Mutations In Myosin Heavy Chain Research Articles

Multi-Omics of Familial Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection: Calcium Transport Impairment Predisposes Aortas to Dissection.

Several genetic defects, including a mutation in myosin heavy chain 11 (Myh11), are reported to cause familial thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (FTAAD). We recently showed that mice lacking K1256 of Myh11 developed aortic dissection when stimulated with angiotensin II, despite the absence of major pathological phenotypic abnormalities prior to stimulation. In this study, we used a comprehensive, data-driven, unbiased, multi-omics approach to find underlying changes in transcription and metabolism that predispose the aorta to dissection in mice harboring the Myh11 K1256del mutation. Pathway analysis of transcriptomes showed that genes involved in membrane transport were downregulated in homozygous mutant (Myh11ΔK/ΔK) aortas. Furthermore, expanding the analysis with metabolomics showed that two mechanisms that raise the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration-multiple calcium channel expression and ADP-ribose synthesis-were attenuated in Myh11ΔK/ΔK aortas. We suggest that the impairment of the Ca2+ influx attenuates aortic contraction and that suboptimal contraction predisposes the aorta to dissection.

Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis Is Associated with Contractile Dysfunction in Stem Cell Model of MYH7 E848G Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Missense mutations in myosin heavy chain 7 (MYH7) are a common cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but the molecular mechanisms underlying MYH7-based HCM remain unclear. In this work, we generated cardiomyocytes derived from isogenic human induced pluripotent stem cells to model the heterozygous pathogenic MYH7 missense variant, E848G, which is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and adult-onset systolic dysfunction. MYH7E848G/+ increased cardiomyocyte size and reduced the maximum twitch forces of engineered heart tissue, consistent with the systolic dysfunction in MYH7E848G/+ HCM patients. Interestingly, MYH7E848G/+ cardiomyocytes more frequently underwent apoptosis that was associated with increased p53 activity relative to controls. However, genetic ablation of TP53 did not rescue cardiomyocyte survival or restore engineered heart tissue twitch force, indicating MYH7E848G/+ cardiomyocyte apoptosis and contractile dysfunction are p53-independent. Overall, our findings suggest that cardiomyocyte apoptosis is associated with the MYH7E848G/+ HCM phenotype in vitro and that future efforts to target p53-independent cell death pathways may be beneficial for the treatment of HCM patients with systolic dysfunction.

Multi-Omics Profiling of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Reveals Altered Mechanisms in Mitochondrial Dynamics and Excitation-Contraction Coupling.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is one of the most common inherited cardiomyopathies and a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young adults. Despite profound insights into the genetics, there is imperfect correlation between mutation and clinical prognosis, suggesting complex molecular cascades driving pathogenesis. To investigate this, we performed an integrated quantitative multi-omics (proteomic, phosphoproteomic, and metabolomic) analysis to illuminate the early and direct consequences of mutations in myosin heavy chain in engineered human induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes relative to late-stage disease using patient myectomies. We captured hundreds of differential features, which map to distinct molecular mechanisms modulating mitochondrial homeostasis at the earliest stages of pathobiology, as well as stage-specific metabolic and excitation-coupling maladaptation. Collectively, this study fills in gaps from previous studies by expanding knowledge of the initial responses to mutations that protect cells against the early stress prior to contractile dysfunction and overt disease.

P0086FOCAL SEGMENTAL GLOMERULOSCLEROSIS AND TROMBOCYTOPENIA WITHOUT BLEEDING DIATHESIS: WHEN GENETICS MATTER

Abstract Background and Aims A 45-year old patient presented to our renal unit because of increased serum creatinine (2 mg/dL), proteinuria (2g/24h collection) and haematuria; platelets were 12000/mcL. His family history was negative. He had already undergone cataract surgery and was wearing a hearing device. Alport syndrome was suspected and kidney biopsy performed. Light microscopy showed focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), while immunofluorescence was negative. Electron microscopy was not available. No specific treatment was undertaken and he progressed to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in 10 years. The patient chose peritoneal dialysis. He was considered at high risk of bleeding but the Tenchkoff catheter was inserted without problems. After 3 months he received kidney transplant and again no pathological bleeding occurred. Method A genetic test was requested using next generation sequencing (NGS). Results A mutation of myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) gene which encodes the non-muscle myosin heavy chain-IIA (NMMH-IIA) was found. This mutation is associated with thrombocytopenia and proteinuria; platelets are giant and display normal aggregation, even in those patients who have a very low count. Proteinuria can be mild or in the nephrotic range, with or without microhaematuria. Kidney involvement is highly heterogeneous and leads to ESRD in half of the cases. Light microscopy shows FSGS as the prevalent pattern whereas electron microscopy is characterized by podocyte foot process effacement. In fact, NMMH-IIA is expressed in podocytes and controls cytoskeleton and cell migration. The differential diagnosis with Alport disease is challenging because additional features of MYH9 mutation are sensorineural deafness and pre-senile cataract. For all these reasons, accurate kidney biopsy study, family history and genetics are decisive. Conclusion Genetic testing has a pivotal role in understanding kidney diseases and should be more and more used.

