Hyperphosphorylation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor at serine 2808 is not involved in cardiac dysfunction after myocardial infarction.

RATIONALE

Abnormal behavior of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) has been linked to cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure (HF) after myocardial infarction (MI). It has been proposed that protein kinase A (PKA) hyperphosphorylation of the RyR2 at a single residue, Ser-2808, is a critical mediator of RyR dysfunction, depressed cardiac performance, and HF after MI.

OBJECTIVE

We used a mouse model (RyRS2808A) in which PKA hyperphosphorylation of the RyR2 at Ser-2808 is prevented to determine whether loss of PKA phosphorylation at this site averts post MI cardiac pump dysfunction.

METHODS AND RESULTS

MI was induced in wild-type (WT) and S2808A mice. Myocyte and cardiac function were compared in WT and S2808A animals before and after MI. The effects of the PKA activator Isoproterenol (Iso) on L-type Ca(2+) current (I(CaL)), contractions, and Ca(2+) transients were also measured. Both WT and S2808A mice had depressed pump function after MI, and there were no differences between groups. MI size was also identical in both groups. L type Ca(2+) current, contractions, Ca(2+) transients, and SR Ca(2+) load were also not significantly different in WT versus S2808A myocytes either before or after MI. Iso effects on Ca(2+) current, contraction, Ca(2+) transients, and SR Ca(2+) load were identical in WT and S2808A myocytes before and after MI at both low and high concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

These results strongly support the idea that PKA phosphorylation of RyR-S2808 is irrelevant to the development of cardiac dysfunction after MI, at least in the mice used in this study.