Ca2+ controls cardiac function by acting as the primary regulator of the sarcomeric contractile machinery and as a second messenger in the signal transduction pathways that control cardiac growth, metabolism and pathological remodeling. Ca2+ handling in striated muscle is tightly regulated by Ca2+ pumps in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and plasma membranes that maintain intracellular Ca2+ levels ~10,000-fold lower than extracellular and SR concentrations. Ca2+ release from the SR membrane transiently increases Ca2+ levels in the cytosol, triggering actomyosin cross-bridge formation within the sarcomere to generate contractile force. Reuptake of Ca2+ into the SR by sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) is necessary for muscle relaxation and restores SR Ca2+ levels for subsequent contraction-relaxation cycles. SERCA thus serves as a central regulator of cardiac function, as well as the pathogenic signaling cascades that drive heart disease. The activity of SERCA in the heart is modulated by phospholamban (PLN), a tiny peptide that interacts with SERCA in the SR membrane and diminishes Ca2+ pump activity. Recently, we discovered that a cardiac- specific RNA annotated as a long noncoding RNA actually encodes a previously unrecognized micropeptide, which we named DWORF (Dwarf Open Reading Frame). DWORF is localized to the SR of cardiomyocytes and interacts with SERCA. DWORF is among the most dramatically down-regulated proteins in failing hearts, pointing to its potential involvement in the response of the heart to stress and contractile dysfunction. The overall goals of this project are to define the functions of DWORF and to decipher the mechanisms that govern its expression in normal and diseased hearts. Manipulation of the activity of this novel micropeptide represents a potential strategy to enhance cardiac contractility in the setting of heart disease. The discovery of DWORF also provides a new inroad into our understanding of the signaling mechanisms involved in the control of cardiac function and suggests a previously unrecognized role for micropeptides in the control of cardiac physiology and pathology.

Public Health Relevance

Calcium controls heart function by regulating the contractile machinery and acting as a second messenger in signaling pathways that control cardiac growth, metabolism and pathological remodeling. We recently discovered a previously unrecognized micropeptide, which we named DWORF (Dwarf Open Reading Frame) that is involved in calcium handling and is among the most dramatically down-regulated proteins in failing hearts. The overall goals of this project are to define the functions of DWORF and to decipher the mechanisms that govern its expression in normal and diseased hearts. The discovery of DWORF provides a new inroad into our understanding of the signaling mechanisms involved in the control of cardiac function and suggests a previously unrecognized role for micropeptides in the control of cardiac physiology and pathology.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HL130253-02
Application #
9196378
Study Section
Cardiac Contractility, Hypertrophy, and Failure Study Section (CCHF)
Program Officer
Wong, Renee P
Project Start
2015-12-16
Project End
2019-11-30
Budget Start
2016-12-01
Budget End
2017-11-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas Sw Medical Center Dallas
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
800771545
City
Dallas
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
75390
Makarewich, Catherine A; Munir, Amir Z; Schiattarella, Gabriele G et al. (2018) The DWORF micropeptide enhances contractility and prevents heart failure in a mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy. Elife 7:
Long, Chengzu; Li, Hui; Tiburcy, Malte et al. (2018) Correction of diverse muscular dystrophy mutations in human engineered heart muscle by single-site genome editing. Sci Adv 4:eaap9004
Amoasii, Leonela; Hildyard, John C W; Li, Hui et al. (2018) Gene editing restores dystrophin expression in a canine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Science 362:86-91
Papizan, James B; Vidal, Alexander H; Bezprozvannaya, Svetlana et al. (2018) Cullin-3-RING ubiquitin ligase activity is required for striated muscle function in mice. J Biol Chem 293:8802-8811
Amoasii, Leonela; Olson, Eric N; Bassel-Duby, Rhonda (2018) Control of Muscle Metabolism by the Mediator Complex. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 8:
Hashimoto, Hisayuki; Olson, Eric N; Bassel-Duby, Rhonda (2018) Therapeutic approaches for cardiac regeneration and repair. Nat Rev Cardiol 15:585-600
Makarewich, Catherine A; Baskin, Kedryn K; Munir, Amir Z et al. (2018) MOXI Is a Mitochondrial Micropeptide That Enhances Fatty Acid ?-Oxidation. Cell Rep 23:3701-3709
Bi, Pengpeng; McAnally, John R; Shelton, John M et al. (2018) Fusogenic micropeptide Myomixer is essential for satellite cell fusion and muscle regeneration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 115:3864-3869
Zhang, Yu; Long, Chengzu; Li, Hui et al. (2017) CRISPR-Cpf1 correction of muscular dystrophy mutations in human cardiomyocytes and mice. Sci Adv 3:e1602814
Makarewich, Catherine A; Olson, Eric N (2017) Mining for Micropeptides. Trends Cell Biol 27:685-696

Showing the most recent 10 out of 31 publications