Depletion of Vasohibin 1 Speeds Contraction and Relaxation in Failing Human Cardiomyocytes

RATIONALE: Impaired myocardial relaxation is an intractable feature of several heart failure (HF) causes. In human HF, detyrosinated microtubules stiffen cardiomyocytes and impair relaxation. Yet the identity of detyrosinating enzymes have remained ambiguous, hindering mechanistic study and therapeutic development.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine if the recently identified complex of VASH1/2 (vasohibin 1/2) and SVBP (small vasohibin binding protein) is an active detyrosinase in cardiomyocytes and if genetic inhibition of VASH-SVBP is sufficient to lower stiffness and improve contractility in HF.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Transcriptional profiling revealed that VASH1 transcript is >10-fold more abundant than VASH2 in human hearts. Using short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) against VASH1, VASH2, and SVBP, we showed that both VASH1- and VASH2-SVBP complexes function as tubulin carboxypeptidases in cardiomyocytes, with a predominant role for VASH1. We also generated a catalytically dead version of the tyrosinating enzyme TTL (TTL-E331Q) to separate the microtubule depolymerizing effects of TTL from its enzymatic activity. Assays of microtubule stability revealed that both TTL and TTL-E331Q depolymerize microtubules, while VASH1 and SVBP depletion reduce detyrosination independent of depolymerization. We next probed effects on human cardiomyocyte contractility. Contractile kinetics were slowed in HF, with dramatically slowed relaxation in cardiomyocytes from patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction. Knockdown of VASH1 conferred subtle kinetic improvements in nonfailing cardiomyocytes, while markedly improving kinetics in failing cardiomyocytes. Further, TTL, but not TTL-E331Q, robustly sped relaxation. Simultaneous measurements of calcium transients and contractility demonstrated that VASH1 depletion speeds kinetics independent from alterations to calcium cycling. Finally, atomic force microscopy confirmed that VASH1 depletion reduces the stiffness of failing human cardiomyocytes.

CONCLUSIONS: VASH-SVBP complexes are active tubulin carboxypeptidases in cardiomyocytes. Inhibition of VASH1 or activation of TTL is sufficient to lower stiffness and speed relaxation in cardiomyocytes from patients with HF, supporting further pursuit of detyrosination as a therapeutic target for diastolic dysfunction.