Allele-Selective Knockdown of MYH7 Using Antisense Oligonucleotides

Hundreds of dominant-negative myosin mutations have been identified that lead to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and the biomechanical link between mutation and disease is heterogeneous across this patient population. To increase the therapeutic feasibility of treating this diverse genetic population, we investigated the ability of locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to selectively knock down mutant myosin transcripts by targeting single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were found to be common in the myosin heavy chain 7 (MYH7) gene. We identified three SNPs in MYH7 and designed ASO libraries to selectively target either the reference or alternate MYH7 sequence. We identified ASOs that selectively knocked down either the reference or alternate allele at all three SNP regions. We also show allele-selective knockdown in a mouse model that was humanized on one allele. These results suggest that SNP-targeting ASOs are a promising therapeutic modality for treating cardiac pathology.

Myosin heavy chain mutations that cause Freeman-Sheldon syndrome lead to muscle structural and functional defects in Drosophila

Missense mutations in the MYH3 gene encoding myosin heavy chain-embryonic (MyHC-embryonic) have been reported to cause two skeletal muscle contracture syndromes, Freeman Sheldon Syndrome (FSS) and Sheldon Hall Syndrome (SHS). Two residues in MyHC-embryonic that are most frequently mutated, leading to FSS, R672 and T178, are evolutionarily conserved across myosin heavy chains in vertebrates and Drosophila. We generated transgenic Drosophila expressing myosin heavy chain (Mhc) transgenes with the FSS mutations and characterized the effect of their expression on Drosophila muscle structure and function. Our results indicate that expressing these mutant Mhc transgenes lead to structural abnormalities in the muscle, which increase in severity with age and muscle use. We find that flies expressing the FSS mutant Mhc transgenes in the muscle exhibit shortening of the inter-Z disc distance of sarcomeres, reduction in the Z-disc width, aberrant deposition of Z-disc proteins, and muscle fiber splitting. The ATPase activity of the three FSS mutant MHC proteins are reduced compared to wild type MHC, with the most severe reduction observed in the T178I mutation. Structurally, the FSS mutations occur close to the ATP binding pocket, disrupting the ATPase activity of the protein. Functionally, expression of the FSS mutant Mhc transgenes in muscle lead to significantly reduced climbing capability in adult flies. Thus, our findings indicate that the FSS contracture syndrome mutations lead to muscle structural defects and functional deficits in Drosophila, possibly mediated by the reduced ATPase activity of the mutant MHC proteins.

Development of induced pluripotent stem cells from a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who carries the pathogenic myosin heavy chain 7 mutation p.Arg403Gln

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited cardiomyopathy characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy ≥15 mm in the absence of loading conditions. HCM has a prevalence of up to one in 200, and can result in significant adverse outcomes including heart failure and sudden cardiac death. An induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line was generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from the whole blood of a 38-year-old female patient with HCM in which genetic testing identified the well-known pathogenic p.Arg403Gln mutation in myosin heavy chain 7. iPSCs express pluripotency markers, demonstrate trilineage differentiation capacity, and display a normal 46,XX female karyotype. This resource will allow further assessment of the pathophysiological development of HCM.

Impact of the Myosin Modulator Mavacamten on Force Generation and Cross-Bridge Behavior in a Murine Model of Hypercontractility.

