Epigenetic switch at atp2a2 and myh7 gene promoters in pressure overload-induced heart failure

PLoS One. 2014 Sep 2;9(9):e106024. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106024. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Re-induction of fetal genes and/or re-expression of postnatal genes represent hallmarks of pathological cardiac remodeling, and are considered important in the progression of the normal heart towards heart failure (HF). Whether epigenetic modifications are involved in these processes is currently under investigation. Here we hypothesized that histone chromatin modifications may underlie changes in the gene expression program during pressure overload-induced HF. We evaluated chromatin marks at the promoter regions of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ATPase (SERCA-2A) and β-myosin-heavy chain (β-MHC) genes (Atp2a2 and Myh7, respectively) in murine hearts after one or eight weeks of pressure overload induced by transverse aortic constriction (TAC). As expected, all TAC hearts displayed a significant reduction in SERCA-2A and a significant induction of β-MHC mRNA levels. Interestingly, opposite histone H3 modifications were identified in the promoter regions of these genes after TAC, including H3 dimethylation (me2) at lysine (K) 4 (H3K4me2) and K9 (H3K9me2), H3 trimethylation (me3) at K27 (H3K27me3) and dimethylation (me2) at K36 (H3K36me2). Consistently, a significant reduction of lysine-specific demethylase KDM2A could be found after eight weeks of TAC at the Atp2a2 promoter. Moreover, opposite changes in the recruitment of DNA methylation machinery components (DNA methyltransferases DNMT1 and DNMT3b, and methyl CpG binding protein 2 MeCp2) were found at the Atp2a2 or Myh7 promoters after TAC. Taken together, these results suggest that epigenetic modifications may underlie gene expression reprogramming in the adult murine heart under conditions of pressure overload, and might be involved in the progression of the normal heart towards HF.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chromatin / metabolism
  • Epigenesis, Genetic*
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Heart Failure / genetics*
  • Histones / metabolism
  • Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases / genetics
  • Lysine / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Myosin Heavy Chains / genetics*
  • Myosin Heavy Chains / metabolism
  • Pressure*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic*
  • Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases / genetics
  • Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Chromatin
  • Histones
  • Myh7 protein, mouse
  • FBXL11 protein, mouse
  • Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases
  • Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases
  • Myosin Heavy Chains
  • Atp2a2 protein, mouse
  • Lysine

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants to C. P. [Italian Ministry of Health, GR-2009-1596220; Italian Ministry of University, Research and Technology, RBFR124FEN] and by “Programma Operativo Regionale Campania Fondo Sociale Europeo 2007-2013”, “CREME Epigenomics Flagship Project”, EPIGEN, C. N. R. and “Programmi di ricerca di rilevante interesse nazionale 2009” grants to L. C. [200956L784]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.