| Title: | The Role of Cardiac Troponin T Quantity and Function in Cardiac Development and Dilated Cardiomyopathy |
| Author: |
Ahmad, Ferhaan; Banerjee, Sanjay K.; Lage, Michele L.; Huang, Xueyin N.; Saba, Samir; Rager, Jennifer; Janczewski, Andrzej M.; Tobita, Kimimasa; Tinney, Joseph P.; Moskowitz, Ivan P.; Keller, Bradley B.; Mathier, Michael A.; Shroff, Sanjeev G.; Smith, Stephen H.; Conner, David Atwater; Perez-Atayde, Antonio Rafael; Seidman, Christine Edry; Seidman, Jonathan G.
Note: Order does not necessarily reflect citation order of authors. |
| Citation: | Ahmad, Ferhaan, Sanjay K. Banerjee, Michele L. Lage, Xueyin N. Huang, Stephen H. Smith, Samir Saba, Jennifer Rager, et al. 2008. The Role of cardiac troponin T quantity and function in cardiac development and dilated cardiomyopathy. PLoS ONE 3(7): e2642. |
| Full Text & Related Files: |
2441440.pdf (936.5Kb; PDF)
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| Abstract: | Background: Hypertrophic (HCM) and dilated (DCM) cardiomyopathies result from sarcomeric protein mutations, including cardiac troponin T (cTnT, TNNT2). We determined whether TNNT2 mutations cause cardiomyopathies by altering cTnT function or quantity; whether the severity of DCM is related to the ratio of mutant to wildtype cTnT; whether Ca2+ desensitization occurs in DCM; and whether absence of cTnT impairs early embryonic cardiogenesis. Methods and Findings: We ablated Tnnt2 to produce heterozygous Tnnt2+/− mice, and crossbreeding produced homozygous null Tnnt2−/− embryos. We also generated transgenic mice overexpressing wildtype (TGWT) or DCM mutant (TGK210Δ) Tnnt2. Crossbreeding produced mice lacking one allele of Tnnt2, but carrying wildtype (Tnnt2+/−/TGWT) or mutant (Tnnt2+/−/TGK210Δ) transgenes. Tnnt2+/− mice relative to wildtype had significantly reduced transcript (0.82±0.06[SD] vs. 1.00±0.12 arbitrary units; p = 0.025), but not protein (1.01±0.20 vs. 1.00±0.13 arbitrary units; p = 0.44). Tnnt2+/− mice had normal hearts (histology, mass, left ventricular end diastolic diameter [LVEDD], fractional shortening [FS]). Moreover, whereas Tnnt2+/−/TGK210Δ mice had severe DCM, TGK210Δ mice had only mild DCM (FS 18±4 vs. 29±7%; p<0.01). The difference in severity of DCM may be attributable to a greater ratio of mutant to wildtype Tnnt2 transcript in Tnnt2+/−/TGK210Δ relative to TGK210Δ mice (2.42±0.08, p = 0.03). Tnnt2+/−/TGK210Δ muscle showed Ca2+ desensitization (pCa50 = 5.34±0.08 vs. 5.58±0.03 at sarcomere length 1.9 µm, p<0.01), but no difference in maximum force generation. Day 9.5 Tnnt2−/− embryos had normally looped hearts, but thin ventricular walls, large pericardial effusions, noncontractile hearts, and severely disorganized sarcomeres. Conclusions: Absence of one Tnnt2 allele leads to a mild deficit in transcript but not protein, leading to a normal cardiac phenotype. DCM results from abnormal function of a mutant protein, which is associated with myocyte Ca2+ desensitization. The severity of DCM depends on the ratio of mutant to wildtype Tnnt2 transcript. cTnT is essential for sarcomere formation, but normal embryonic heart looping occurs without contractile activity. |
| Published Version: | doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002642 |
| Other Sources: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2441440/pdf/ |
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| Citable link to this page: | http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:4621870 |
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