Abstract 203: Protein Synthesis Inhibitors 4E-BPs Regulate Cardiac Function

Abstract

Rationale: mTOR regulates cardiac functionality and hypertrophy. We have shown that cardiac-specific deletion of mTOR induces fatal dilated cardiomyopathy. This model of heart failure is characterized biochemically by accumulation of the mTOR substrate 4E-BP1, which inhibits protein synthesis through the regulation of translation initiation. Deletion of the 4E-BP1 gene, Eif4ebp1, in mTOR-KO mice significantly, albeit partially, improved cardiac function and survival. Objective: To investigate the role of the 4E-BP family in the heart by determining whether absence of its members improves cardiac function in different models of heart failure. Methods and Results: In the absence of Eif4ebp1, cardiac expression of the 4E-BP2 homolog increases strikingly. Deletion of Eif4ebp2 along with Eif4ebp1 (4E-BP1/4E-BP2-dKO mice) abrogated the negative effects of the loss of mTOR on cardiac function, and led to a further significant improvement in survival rate. Moreover, when 4E-BP1/4E-BP2-dKO mice where subjected to pressure-overload stress, cardiac function and survival were significantly improved compared with similarly treated control mice. The hypertrophic response to pressure overload in these mice was not affected by the absence of 4E-BPs. Conclusions: Our data indicate that 4E-BPs are responsible for an important part of mTOR effects on cardiac function, further strengthening the concept that the regulation of mRNA translation profoundly affects cardiac inotropism under stress.