MiRNA-1/133a clusters regulate adrenergic control of cardiac repolarization

PLoS One. 2014 Nov 21;9(11):e113449. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113449. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

The electrical properties of the heart are primarily determined by the activity of ion channels and the activity of these molecules is permanently modulated and adjusted to the physiological needs by adrenergic signaling. miRNAs are known to control the expression of many proteins and to fulfill distinct functions in the mammalian heart, though the in vivo effects of miRNAs on the electrical activity of the heart are poorly characterized. The miRNAs miR-1 and miR-133a are the most abundant miRNAs of the heart and are expressed from two miR-1/133a genomic clusters. Genetic modulation of miR-1/133a cluster expression without concomitant severe disturbance of general cardiomyocyte physiology revealed that these miRNA clusters govern cardiac muscle repolarization. Reduction of miR-1/133a dosage induced a longQT phenotype in mice especially at low heart rates. Longer action potentials in cardiomyocytes are caused by modulation of the impact of β-adrenergic signaling on the activity of the depolarizing L-type calcium channel. Pharmacological intervention to attenuate β-adrenergic signaling or L-type calcium channel activity in vivo abrogated the longQT phenotype that is caused by modulation of miR-1/133a activity. Thus, we identify the miR-1/133a miRNA clusters to be important to prevent a longQT-phenotype in the mammalian heart.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / drug effects
  • Adrenergic beta-Agonists / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Calcium Channels, L-Type / drug effects
  • Calcium Channels, L-Type / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Electrocardiography / drug effects
  • Electrocardiography / methods
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Isoproterenol / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Multigene Family*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / drug effects
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / physiology*
  • Organ Specificity

Substances

  • Adrenergic beta-Agonists
  • Calcium Channels, L-Type
  • MicroRNAs
  • Mirn1 microRNA, mouse
  • Mirn133 microRNA, mouse
  • Isoproterenol

Grants and funding

The work was supported by the Max-Planck-Society (www.mpg.de) and the Excellence Cluster Cardiopulmonary System (www.eccps.de). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.