The contribution of cardiac myosin binding protein-c Ser282 phosphorylation to the rate of force generation and in vivo cardiac contractility

Abstract

Cardiac myosin binding protein-C phosphorylation plays an important role in modulating cardiac muscle function and accelerating contraction. It has been proposed that Ser282 phosphorylation may serve as a critical molecular switch that regulates the phosphorylation of neighbouring Ser273 and Ser302 residues, and thereby govern myofilament contractile acceleration in response to protein kinase A (PKA). Therefore, to determine the regulatory roles of Ser282 we generated a transgenic (TG) mouse model expressing cardiac myosin binding protein-C with a non-phosphorylatable Ser282 (i.e. serine to alanine substitution, TG(S282A)). Myofibrils isolated from TG(S282A) hearts displayed robust PKA-mediated phosphorylation of Ser273 and Ser302, and the increase in phosphorylation was identical to TG wild-type (TG(WT)) controls. No signs of pathological cardiac hypertrophy were detected in TG(S282A) hearts by either histological examination of cardiac sections or echocardiography. Baseline fractional shortening, ejection fraction, isovolumic relaxation time, rate of pressure development and rate of relaxation (τ) were unaltered in TG(S282A) mice. However, the increase in cardiac contractility as well as the acceleration of pressure development observed in response to β-adrenergic stimulation was attenuated in TG(S282A) mice. In agreement with our in vivo data, in vitro force measurements revealed that PKA-mediated acceleration of cross-bridge kinetics in TG(S282A) myocardium was significantly attenuated compared to TG(WT) myocardium. Taken together, our data suggest that while Ser282 phosphorylation does not regulate the phosphorylation of neighbouring Ser residues and basal cardiac function, full acceleration of cross-bridge kinetics and left ventricular pressure development cannot be achieved in its absence.