title: Modulation of cardiac ERG1 K(+) channels by cGMP signaling.
abstract: Different K(+) currents have been implicated in the myocardial action potential repolarization including the I(Kr). ERG1 alpha subunits, identified as the molecular correlate of I(Kr), have been shown to form heteromultimeric channels in the heart and their activity is modulated by a complex interplay of signal transduction events. Using electrophysiological techniques, we examined the effects of the cGMP-analogue 8-Br-cGMP on rat and guinea-pig papillary action potential duration (APD), on the biophysical properties of heterologously expressed homo- and heteromeric ERG1 channels, and on cardiac I(Kr). 8-Br-cGMP prolonged APD by about 25% after pharmacological inhibition of L-type Ca(2+) currents and I(Ks). The prolongation was completely abolished by prior application of the hERG channel blocker E-4031 or the protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitor Rp-8-Br-cGMPS. Expression analysis revealed the presence of both ERG1a and -1b subunits in rat papillary muscle. Both 8-Br-cGMP and ANP inhibited heterologously expressed ERG1b and even stronger ERG1a/1b channels, whereas ERG1a channels remained unaffected. The inhibitory 8-Br-cGMP effects were PKG-dependent and involved a profound ERG current reduction, which was also observed with cardiac AP clamp recordings. Measurements of I(Kr) from isolated mouse cardiomyocytes using Cs(+) as charge carrier exhibited faster deactivation kinetics in atrial than in ventricular myocytes consistent with a higher relative expression of ERG1b transcripts in atria than in ventricles. 8-Br-cGMP significantly reduced I(Kr) in atrial, but not in ventricular myocytes. These findings provide first evidence that through heteromeric assembly ERG1 channels become a critical target of cGMP-PKG signaling linking cGMP accumulation to cardiac I(Kr) modulation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology for Pharmacists, University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistr. 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany. mewe@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mewe
authors.forename: Maike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mauerhöfer
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wulfsen
authors.forename: Kamila
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szlachta
authors.forename: Xiao-Bo
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jürgen R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Christiane K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Bauer
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D062965:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Type I; D017869:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010880:Piperidines; D011725:Pyridines; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013873:Thionucleotides; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG
chemical_list: C072312:ERG protein, human; D010880:Piperidines; D011725:Pyridines; D013873:Thionucleotides; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; C063968:E 4031; C083763:8-bromoguanosino-3',5'-cyclic monophosphorothioate; C016276:8-bromocyclic GMP; D062965:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Type I; D017869:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; C569718:PRKG1 protein, human; C569720:Prkg1 protein, mouse; D006152:Cyclic GMP