin (PG) knockout (PG CKO) mice have no apparent conduction abnormality and survive longer than expected. Importantly, the PG homolog, β-catenin (CTNNB1), showed increased association with the gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) in PG CKO hearts. To determine whether β-catenin is required to maintain cardiac conduction in the absence of PG, we generated mice lacking both PG and β-catenin specifically in the heart (i.e., double knockout [DKO]). The DKO mice exhibited cardiomyopathy, fibrous tissue replacement, and conduction abnormalities resulting in SCD. Loss of the cadherin linker proteins resulted in dissolution of the intercalated disc (ICD) structure. Moreover, Cx43-containing gap junction plaques were reduced at the ICD, consistent with the arrhythmogenicity of the DKO hearts. Finally, ambulatory electrocardiogram monitoring captured the abrupt onset of spontaneous lethal ventricular arrhythmia in the DKO mice. In conclusion, these studies demonstrate that the N-cadherin-binding partners, PG and β-catenin, are indispensable for maintaining mechanoelectrical coupling in the heart.
心律失常性右室心肌病(ARVC)是一种遗传性心肌疾病,可导致年轻人猝死(SCD)。几乎一半的 ARVC 患者的基因编码桥粒细胞黏附蛋白发生突变,包括桥粒斑蛋白(JUP)。我们之前曾报道过,心脏组织特异性桥粒斑蛋白(PG)敲除(PG CKO)小鼠没有明显的传导异常,且比预期寿命更长。重要的是,PG 同源物β-连环蛋白(CTNNB1)在 PG CKO 心脏中与间隙连接蛋白 connexin43(Cx43)的关联增加。为了确定在没有 PG 的情况下β-连环蛋白是否需要维持心脏传导,我们生成了心脏特异性缺失 PG 和β-连环蛋白的小鼠(即双敲除 [DKO])。DKO 小鼠表现出心肌病、纤维组织替代和传导异常,导致 SCD。钙黏蛋白连接蛋白的缺失导致闰盘(ICD)结构溶解。此外,ICD 处的 Cx43 包含的间隙连接斑块减少,与 DKO 心脏的致心律失常性一致。最后,动态心电图监测捕捉到 DKO 小鼠自发性致命性室性心律失常的突然发作。总之,这些研究表明,N-钙黏蛋白结合伴侣 PG 和β-连环蛋白对于维持心脏的机电耦联是不可或缺的。