BackgroundRecent studies suggest that mavacamten (Myk461), a small myosin‐binding molecule, decreases hypercontractility in myocardium expressing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy‐causing missense mutations in myosin heavy chain. However, the predominant feature of most mutations in cardiac myosin binding protein‐C (cMyBPC) that cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is reduced total cMyBPC expression, and the impact of Myk461 on cMyBPC‐deficient myocardium is currently unknown.Methods and ResultsWe measured the impact of Myk461 on steady‐state and dynamic cross‐bridge (XB) behavior in detergent‐skinned mouse wild‐type myocardium and myocardium lacking cMyBPC (knockout (KO)). KO myocardium exhibited hypercontractile XB behavior as indicated by significant accelerations in rates of XB detachment (krel) and recruitment (kdf) at submaximal Ca2+ activations. Incubation of KO and wild‐type myocardium with Myk461 resulted in a dose‐dependent force depression, and this impact was more pronounced at low Ca2+ activations. Interestingly, Myk461‐induced force depressions were less pronounced in KO myocardium, especially at low Ca2+ activations, which may be because of increased acto‐myosin XB formation and potential disruption of super‐relaxed XBs in KO myocardium. Additionally, Myk461 slowed krel in KO myocardium but not in wild‐type myocardium, indicating increased XB “on” time. Furthermore, the greater degree of Myk461‐induced slowing in kdf and reduction in XB recruitment magnitude in KO myocardium normalized the XB behavior back to wild‐type levels.ConclusionsThis is the first study to demonstrate that Myk461‐induced force depressions are modulated by cMyBPC expression levels in the sarcomere, and emphasizes that clinical use of Myk461 may need to be optimized based on the molecular trigger that underlies the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy phenotype.

Clinical remission of myopathy with MYH2 mutations after rehabilitation treatment: A case report

Myosin myopathies consist of a set of inherited diseases caused by mutations in myosin heavy chain (MyHC) genes. Among them, MYH2 mutations have been reported to lead myopathy with ophthalmoplegia, mild to moderate muscle weakness characterized by lack of type 2A muscle fibers. To date, there is still no specific treatment for MYH2 mutated patients. A 35-month-old girl was admitted for her motor developmental disorder associated with intellectual disability. A physical examination revealed the decreased muscle strength and muscle tone of her lower limbs and facial muscles combined with poor function of sitting and standing balance. Based on the primary assessment, a general rehabilitation therapy plan for the girl was set-up, which involved balance training, muscle strength training in low extremity, walking training, gross and fine motor function training, as well as family education. However, after the first phase of training, her motor skills were only improved mildly as well as her balance function. In the meantime, whole-exome sequencing was performed, and a novel heterozygous mutation was discovered in her MYH2 gene. These two mutations were predicted to be pathogenic, which can lead to proximal myopathy and extraocular muscle paralysis, mainly involved in type 2A muscle fibers. After her accurate diagnosis, active exercise and endurance exercise were added in addition to original rehabilitation training program and aim to shift the expression of myosin heavy chain isoform from fast to slow. Twelve weeks after the optimized rehabilitation training, the function of her gross and fine motor was improved notably. In addition, her ability of standing, walking and jumping was enhanced significantly as well. In this study, we described for the first time the clinical remission of myopathy with MYH2 missense mutations after effective rehabilitation. Precision medicine is incredibly helpful for patients with unexplained myopathies to develop a suitable rehabilitation program.

Downregulation of GSTK1 Is a Common Mechanism Underlying Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy and is associated with a number of potential outcomes, including impaired diastolic function, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death. Various etiologies have been described for HCM, including pressure overload and mutations in sarcomeric and non-sarcomeric genes. However, the molecular pathogenesis of HCM remains incompletely understood. In this study, we performed comparative transcriptome analysis to identify dysregulated genes common to five mouse HCM models of differing etiology: (i) mutation of myosin heavy chain 6, (ii) mutation of tropomyosin 1, (iii) expressing human phospholamban on a null background, (iv) knockout of frataxin, and (v) transverse aortic constriction. Gene-by-gene comparison identified five genes dysregulated in all five HCM models. Glutathione S-transferase kappa 1 (Gstk1) was significantly downregulated in the five models, whereas myosin heavy chain 7 (Myh7), connective tissue growth factor (Ctgf), periostin (Postn), and reticulon 4 (Rtn4) were significantly upregulated. Gene ontology comparison revealed that 51 cellular processes were significantly enriched in genes dysregulated in each transcriptome dataset. Among them, six processes (oxidative stress, aging, contraction, developmental process, cell differentiation, and cell proliferation) were related to four of the five genes dysregulated in all HCM models. GSTK1 was related to oxidative stress only, whereas the other four genes were related to all six cell processes except MYH7 for oxidative stress. Gene–gene functional interaction network analysis suggested correlative expression of GSTK1, MYH7, and actin alpha 2 (ACTA2). To investigate the implications of Gstk1 downregulation for cardiac function, we knocked out gstk1 in zebrafish using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 system. We found that expression of the zebrafish homologs of MYH7, ACTA2, and actin alpha 1 were increased in the gstk1-knockout zebrafish. In vivo imaging of zebrafish expressing a fluorescent protein in cardiomyocytes showed that gstk1 deletion significantly decreased the end diastolic volume and, to a lesser extent, end systolic volume. These results suggest that downregulation of GSTK1 may be a common mechanism underlying HCM of various etiologies, possibly through increasing oxidative stress and the expression of sarcomere genes.

