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Cardiac hypertrophy is regulated by a large intracellular signal transduction network. Each of the many signaling pathways in this network contributes uniquely to the control of cell growth. In the last few years, it has become apparent that multimolecular signaling complexes or 'signalosomes' are important for mediating crosstalk between different signaling pathways. These complexes integrate upstream signals and control downstream effectors. In the cardiac myocyte, the protein mAKAPbeta serves as a scaffold for a large signalosome that is responsive to upstream cAMP, Ca(2+), and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. The mAKAPbeta signalosome is important for the control of NFATc transcription factor activity and for the overall induction of myocyte hypertrophy. Show less

Spatial and temporal resolution of intracellular signaling can be achieved by compartmentalizing transduction units. Myopodin is a dual-compartment, actin-bundling protein that shuttles between the nucleus and the Z-disc of myocytes in a differentiation- and stress-dependent fashion. Importin alpha binding and nuclear import of myopodin are regulated by serine/threonine phosphorylation-dependent binding of myopodin to 14-3-3. Here we show that in the heart myopodin forms a Z-disc signaling complex with alpha-actinin, calcineurin, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII), muscle-specific A-kinase anchoring protein, and myomegalin. Phosphorylation of myopodin by protein kinase A (PKA) or CaMKII mediates 14-3-3 binding and nuclear import in myoblasts. Dephosphorylation of myopodin by calcineurin abrogates 14-3-3beta binding. Activation of PKA or inhibition of calcineurin in adult cardiac myocytes releases myopodin from the Z-disc and induces its nuclear import. The identification of myopodin as a direct target of PKA, CaMKII, and calcineurin defines a novel intracellular signaling pathway whereby changes in Z-disc dynamics may translate into compartmentalized signal transduction in the heart. Show less

Cyclic AMP regulates a vast number of distinct events in all cells. Early studies established that its hydrolysis by cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) controlled both the magnitude and the duration of its influence. Recent evidence shows that PDEs also act as coincident detectors linking cyclic-nucleotide- and non-cyclic-nucleotide-based cellular signaling processes and are tethered with great selectively to defined intracellular structures, thereby integrating and spatially restricting their cellular effects in time and space. Although 11 distinct families of PDEs have been defined, and cells invariably express numerous individual PDE enzymes, a large measure of our increased appreciation of the roles of these enzymes in regulating cyclic nucleotide signaling has come from studies on the PDE4 family. Four PDE4 genes encode more than 20 isoforms. Alternative mRNA splicing and the use of different promoters allows cells the possibility of expressing numerous PDE4 enzymes, each with unique amino-terminal-targeting and/or regulatory sequences. Dominant negative and small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown strategies have proven that particular isoforms can uniquely control specific cellular functions. Thus the protein kinase A phosphorylation status of the beta(2) adrenoceptor and, thereby, its ability to switch its signaling to extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation, is uniquely regulated by PDE4D5 in cardiomyocytes. We describe how cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells selectively vary both the expression and the catalytic activities of PDE4 isoforms to regulate their various functions and how altered regulation of these processes can influence the development, or resolution, of cardiovascular pathologies, such as heart failure, as well as various vasculopathies. Show less

The cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) regulates a wide array of cellular functions. In brain and heart PKA increases the activity of the L-type Ca2+ channel Cav1.2 in response to beta-adrenergic stimulation. Cav1.2 forms a complex with the beta2-adrenergic receptor, the trimeric GS protein, adenylyl cyclase, and PKA wherein highly localized signaling occurs [Davare, M. A., Avdonin, V., Hall, D. D., Peden, E. M., Burette, A., Weinberg, R. J., Horne, M. C., Hoshi, T., and Hell, J. W. (2001) Science 293, 98-101]. PKA primarily phosphorylates Cav1.2 on serine 1928 of the central, pore-forming alpha11.2 subunit. Here we demonstrate that the A-kinase anchor protein 150 (AKAP150) is critical for PKA-mediated regulation of Cav1.2 in the brain. AKAP150 and MAP2B specifically co-immunoprecipitate with Cav1.2 from rat brain. Recombinant AKAP75, the bovine homologue to rat AKAP150, binds directly to three different sites of alpha11.2. MAP2B from rat brain also interacts with these same sites in pull-down assays. Gene disruption of AKAP150 in mice dramatically reduces co-immunoprecipitation of PKA with Cav1.2 and prevents phosphorylation of serine 1928 upon beta-adrenergic stimulation in vivo. These results demonstrate the physiological relevance of PKA anchoring by AKAPs in general and AKAP150 specifically in the regulation of Cav1.2 in vivo. Show less

