Elevated levels in blood serum (≥10μmol/L) of the amino acid homocysteine is strongly correlated with the incidence of heart failure (HF). We present evidence that the cyclic thioester, homocysteine thiolactone (HTL), a metabolic product of homocysteine, irreversibly modifies proteins that regulate the contractile process in cardiac muscle. Two proteins found in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), the Ca2+ pump (SERCA2), and the ryanodine receptor (RyR2), are responsible for controlling the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and hence the contractile state of the heart. While both improper Ca2+ handling and elevated homocysteine levels have been considered bio-markers in HF, a direct connection between the two has not previously been made. We show that HTL reacts with lysine residues on RyR2, generating a Nε-homocysteine-protein, which results in carbonyl formation and a change in the Ca2+ sensitivity of RyR2. This is a new molecular mechanism linking elevated levels of Homocysteine, improper Ca2+ handling and heart failure. This work was supported by NIH 1 R41 HL105063-01 to J. Abramson and R. Strongin.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:pdx.edu/oai:pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu:open_access_etds-3071 |
| Date | 14 November 2014 |
| Creators | Owen, Laura Jean |
| Publisher | PDXScholar |
| Source Sets | Portland State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Dissertations and Theses |
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