Emerin plays a crucial role in nuclear invagination and in the nuclear calcium transient

Sci Rep. 2017 Mar 14:7:44312. doi: 10.1038/srep44312.

Abstract

Alteration of the nuclear Ca2+ transient is an early event in cardiac remodeling. Regulation of the nuclear Ca2+ transient is partly independent of the cytosolic Ca2+ transient in cardiomyocytes. One nuclear membrane protein, emerin, is encoded by EMD, and an EMD mutation causes Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD). It remains unclear whether emerin is involved in nuclear Ca2+ homeostasis. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of emerin in rat cardiomyocytes by means of hypertrophic stimuli and in EDMD induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived cardiomyocytes in terms of nuclear structure and the Ca2+ transient. The cardiac hypertrophic stimuli increased the nuclear area, decreased nuclear invagination, and increased the half-decay time of the nuclear Ca2+ transient in cardiomyocytes. Emd knockdown cardiomyocytes showed similar properties after hypertrophic stimuli. The EDMD-iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes showed increased nuclear area, decreased nuclear invagination, and increased half-decay time of the nuclear Ca2+ transient. An autopsied heart from a patient with EDMD also showed increased nuclear area and decreased nuclear invagination. These data suggest that Emerin plays a crucial role in nuclear structure and in the nuclear Ca2+ transient. Thus, emerin and the nuclear Ca2+ transient are possible therapeutic targets in heart failure and EDMD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / drug effects
  • Angiotensin II / pharmacology
  • Aniline Compounds / chemistry
  • Animals
  • Atrial Remodeling
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Cardiomegaly / genetics*
  • Cardiomegaly / metabolism
  • Cardiomegaly / pathology
  • Cytoplasm / drug effects
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • Cytoplasm / ultrastructure
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Endothelin-1 / pharmacology
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Membrane Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Emery-Dreifuss / genetics*
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Emery-Dreifuss / metabolism
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Emery-Dreifuss / pathology
  • Myocardium / metabolism*
  • Myocardium / pathology
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / drug effects
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / ultrastructure
  • Nuclear Envelope / drug effects
  • Nuclear Envelope / metabolism*
  • Nuclear Envelope / ultrastructure
  • Nuclear Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics*
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Phenylephrine / pharmacology
  • Primary Cell Culture
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Ventricular Remodeling
  • Xanthenes / chemistry

Substances

  • Aniline Compounds
  • Endothelin-1
  • Fluo 4
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Xanthenes
  • emerin
  • Angiotensin II
  • Phenylephrine
  • Calcium