Axial distribution of myosin binding protein-C is unaffected by mutations in human cardiac and skeletal muscle

J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 2012 May;33(1):61-74. doi: 10.1007/s10974-012-9286-9. Epub 2012 Mar 14.

Abstract

Myosin binding protein-C (MyBP-C), a major thick filament associated sarcomeric protein, plays an important functional and structural role in regulating sarcomere assembly and crossbridge formation. Missing or aberrant MyBP-C proteins (both cardiac and skeletal) have been shown to cause both cardiac and skeletal myopathies, thereby emphasising its importance for the normal functioning of the sarcomere. Mutations in cardiac MyBP-C are a major cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), while mutations in skeletal MyBP-C have been implicated in a disease of skeletal muscle-distal arthrogryposis type 1 (DA-1). Here we report the first detailed electron microscopy studies on human cardiac and skeletal tissues carrying MyBP-C gene mutations, using samples obtained from HCM and DA-1 patients. We have used established image averaging methods to identify and study the axial distribution of MyBP-C on the thick filament by averaging profile plots of the A-band of the sarcomere from electron micrographs of human cardiac and skeletal myopathy specimens. Due to the difficulty of obtaining normal human tissue, we compared the distribution to the A-band structure in normal frog skeletal, rat cardiac muscle and in cardiac muscle of MyBP-C-deficient mice. Very similar overall profile averages were obtained from the C-zones in cardiac HCM samples and skeletal DA-1 samples with MyBP-C gene mutations, suggesting that mutations in MyBP-C do not alter its mean axial distribution along the thick filament.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arthrogryposis / metabolism
  • Arthrogryposis / pathology
  • Biopsy
  • Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / genetics
  • Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / metabolism
  • Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / pathology
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Connectin
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Muscle, Skeletal / pathology*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / ultrastructure
  • Mutation*
  • Myocardium / metabolism
  • Myocardium / pathology*
  • Myocardium / ultrastructure
  • Myosins / genetics
  • Myosins / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Isoforms / genetics
  • Protein Isoforms / metabolism
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Rats
  • Sarcomeres / metabolism
  • Sarcomeres / pathology

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Connectin
  • Muscle Proteins
  • Protein Isoforms
  • TTN protein, human
  • myosin-binding protein C
  • Protein Kinases
  • Myosins

Supplementary concepts

  • Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, distal type 1