The cardiac ryanodine receptor luminal Ca2+ sensor governs Ca2+ waves, ventricular tachyarrhythmias and cardiac hypertrophy in calsequestrin-null mice

Biochem J. 2014 Jul 1;461(1):99-106. doi: 10.1042/BJ20140126.

Abstract

CASQ2 (cardiac calsequestrin) is commonly believed to serve as the SR (sarcoplasmic reticulum) luminal Ca2+ sensor. Ablation of CASQ2 promotes SCWs (spontaneous Ca2+ waves) and CPVT (catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia) upon stress but not at rest. How SCWs and CPVT are triggered by stress in the absence of the CASQ2-based luminal Ca2+ sensor is an important unresolved question. In the present study, we assessed the role of the newly identified RyR2 (ryanodine receptor 2)-resident luminal Ca2+ sensor in determining SCW propensity, CPVT susceptibility and cardiac hypertrophy in Casq2-KO (knockout) mice. We crossbred Casq2-KO mice with RyR2 mutant (E4872Q+/-) mice, which lack RyR2-resident SR luminal Ca2+ sensing, to generate animals with both deficiencies. Casq2+/- and Casq2-/- mice showed stress-induced VTs (ventricular tachyarrhythmias), whereas Casq2+/-/E4872Q+/- and Casq2-/-/E4872Q+/- mice displayed little or no stress-induced VTs. Confocal Ca2+ imaging revealed that Casq2-/- hearts frequently exhibited SCWs after extracellular Ca2+ elevation or adrenergic stimulation, whereas Casq2-/-/E4872Q+/- hearts had few or no SCWs under the same conditions. Cardiac hypertrophy developed and CPVT susceptibility increased with age in Casq2-/- mice, but not in Casq2-/-/E4872Q+/- mice. However, the amplitudes and dynamics of voltage-induced Ca2+ transients in Casq2-/- and Casq2-/-/E4872Q+/- hearts were not significantly different. Our results indicate that SCWs, CPVT and hypertrophy in Casq2-null cardiac muscle are governed by the RyR2-resident luminal Ca2+ sensor. This implies that defects in CASQ2-based lumi-nal Ca2+ sensing can be overridden by the RyR2-resident luminal Ca2+ sensor. This makes this RyR2-resident sensor a promising molecular target for the treatment of Ca2+-mediated arrhythmias.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Calcium Signaling / physiology*
  • Calsequestrin / deficiency*
  • Calsequestrin / genetics
  • Cardiomegaly / genetics
  • Cardiomegaly / metabolism*
  • Cardiomegaly / physiopathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel / genetics
  • Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel / physiology*
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular / genetics
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular / metabolism*
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular / physiopathology

Substances

  • Calsequestrin
  • Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel
  • Calcium