The nebulette repeat domain is necessary for proper maintenance of tropomyosin with the cardiac sarcomere

Exp Cell Res. 2008 Nov 15;314(19):3519-30. doi: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2008.09.001. Epub 2008 Sep 16.

Abstract

Nebulette is a cardiac-specific isoform of the giant actin-binding protein nebulin. Nebulette, having a mass of approximately 100 kDa, is only predicted to extend 150 nm from the edge of the Z-lines. Overexpression of the nebulette C-terminal linker and/or SH3 domains in chicken cardiomyocytes results in a loss of endogenous nebulette with a concomitant loss of tropomyosin (TPM) and troponin, as well as a shortening of the thin filaments. These data suggest that nebulette's position in the sarcomere is important for the maintenance of TPM, troponin and thin filament length. To evaluate this hypothesis, N-terminal nested truncations tagged with GFP were expressed in chicken cardiomyocytes and the cells were analyzed for the distribution of myofilament proteins. Minimal effects on the myofilaments were observed with N-terminal deletions of up to 10 modules; however, deletion of 15 modules replicated the phenotype observed with expression of the C-terminal fragments. Expression of internal deletions of nebulette verifies that a site between module 10 and 15 is important for TPM maintenance within the sarcomeric lattice. We have additionally isolated TPM cDNAs from a yeast two hybrid (Y2H) analysis. These data indicate the importance of the nebulette-TPM interactions in the maintenance and stability of the thin filaments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • COS Cells
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chick Embryo
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / chemistry*
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism
  • DNA, Complementary / metabolism
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Humans
  • LIM Domain Proteins
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism*
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Sarcomeres / metabolism*
  • Tropomyosin / metabolism*
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques
  • src Homology Domains

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • DNA, Complementary
  • LIM Domain Proteins
  • NEBL protein, human
  • Tropomyosin