A deletion mutation in myosin heavy chain 11 causing familial thoracic aortic dissection in two Japanese pedigrees

a Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan b Laboratory for Medical Science Mathematics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan c Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital, Tokyo, Japan d Laboratory for Genotyping Development, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan e Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan

G.P.153: Recessive myosin myopathy with external ophthalmoplegia associated with MYH2 mutations

Myosin myopathies comprise a group of inherited diseases caused by mutations in myosin heavy chain (MyHC) genes. Homozygous or compound heterozygous truncating MYH2 mutations have been demonstrated to cause recessive myopathy with ophthalmoplegia, mild to moderate muscle weakness and complete lack of type 2A muscle fibers. In this study, we describe the clinical and morphological characteristics of recessive MYH2 missense mutations. Seven patients of five different families with a myopathy characterized by ophthalmoplegia and mild to moderate muscle weakness were investigated. Muscle biopsy was performed to study morphological changes and MyHC isoform expression. Five of the patients were homozygous for MYH2 missense mutations, one patient was compound heterozygous for a missense and a nonsense mutation and one patient was homozygous for a frame-shift MYH2 mutation. Muscle biopsy demonstrated morphologically abnormal or absent type 2A muscle fibers and reduced or absent expression of the corresponding MyHC IIa transcript and protein. We conclude that missense mutations in MYH2 may cause a recessively inherited myopathy associated with external ophthalmoplegia, similar to that of truncating MYH2 mutations, but with different type 2 fiber pathology.

Single Amino Acid Deletion in MYH11 Segregating in a Family with TAAD

Single Amino Acid Deletion in MYH11 Segregating in a Family with TAAD Background Seven genes have been identified as causative in the development of thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and dissections (TAAD). In this study, we identify a single amino acid deletion in MYH11 gene which segregates with disease in a large TAAD family. Methods We identified five members in one family who had a history of TAA or TAAD. Blood samples from fifteen members of this family were collected for whole exome sequencing (WES) analysis and mutation analysis. Thirteen members of this family underwent echocardiography and cardiac pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurement. Results WES analysis revealed a mutation of myosin heavy chain 11 (MYH11) – a three base-pair deletion of leucine at position 1264 - that segregated with the disease phenotype in this family. PWV was not correlated with mutation or disease status. Conclusion Deletion of leucine at position 1264 in MYH11 appears to play an important role in the development of familial TAA and TAAD.

Prolonged Relaxation Kinetics in Distal Arthrogryposis Skeletal Muscle Myofibrils with a MYH3 R672C Mutation

The mechanisms underlying most forms of Distal Arthrogryposis (DA), a group of congenital contracture syndromes, are unknown. Our previous functional studies from adult individuals with DA caused by the heterozygous myosin heavy chain mutation, MYH3 R672C, showed that the time required by DA skinned skeletal myofibers to relax completely after calcium-induced contraction was several-fold longer than controls (Racca et al. (2010) Biophys J 98:542-3a). Here we measured force and kinetics of activation & relaxation, and compared chemomechanical analysis using myofibrils and myofibers sampled from gastrocnemius muscle from two affected individuals vs. three control (non-DA) individuals. The prolonged relaxation was reflected in isolated myofibrils from DA patients, as 50% relaxation time from maximal activation was 36% longer, and 90% relaxation time was prolonged by 58%. The kinetics of the slow phase of relaxation were significantly slower, in both the rate and duration (DA: kREL,SLOW=0.36±0.07s−1;tREL,SLOW=285±21ms vs. Control: 0.79±0.18s−1;199±23ms), implying slower cross-bridge release. Use of ADP prolonged relaxation of control samples to a greater extent than DA preparations, suggesting that slower ADP release from myosin in DA myofibrils may be the mechanism of slower relaxation and cross-bridge release. We also found that both mRNA and protein for this embryonic myosin (gene MYH3) were present in adult skeletal muscle, such that a small amount of this slower myosin may prolong relaxation. Although the mechanism that leads to the congenital contractures must begin prenatally, these results suggest that MYH3 R672H also affects ongoing function of adult skeletal muscle. Understanding the mechanism by which myosin mutations affect muscle cell contractility could provide a model for exploring the pathogenesis of more common contractures such as idiopathic clubfoot and facilitate the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Supported by F31AR06300(A.R.), 5K23HD057331(A.B.), HD048895(M.B.,M.R.).