The responsible genes have not yet been identified for many genetically mapped disease loci. Physically interacting proteins tend to be involved in the same cellular process, and mutations in their genes may lead to similar disease phenotypes. To investigate whether protein-protein interactions can predict genes for genetically heterogeneous diseases. 72,940 protein-protein interactions between 10,894 human proteins were used to search 432 loci for candidate disease genes representing 383 genetically heterogeneous hereditary diseases. For each disease, the protein interaction partners of its known causative genes were compared with the disease associated loci lacking identified causative genes. Interaction partners located within such loci were considered candidate disease gene predictions. Prediction accuracy was tested using a benchmark set of known disease genes. Almost 300 candidate disease gene predictions were made. Some of these have since been confirmed. On average, 10% or more are expected to be genuine disease genes, representing a 10-fold enrichment compared with positional information only. Examples of interesting candidates are AKAP6 for arrythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia 3 and SYN3 for familial partial epilepsy with variable foci. Exploiting protein-protein interactions can greatly increase the likelihood of finding positional candidate disease genes. When applied on a large scale they can lead to novel candidate gene predictions. Show less

Following its production by adenylyl cyclases, the second messenger cAMP is in involved in pleiotrophic signal transduction. The effectors of cAMP include the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Epac (exchange protein activated by cAMP), and cAMP-dependent ion channels. In turn, cAMP signaling is attenuated by phosphodiesterase-catalyzed degradation. The association of cAMP effectors and the enzymes that regulate cAMP concentration into signaling complexes helps to explain the differential signaling initiated by members of the G(s)-protein coupled receptor family. The signal transduction complex formed by the scaffold protein mAKAP (muscle A kinase-anchoring protein) at the nuclear envelope of both striated myocytes and neurons contains three cAMP-binding proteins, PKA, Epac1, and the phosphodiesterase PDE4D3. In addition, the mAKAP complex also contains components of the ERK5 MAP kinase signaling pathway, the calcium release channel ryanodine receptor and the phosphatases PP2A as well as calcineurin. Analysis of the mAKAP complex illustrates how a macromolecular complex can serve as a node in the intracellular signaling network of cardiac myocytes to integrate multiple cAMP signals with those of calcium and MAP kinases to regulate the hypertrophic actions of several hormones. Show less

The muscle A-kinase anchoring protein (mAKAP) tethers cAMP-dependent enzymes to perinuclear membranes of cardiomyocytes. We now demonstrate that two alternatively spliced forms of mAKAP are expressed: mAKAPalpha and mAKAPbeta. The longer form, mAKAPalpha, is preferentially expressed in the brain. mAKAPbeta is a shorter form of the anchoring protein that lacks the first 244 amino acids and is preferentially expressed in the heart. The unique amino terminus of mAKAPalpha can spatially restrict the activity of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1). Biochemical and genetic analyses demonstrate that simultaneous recruitment of PDK1 and ERK onto mAKAPalpha facilitates activation and release of the downstream target p90RSK. The assembly of tissue-specific signaling complexes provides an efficient mechanism to integrate and relay lipid-mediated and mitogenic activated signals to the nucleus. Show less

Maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy can progress to congestive heart failure, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. A better understanding of the intracellular signal transduction network that controls myocyte cell growth may suggest new therapeutic directions. mAKAP is a scaffold protein that has recently been shown to coordinate signal transduction enzymes important for cytokine-induced cardiac hypertrophy. We now extend this observation and show mAKAP is important for adrenergic-mediated hypertrophy. One function of the mAKAP complex is to facilitate cAMP-dependent protein kinase A-catalyzed phosphorylation of the ryanodine receptor Ca2+-release channel. Experiments utilizing inhibition of the ryanodine receptor, RNA interference of mAKAP expression and replacement of endogenous mAKAP with a mutant form that does not bind to protein kinase A demonstrate that the mAKAP complex contributes to pro-hypertrophic signaling. Further, we show that calcineurin Abeta associates with mAKAP and that the formation of the mAKAP complex is required for the full activation of the pro-hypertrophic transcription factor NFATc. These data reveal a novel function of the mAKAP complex involving the integration of cAMP and Ca2+ signals that promote myocyte hypertrophy. Show less

