A Reduction of Tropomyosin Limits Development of Sarcomeric Structures in Cardiac Mutant Hearts of the Mexican Axolotl

Abstract

The cardiac lethal mutation in Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) results in a lack of contractions in the ventricle of mutant embryos. Previous studies have demonstrated that tropomyosin, a component of thin filaments, is greatly reduced in mutant hearts lacking myofibril organization. Confocal microscopy was used to examine the structure and comparative amount of tropomyosin at heartbeat initiation and at a later stage. The formation of functional sarcomeres coincided with contractions in normal hearts at stage 35. A-bands and I-bands were formed at stage 35 and did not change at stage 39. The widening of Z-bodies into z-lines was the main developmental difference between stage 35 and 39 normal hearts. Relative to normal hearts, a reduction of sarcomeric protein levels in mutant hearts at stage 35 was found, and a greater reduction occurred at later stages. The lower level of tropomyosin limited the areas where organized myofibrils formed in the mutant. The areas that had tropomyosin staining also had staining for alpha-actinin and myosin. Early myofibrils formed in these areas but the A-bands and I-bands were shorter than normal. At a later stage in the mutant, A-bands and I-bands remained shorter and importantly the Z-bodies also did not form wider z-lines.