Recessive myosin myopathy with external ophthalmoplegia associated with MYH2 mutations

Myosin myopathies comprise a group of inherited diseases caused by mutations in myosin heavy chain (MyHC) genes. Homozygous or compound heterozygous truncating MYH2 mutations have been demonstrated to cause recessive myopathy with ophthalmoplegia, mild-to-moderate muscle weakness and complete lack of type 2A muscle fibers. In this study, we describe for the first time the clinical and morphological characteristics of recessive myosin IIa myopathy associated with MYH2 missense mutations. Seven patients of five different families with a myopathy characterized by ophthalmoplegia and mild-to-moderate muscle weakness were investigated. Muscle biopsy was performed to study morphological changes and MyHC isoform expression. Five of the patients were homozygous for MYH2 missense mutations, one patient was compound heterozygous for a missense and a nonsense mutation and one patient was homozygous for a frame-shift MYH2 mutation. Muscle biopsy demonstrated small or absent type 2A muscle fibers and reduced or absent expression of the corresponding MyHC IIa transcript and protein. We conclude that mild muscle weakness and ophthalmoplegia in combination with muscle biopsy demonstrating small or absent type 2A muscle fibers are the hallmark of recessive myopathy associated with MYH2 mutations.

The fraction of strongly bound cross-bridges is increased in mice that carry the myopathy-linked myosin heavy chain mutation MYH4L342Q.

SUMMARYMyosinopathies have emerged as a new group of diseases and are caused by mutations in genes encoding myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms. One major hallmark of these diseases is skeletal muscle weakness or paralysis, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we have undertaken a detailed functional study of muscle fibers from Myh4arl mice, which carry a mutation that provokes an L342Q change within the catalytic domain of the type IIb skeletal muscle myosin protein MYH4. Because homozygous animals develop rapid muscle-structure disruption and lower-limb paralysis, they must be killed by postnatal day 13, so all experiments were performed using skeletal muscles from adult heterozygous animals (Myh4arl/+). Myh4arl/+ mice contain MYH4L342Q expressed at 7% of the levels of the wild-type (WT) protein, and are overtly and histologically normal. However, mechanical and X-ray diffraction pattern analyses of single membrane-permeabilized fibers revealed, upon maximal Ca2+ activation, higher stiffness as well as altered meridional and equatorial reflections in Myh4arl/+ mice when compared with age-matched WT animals. Under rigor conditions, by contrast, no difference was observed between Myh4arl/+ and WT mice. Altogether, these findings prove that, in adult MYH4L342Q heterozygous mice, the transition from weak to strong myosin cross-bridge binding is facilitated, increasing the number of strongly attached myosin heads, thus enhancing force production. These changes are predictably exacerbated in the type IIb fibers of homozygous mice, in which the embryonic myosin isoform is fully replaced by MYH4L342Q, leading to a hypercontraction, muscle-structure disruption and lower-limb paralysis. Overall, these findings provide important insights into the molecular pathogenesis of skeletal myosinopathies.

Incomplete segregation of MYH11 variants with thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections and patent ductus arteriosus

Thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAAD) is a serious condition with high morbidity and mortality. It is estimated that 20% of non-syndromic TAAD cases are inherited in an autosomal-dominant pattern with variable expression and reduced penetrance. Mutations in myosin heavy chain 11 (MYH11), one of several identified TAAD genes, were shown to simultaneously cause TAAD and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). We identified two large Dutch families with TAAD/PDA and detected two different novel heterozygote MYH11 variants in the probands. These variants, a heterozygote missense variant and a heterozygote in-frame deletion, were predicted to have damaging effects on protein structure and function. However, these novel alterations did not segregate with the TAAD/PDA in 3 out of 11 cases in family TAAD01 and in 2 out of 6 cases of family TAAD02. No mutation was detected in other known TAAD genes. Thus, it is expected that within these families other genetic factors contribute to the disease either by themselves or by interacting with the MYH11 variants. Such an oligogenic model for TAAD would explain the variable onset and progression of the disorder and its reduced penetrance in general. We conclude that in familial TAAD/PDA with an MYH11 variant in the index case caution should be exercised upon counseling family members. Specialized surveillance should still be offered to the non-carriers to prevent catastrophic aortic dissections or ruptures. Furthermore, our study underscores that segregation analysis remains very important in clinical genetics. Prediction programs and mutation evaluation algorithms need to be interpreted with caution.

