Ca V 1.2 channels are critical players in cardiac excitation–contraction coupling, yet we do not understand how they are affected by an important therapeutic target of heart failure drugs and regulator of blood pressure, angiotensin II. Signaling through G q -coupled AT1 receptors, angiotensin II triggers a decrease in PIP 2 , a phosphoinositide component of the plasma membrane (PM) and known regulator of many ion channels. PIP 2 depletion suppresses Ca V 1.2 currents in heterologous expression systems but the mechanism of this regulation and whether a similar phenomenon occurs in cardiomyocytes is unknown. Previous studies have shown that Ca V 1.2 currents are also suppressed by angiotensin II. We hypothesized that these two observations are linked and that PIP 2 stabilizes Ca V 1.2 expression at the PM and angiotensin II depresses cardiac excitability by stimulating PIP 2 depletion and destabilization of Ca V 1.2 expression. We tested this hypothesis and report that Ca V 1.2 channels in tsA201 cells are destabilized after AT1 receptor-triggered PIP 2 depletion, leading to their dynamin-dependent endocytosis. Likewise, in cardiomyocytes, angiotensin II decreased t-tubular Ca V 1.2 expression and cluster size by inducing their dynamic removal from the sarcolemma. These effects were abrogated by PIP 2 supplementation. Functional data revealed acute angiotensin II reduced Ca V 1.2 currents and Ca 2+ transient amplitudes thus diminishing excitation–contraction coupling. Finally, mass spectrometry results indicated whole-heart levels of PIP 2 are decreased by acute angiotensin II treatment. Based on these observations, we propose a model wherein PIP 2 stabilizes Ca V 1.2 membrane lifetimes, and angiotensin II-induced PIP 2 depletion destabilizes sarcolemmal Ca V 1.2, triggering their removal, and the acute reduction of Ca V 1.2 currents and contractility.
Significance The L-type voltage-gated Ca 2+ channel Ca V 1.2 is essential for excitation–contraction coupling in the heart. During the fight-or-flight response, Ca V 1.2 channel activity is augmented as a result of PKA-mediated phosphorylation, downstream of β-adrenergic receptor activation. We discovered that enhanced sarcolemmal abundance of Ca V 1.2 channels, driven by stimulated insertion/recycling of specific Ca V 1.2-containing endosomes, is essential for β-adrenergic receptor-mediated regulation of these channels in the heart. These data reveal a conceptual framework of this critical and robust pathway for on-demand tuning of cardiac excitation–contraction coupling during fight-or-flight.
Abstract Cardiac dysfunction is a hallmark of aging in humans and mice. Here we report that a two-week treatment to restore youthful Bridging Integrator 1 (BIN1) levels in the hearts of 24-month-old mice rejuvenates cardiac function and substantially reverses the aging phenotype. Our data indicate that age-associated overexpression of BIN1 occurs alongside dysregulated endosomal recycling and disrupted trafficking of cardiac Ca V 1.2 and type 2 ryanodine receptors. These deficiencies affect channel function at rest and their upregulation during acute stress. In vivo echocardiography reveals reduced systolic function in old mice. BIN1 knockdown using an adeno-associated virus serotype 9 packaged shRNA-mBIN1 restores the nanoscale distribution and clustering plasticity of ryanodine receptors and recovers Ca 2+ transient amplitudes and cardiac systolic function toward youthful levels. Enhanced systolic function correlates with increased phosphorylation of the myofilament protein cardiac myosin binding protein-C. These results reveal BIN1 knockdown as a novel therapeutic strategy to rejuvenate the aging myocardium.
