Decreased YAP activity reduces proliferative ability in human induced pluripotent stem cell of duchenne muscular dystrophy derived cardiomyocytes

Sci Rep. 2021 May 14;11(1):10351. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-89603-8.

Abstract

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is characterized by progressive muscle degeneration accompanied by dilated cardiomyopathy. Recently, abnormality of yes-associated protein (YAP) has been reported as the pathogenesis of muscle degeneration of DMD; however YAP activity remains unclear in dystrophic heart of DMD. Herein, we investigated YAP activity using disease-specific induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) in DMD. DMD-iPSCs were generated from DMD patient with exon 48-54 deletion in DMD, and genome-edited (Ed)-DMD-iPSCs with in-frame (Ed-DMD-iPSCs) were created using CRISPR/Cas9. Nuclear translocation of YAP [nuclear (N)/cytoplasmic (C) ratio] was significantly lower in DMD-iPSC-CMs than in Ed-DMD-iPSC-CMs. In addition, Ki67 expression, indicating proliferative ability, was significantly lower in DMD-iPSC-CMs than Ed-DMD-iPSC-CMs. Therefore, immunofluorescent staining showed that actin stress fibers associated with YAP activity by mechanotransduction were disorganized in DMD-iPSC-CMs. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a known lipid mediator on induction of actin polymerization, significantly increased YAP activity and actin dynamics in DMD-iPSC-CMs using live cell imaging. These results suggested that altered YAP activity due to impaired actin dynamics reduced proliferative ability in DMD-iPSC-CMs. Hence, decreased YAP activity in dystrophic heart may contribute to DMD-cardiomyopathy pathogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / deficiency*
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics
  • Adult
  • CRISPR-Cas Systems / genetics
  • Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / genetics
  • Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / pathology*
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Gene Editing
  • Humans
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mechanotransduction, Cellular
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / complications*
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / genetics
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / pathology
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / pathology*
  • Primary Cell Culture
  • Transcription Factors / deficiency*
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Transcription Factors
  • YAP-Signaling Proteins
  • YAP1 protein, human