081 Acute derangement of cardiac energy metabolism and oxygenation during stress in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy—a potential mechanism for sudden cardiac death

IntroductionHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the commonest cause of sudden cardiac death in the young. The sarcomere mutations increase the energy cost of contraction and impaired resting energetics (phosphocreatine/adenosine triphosphate, PCr/ATP,...

Rare, Nonsynonymous Variant in the Smooth Muscle-Specific Isoform of Myosin Heavy Chain, MYH11 , R247C, Alters Force Generation in the Aorta and Phenotype of Smooth Muscle Cells

Mutations in myosin heavy chain (MYH11) cause autosomal dominant inheritance of thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. At the same time, rare, nonsynonymous variants in MYH11 that are predicted to disrupt protein function but do not cause inherited aortic disease are common in the general population and the vascular disease risk associated with these variants is unknown. To determine the consequences of the recurrent MYH11 rare variant, R247C, through functional studies in vitro and analysis of a knock-in mouse model with this specific variant, including assessment of aortic contraction, response to vascular injury, and phenotype of primary aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The steady state ATPase activity (actin-activated) and the rates of phosphate and ADP release were lower for the R247C mutant myosin than for the wild-type, as was the rate of actin filament sliding in an in vitro motility assay. Myh11(R247C/R247C) mice exhibited normal growth, reproduction, and aortic histology but decreased aortic contraction. In response to vascular injury, Myh11(R247C/R247C) mice showed significantly increased neointimal formation due to increased SMC proliferation when compared with the wild-type mice. Primary aortic SMCs explanted from the Myh11(R247C/R247C) mice were dedifferentiated compared with wild-type SMCs based on increased proliferation and reduced expression of SMC contractile proteins. The mutant SMCs also displayed altered focal adhesions and decreased Rho activation, associated with decreased nuclear localization of myocardin-related transcription factor-A. Exposure of the Myh11(R247C/R247C) SMCs to a Rho activator rescued the dedifferentiated phenotype of the SMCs. These results indicate that a rare variant in MYH11, R247C, alters myosin contractile function and SMC phenotype, leading to increased proliferation in vitro and in response to vascular injury.

Two Drosophila Myosin Transducer Mutants with Distinct Cardiomyopathies Have Divergent ADP and Actin Affinities

Two Drosophila myosin II point mutations (D45 and Mhc5) generate Drosophila cardiac phenotypes that are similar to dilated or restrictive human cardiomyopathies. Our homology models suggest that the mutations (A261T in D45, G200D in Mhc5) could stabilize (D45) or destabilize (Mhc5) loop 1 of myosin, a region known to influence ADP release. To gain insight into the molecular mechanism that causes the cardiomyopathic phenotypes to develop, we determined whether the kinetic properties of the mutant molecules have been altered. We used myosin subfragment 1 (S1) carrying either of the two mutations (S1A261T and S1G200D) from the indirect flight muscles of Drosophila. The kinetic data show that the two point mutations have an opposite effect on the enzymatic activity of S1. S1A261T is less active (reduced ATPase, higher ADP affinity for S1 and actomyosin subfragment 1 (actin·S1), and reduced ATP-induced dissociation of actin·S1), whereas S1G200D shows increased enzymatic activity (enhanced ATPase, reduced ADP affinity for both S1 and actin·S1). The opposite changes in the myosin properties are consistent with the induced cardiac phenotypes for S1A261T (dilated) and S1G200D (restrictive). Our results provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms that cause different cardiomyopathy phenotypes for these mutants. In addition, we report that S1A261T weakens the affinity of S1·ADP for actin, whereas S1G200D increases it. This may account for the suppression (A261T) or enhancement (G200D) of the skeletal muscle hypercontraction phenotype induced by the troponin I held-up2 mutation in Drosophila.