title: Myofilament mechanical performance is enhanced by R403Q myosin in mouse myocardium independent of sex.
abstract: Male but not female mice carrying a single R403Q missense allele for cardiac alpha-myosin heavy chain (M-alphaMHC(R403Q/+) and F-alphaMHC(R403Q/+), respectively) develop significant hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) compared with male and female wild-type mice (M-alphaMHC(+/+) and F-alphaMHC(+/+), respectively) after approximately 30 wk of age. We tested the hypothesis that myofilament mechanical performance differs between M-alphaMHC(R403Q/+) and F-alphaMHC(R403Q/+) at younger ages (10-20 wk) and could account for sex differences in HCM development. The sensitivity of chemically skinned myocardial strips to Ca(2+) activation (pCa(50)) was significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced in male mice independent of genotype (M-alphaMHC(R403Q/+): 5.70 +/- 0.06, M-alphaMHC(+/+): 5.63 +/- 0.05, F-alphaMHC(R403Q/+): 5.57 +/- 0.03, F-alphaMHC(+/+): 5.54 +/- 0.04) by two-way ANOVA, whereas maximum developed tension was significantly enhanced in alpha-MHC(R403Q/+) independent of sex (M-alphaMHC(R403Q/+): 29.3 +/- 2.3, M-alphaMHC(+/+): 26.0 +/- 1.4, F-alphaMHC(R403Q/+): 30.2 +/- 2.1, F-alphaMHC(+/+): 26.2 +/- 1.2 mN/mm(2)). The frequency of maximum work generated by sinusoidal length perturbation was significantly higher in alphaMHC(R403Q/+) mice than in sex-matched controls (M-alphaMHC(R403Q/+): 2.26 +/- 0.47, M-alphaMHC(+/+): 1.29 +/- 0.18, F-alphaMHC(R403Q/+): 3.21 +/- 0.33, F-alphaMHC(+/+): 2.52 +/- 0.36 Hz). Unloaded shortening velocity was significantly enhanced in alphaMHC(R403Q/+) and in female mice (M-alphaMHC(R403Q/+): 2.26 +/- 0.47, M-alphaMHC(+/+): 1.29 +/- 0.18, F-alphaMHC(R403Q/+): 3.21 +/- 0.33, F-alphaMHC(+/+): 2.52 +/- 0.36 muscle lengths/s), and normalized mechanical power, calculated from the tension-velocity relationship, was significantly enhanced in alphaMHC(R403Q/+) independent of sex (M-alphaMHC(R403Q/+): 60 +/- 2 10(-3), M-alphaMHC(+/+): 37 +/- 3 10(-3), F-alphaMHC(R403Q/+): 57 +/- 3 10(-3), F-alphaMHC(+/+) 25 +/- 3 10(-3) muscle lengths/s x normalized tension). We did not find a statistically significant sex x mutation interaction for any measure of myofilament performance. Therefore, sarcomeric incorporation of the R403Q myosin similarly enhanced left ventricular myofilament mechanical performance in both male and female mice. The sex-dependent development of HCM due to the R403Q myosin may then be inhibited by female sex hormones, which may additionally underlie the observed sex differences for pCa(50) and unloaded shortening velocity.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA. palmer@physiology.med.uvm.edu
authors.forename: Bradley M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Polakit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Teekakirikul
authors.forename: J Travis
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hinson
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fatkin
authors.forename: Stacy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strouse
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vanburen
authors.forename: Christine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Seidman
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Seidman
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Maughan
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005838:Genotype; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D053580:Muscle Strength; D009154:Mutation; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009919:Orchiectomy; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010641:Phenotype; D012737:Sex Factors; D024723:Ventricular Myosins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D024723:Ventricular Myosins; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains; D002118:Calcium