Muscle A-kinase anchoring protein (mAKAP) is a scaffold protein found principally at the nuclear envelope of striated myocytes. mAKAP maintains a complex consisting of multiple signal transduction molecules including the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, the ryanodine receptor calcium release channel, phosphodiesterase type 4D3, and protein phosphatase 2A. By an unknown mechanism, a domain containing spectrin repeats is responsible for targeting mAKAP to the nuclear envelope. We now demonstrate that the integral membrane protein nesprin-1alpha serves as a receptor for mAKAP on the nuclear envelope in cardiac myocytes. Nesprin-1alpha is inserted into the nuclear envelope by a conserved, C-terminal, klarsicht-related transmembrane domain and forms homodimers by the binding of an amino-terminal spectrin repeat domain. Through the direct binding of the nesprin-1alpha amino-terminal dimerization domain to the third mAKAP spectrin repeat, nesprin-1alpha targets mAKAP to the nuclear envelope. In turn, overexpression of these spectrin repeat domains in myocytes can displace mAKAP from nesprin-1alpha. Show less

It is generally thought that Galpha(12) and Galpha(13)-induced responses are exclusively mediated by small G protein Rho. However, Galpha(12) and Galpha(13) elicit divergent cellular responses: phospholipase C-epsilon activation, phospholipase D activation, cytoskeletal change, oncogenic response, apoptosis, MAP kinase activation and Na/H-exchange activation. In addition to Rho activation through RhoGEF, it has been recently demonstrated that Galpha(12) and Galpha(13) interact with several proteins and regulate their activities. However, physiological importance of the interaction of Galpha(12) and Galpha(13) with these proteins has not fully established. I summarize the recent progress of Galpha(12) and Galpha(13)-mediated signaling cascade. Show less

Over the past few years, significant progress has been made in characterizing the expression and localization of proteins that act as scaffolds for cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PK-A). These A-kinase anchor proteins (AKAPs) tether PK-A to intracellular organelles and structures, sequestering the kinase near its physiological substrates. The compartmentalization of distinct pockets of PK-A activity serves to provide spatial regulation of this signaling pathway. In addition, other signaling proteins bind to AKAPs, as do some newly described proteins of unknown function, suggesting that proteins of various pathways are anchored through AKAPs. Show less

Compartmentalization of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) by A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) targets PKA to distinct subcellular locations in many cell types. However, the question of whether AKAP-mediated PKA anchoring in the heart regulates cardiac contractile function has not been addressed. We disrupted AKAP-mediated PKA anchoring in cardiac myocytes by introducing, via adenovirus-mediated gene transfer, Ht31, a peptide that binds the PKA regulatory subunit type II (RII) with high affinity. This peptide competes with endogenous AKAPs for RII binding. Ht31P (a proline-substituted derivative), which does not bind RII, was used as a negative control. We then investigated the effects of Ht31 expression on RII distribution, Ca(2+) cycling, cell shortening, and PKA-dependent substrate phosphorylation. By confocal microscopy, we showed redistribution of RII from the perinuclear region and from periodic transverse striations in Ht31P-expressing cells to a diffuse cytosolic localization in Ht31-expressing cells. In the presence of 10 nmol/L isoproterenol, Ht31-expressing myocytes displayed an increased rate and amplitude of cell shortening and relaxation compared with control cells (uninfected and Ht31P-expressing myocytes); with isoproterenol stimulation we observed decreased time to 90% decline in Ca(2+) but no significant difference between Ht31-expressing and control cells in the rate of Ca(2+) cycling or amplitude of the Ca(2+) transient. The increase in PKA-dependent phosphorylation of troponin I and myosin binding protein C on isoproterenol stimulation was significantly reduced in Ht31-expressing cells compared with controls. Our results demonstrate that, in response to beta-adrenergic stimulation, cardiomyocyte function and substrate phosphorylation by PKA is regulated by targeting of PKA by AKAPs. Show less

cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) regulates a broad range of cellular responses in the cardiac myocyte. Downstream regulation of the PKA pathway is mediated by a class of scaffolding proteins called A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs), which sequester PKA to specific subcellular locations through binding to its regulatory subunit (R). However, the effect of RII autophosphorylation on AKAP binding and the degree of RII autophosphorylation in failing and nonfailing human hearts remains unknown. We investigated AKAP-RII binding by overlay analysis and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and measured RII autophosphorylation in human hearts by backphosphorylation. Binding of Ht31 peptide (representing the RII-binding region of AKAPs) to cardiac RII was increased approximately 145% (P<0.01) for autophosphorylated RII relative to unphosphorylated control. By surface plasmon resonance, RII autophosphorylation significantly increased binding affinity to Ht31 by approximately 200% (P<0.01). Baseline PKA-dependent phosphorylation of RII was significantly decreased approximately 30% (P<0.05) in human hearts with dilated cardiomyopathy compared with nonfailing controls. These results suggest that AKAP binding of PKA in the heart is regulated by RII autophosphorylation. Therefore AKAP targeting of PKA may be reduced in patients with end-stage heart failure. This mechanism may be responsible for the decreased cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of proteins in dilated cardiomyopathy that we and others have previously observed. Show less

The compartmentalization of second messenger-activated protein kinases contributes to the fidelity of hormone-mediated signal transduction events. For example, the cAMP-dependent protein kinase is tethered at specific intracellular locations through association with A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs). We now report the cloning of mAKAP, an anchoring protein found predominantly in heart, skeletal muscle and brain, and whose expression is induced in neonatal ventriculocytes by treatment with hypertrophic stimuli. mAKAP is targeted to the nuclear membrane of differentiated myocytes. Analysis of mAKAP-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion constructs revealed that nuclear membrane targeting is conferred by two regions of the protein, between residues 772-915 and 915-1065, which contain spectrin-like repeat sequences. Heterologous expression of the mAKAP targeting sequences displaced the endogenous anchoring protein from the nuclear membrane, demonstrating that mAKAP targeting is saturable. Collectively, these data suggest that a domain containing spectrin-like repeats mediates targeting of the anchoring protein mAKAP and the cAMP-dependent protein kinase holoenzyme to the nuclear membrane in response to differentiation signals. Show less

Stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors activates type I and II cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A, resulting in phosphorylation of various proteins in the heart. It has been proposed that PKA II compartmentalization by A-kinase-anchoring proteins (AKAPs) regulates cyclic AMP-dependent signaling in the cell. We investigated the expression and localization of AKAP100 in adult hearts. By immunoblotting, we identified AKAP100 in adult rat and human hearts, and showed that type I and II regulatory (RI and II) subunits of PKA are present in the rat heart. By immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy of rat cardiac myocytes and cryostat sections of rat left ventricle papillary muscles, we localized AKAP100 to the nucleus, sarcolemma, intercalated disc, and at the level of the Z-line. After double immunostaining of transverse cross-sections of the papillary muscles with AKAP100 plus alpha-actinin-specific antibodies or AKAP100 plus ryanodine receptor-specific antibodies, confocal images showed AKAP100 localization at the region of the transverse tubule/junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum. RI is distributed differently from RII in the myocytes. RII, but not RI, was colocalized with AKAP100 in the rat heart. Our studies suggest that AKAP100 tethers PKA II to multiple subcellular compartments for phosphorylation of different pools of substrate proteins in the heart. Show less

Differential localization of the type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) is achieved by interaction of the regulatory subunit (RII) with A-kinase anchor proteins (AKAPs). Anchoring is a likely means to adapt PKA for regulation of cAMP-responsive events through colocalization of the kinase with preferred substrates. Using an interaction cloning strategy with an RII alpha protein probe, we have identified a 655-amino acid protein (named AKAP100). Recombinant AKAP100, expressed in Escherichia coli, binds RII alpha in a solid-phase overlay assay. The cellular and subcellular distribution of AKAP100 was analyzed by various methods. Northern blot analysis with the AKAP100 cDNA as a probe detected an 8-kilobase message in some human tissues including various brain regions; however, the message was predominately expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscle. Anti-AKAP100 antibodies confirmed expression in the rat cardiac and skeletal muscle cell lines, H9c2 and L6P, whereas immunohistochemical analysis revealed that AKAP100 was localized to the sarcoplasmic reticulum of both cell types. RII was also detected in these regions. AKAP100 was detected in preparations of RII purified from L6P cell extracts by cAMP-agarose affinity chromatography. Collectively, these results suggest that AKAP100 functions to maintain the type II PKA at the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Show less