Abstract
PURPOSE: cGMP is an important second messenger which is involved in the regulation of cardiac contractility and pathological hypertrophy. In cardiomyocytes, signaling by cGMP is organized in microdomains and is considered cardioprotective. Especially in adult cardiac myocytes, measurements of cGMP have been challenging and little is known about the spatio-temporal dynamics of cGMP. Here we developed a transgenic mouse model to visualize cGMP dynamis in adult cardiac myocytes. Methods: We generated transgenic mice with cardiomyocyte-specific expression of a highly sensitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based cGMP biosensor red cGES-DE5 and performed FRET measurements in freshly isolated adult mouse ventricular myocytes. To analyze cGMP/cAMP crosstalk, FRET experiments were performed in cardiomyocytes isolated from mice transgenically expressing the cAMP sensor Epac1-camps. Results: Basal cytosolic cGMP levels were very low (~10 nM), but could be markedly increased by stimulation with natriuretic peptides (CNP>>ANP). In contrast, direct stimulation of the soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) with NO-donors such as SNAP showed no effect. However, constitutive activity of this cyclase contributes to basal cGMP production, since a clear decrease of basal cGMP levels was observed after stimulation with the sGC inhibitor ODQ. This basal cGMP production is regulated by phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity. Unexpectedly, PDE3 is most important in controlling basal cGMP levels, whereas PDE2 and PDE5 are much less active. We could also show that cGMP pools produced by GC-B after CNP stimulation are mainly regulated by PDE3, so that the receptor and this PDE form one functional unit important for the regulation of cGMP/cAMP cross-talk. Conclusion: In summary, we performed the first FRET-based measurements of cGMP in adult cardiomyocytes and we could highlight the key role of PDE3 in the regulation of basal cGMP levels and cGMP/cAMP cross-talk.
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