New insights into the functional significance of the acidic region of the unique N-terminal extension of cardiac troponin I

Previous structural studies indicated a special functional role for an acidic region composed of residues 1–10 in the unique N-terminal peptide of cardiac troponin I (cTnI). Employing LC–MS/MS, we determined the presence of phosphorylation sites at S5/S6 in cTnI from wild type mouse hearts as well as in hearts of mice chronically expressing active protein kinase C-ε (PKCε) and exhibiting severe dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). To determine the functional significance of these phosphorylations, we cloned and expressed wild-type cTnI, (Wt), and cTnI variants expressing pseudo-phosphorylation cTnI-(S5D), cTnI(S6D), as well as cTnI(S5A) and cTnI(S6A). We exchanged native Tn of detergent-extracted (skinned) fiber bundles with Tn reconstituted with the variant cTnIs and measured tension and cross-bridge dynamics. Compared to controls, myofilaments controlled by cTnI with pseudo-phosphorylation (S6D) or Ala substitution (S6A) demonstrated a significant depression in maximum tension, ATPase rate, and ktr, but no change in half-maximally activating Ca2 +. In contrast, pseudo-phosphorylation at position 5 (S5D) had no effects, although S5A induced an increase in Ca2 +-sensitivity with no change in maximum tension or ktr. We further tested the impact of acidic domain modifications on myofilament function in studies examining the effects of cTnI(A2V), a mutation linked to DCM. This mutation significantly altered the inhibitory activity of cTnI as well as cooperativity of activation of myofilament tension, but not when S23/S24 were pseudo-phosphorylated. Our data indicate a new functional and pathological role of amino acid modifications in the N-terminal acidic domain of cTnI that is modified by phosphorylations at cTnI(S23/S24). This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cardiomyocyte Biology: Cardiac Pathways of Differentiation, Metabolism and Contraction.

► N-terminus of cardiac troponin I interacts intra-molecularly with regulatory domains.
► We discovered novel phosphorylation sites in the acidic domain.
► Conformation and charge changes affected myofilament Ca-response.
► A cardiomyopathy linked mutation of Ala-2 to Val affects myofilament activation.