Volume 52 (9): 1117-1127, 2004 Copyright ©The Histochemical Society, Inc. Dynamics of Obscurin Localization During Differentiation and Remodeling of Cardiac Myocytes : Obscurin as an Integrator of Myofibrillar Structure
Departments of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases (ABB,MWR), Physiology (MVW), and Surgery (MVW), Division of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Department of Physiology (AK-K,RJB), School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland Correspondence to: Andrei B. Borisov, PhD, Room 8200, MSRB III, Div. of Pediatric Cardiology, Dept. of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, U. of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. E-mail: aborisov{at}umich.edu
Obscurin is a newly identified giant muscle protein whose functions remain to be elucidated. In this study we used high-resolution confocal microscopy to examine the dynamics of obscurin localization in cultures of rat cardiac myocytes during the assembly and disassembly of myofibrils. Double immunolabeling of neonatal and adult rat cells for obscurin and sarcomeric -actinin, the major protein of Z-lines, demonstrated that, during myofibrillogenesis, obscurin is intensely incorporated into M-band areas of A-bands and, to a lesser extent, in Z-lines of newly formed sarcomeres. Presarcomeric structural precursors of myofibrils were intensely immunopositive for -actinin and, unlike mature myofibrils, weakly immunopositive or immunonegative for obscurin. This indicates that most of the obscurin assembles in developing myofibrils after abundant incorporation of -actinin and that massive integration of obscurin occurs at more advanced stages of sarcomere assembly. Immunoreactivity for obscurin in the middle of A-bands and in Z-lines of sarcomeres bridged the gaps between individual bundles of newly formed myofibrils, suggesting that this protein appears to be directly involved in their primary lateral connection and registered alignment into larger clusters. Close sarcomeric localization of obscurin and titin suggests that they may interact during myofibril assembly. Interestingly, the laterally aligned striated pattern of obscurin formed at a stage when desmin, traditionally considered as a molecular linker responsible for the lateral binding and stabilization of myofibrils at the Z-bands, was still diffusely localized. During the disassembly of the contractile system in adult myocytes, disappearance of the cross-striated pattern of obscurin preceded the disorganization of registered alignment and intense breakdown of myofibrils. The cross-striated pattern of desmin typical of terminally differentiated myocytes disappeared before or simultaneously with obscurin. During redifferentiation, as in neonatal myocytes, sarcomeric incorporation of obscurin closely followed that of -actinin and occurred earlier than the striated arrangement of desmin intermediate filaments. The presence of obscurin in the Z-lines and its later assembly into the A/M-bands indicate that it may serve to stabilize and align sarcomeric structure when myosin filaments are incorporated. Our data suggest that obscurin, interacting with other muscle proteins and possibly with the sarcoplasmic reticulum, may have a role as a flexible structural integrator of myofibrils during assembly and adaptive remodeling of the contractile apparatus. (J Histochem Cytochem 52:11171127, 2004)
Key Words: obscurin myofibrillogenesis cardiac myocytes differentiation sarcomere
OBSCURIN is a giant muscle protein ( 720800 kD) that was recently identified in vertebrate striated muscle (Bang et al. 2001
During differentiation, the architecture of the cytoskeleton and the contractile system in cardiac muscle cells undergoes progressive development and structural maturation, which is accompanied by intense formation of new myofibrils and cytoskeletal elements (Rumyantsev 1991
Cardiac cell cultures are an interesting and convenient object for studies of myofibrillar dynamics (for review see Ehler and Perriard 2002
Z-lines are important structures of striated muscle cells that provide the stability and functional integration of sarcomeres and play an important role in myofibril assembly. Because the mechanisms of cardiac myocyte differentiation and remodeling involve significant modifications and changes in the areas of Z-lines of myofibrils (for discussion see Borisov 1991
Desmin is a muscle-specific intermediate filament protein that shifts from filamentous to striated pattern of localization at terminal stages of myogenic differentiation, binding myofibrils together at the level of Z-lines and structurally integrating the contractile apparatus during contractionrelaxation cycles (e.g., Saetersdal et al. 1989
Primary Cardiac Muscle Cell Cultures Primary cell cultures of neonatal and adult cardiac myocytes were isolated from the hearts of 23-day-old and adult rats by enzymatic dissociation of the myocardial tissue as previously described (Borisov et al. 1985
Immunocytochemistry and Confocal Microscopy
To determine the spatial and temporal dynamics of obscurin localization in progressively differentiating cardiac myocytes, we used indirect immunofluorescent labeling for -actinin as a structural marker of mature myofibrils and their nascent structural precursors. This enabled us to localize the sites of myofibrillogenesis and to examine the dynamics of the maturation of the contractile apparatus at different time periods in culture. In our experiments, cardiac myocytes isolated from neonatal animals became elongated, developed cytoplasmic processes, and started to spread on the substrate on days 23 after plating. During cultivation, the cells actively assembled new contractile structures such that by days 45 in culture most of them formed clusters of mature myofibrils, typically located in the central sarcoplasm (Figure 1)
. Myofibrillogenesis advanced towards the cell periphery, resulting in the progressive expansion of the central cluster of well-differentiated myofibrils. At the periphery, the contractile system typically consisted of bundles of nascent myofibrils at different stages of maturation and their non-striated precursors that resembled stress fibers (Figures 13)
. The cultures were heterogeneous in terms of the development of the contractile apparatus of individual myocytes and the abundance of different structures immunopositive for -actinin. We found the immunoreactivity of -actinin in three distinct types of structures: (a) Z-bands of nascent and mature myofibrils with clearly visible, well-developed cross-striations; (b) non-striated bundles with typically dense distribution of -actinin located in stress fiber-like structures; and (c) rounded bodies organized linearly in a dotted pattern with a periodicity of 0.31.5 µm (Figures 2 and 3). The presence of the latter two structures decreased during the course of differentiation as mature myofibrils assembled and accumulated. By days 1011 in vitro, cell spreading was nearly complete and clusters of well-aligned, longitudinally oriented myofibrils typically occupied the greater part of the cytoplasm. Slower accumulation of new contractile structures continued in well-developed cytoplasmic processes. Simultaneously, the phenotypical polymorphism of the cell population significantly diminished so that nearly all of the myocytes contained well-developed striated contractile structures. Therefore, cardiac myocytes undergo progressive differentiation of their contractile system in this cell culture model.
Comparison of the patterns of sarcomeric -actinin and obscurin localization in differentiating myocyte cultures revealed significant differences in the cytoplasmic distribution of these two proteins. Double indirect immunofluorescent labeling demonstrated that obscurin was most prominent in the areas of the central myofibrillar clusters. The areas of intense immunoreactivity for obscurin progressively expanded as mature myofibrillar clusters developed. At the same time, large numbers of dispersed nascent myofibrils containing -actinin, located at the periphery of the cytoplasm, did not express detectable amounts of obscurin (Figures 2A2F and 3A3F). To identify the earliest contractile structures that contain obscurin, we examined its localization in the myofibrillar apparatus at different stages of structural maturity. As shown in Figures 2, 3, 4A, and 4B
, mature myofibrils are intensely immunopositive for obscurin located in the middle of A-bands (M/H-line regions) and, to a lesser extent, in the Z-lines of assembled sarcomeres. The intensity of immunoreactivity for obscurin in the mid A-band areas of myofibrils progressively increased during differentiation (compare Figures 2A, 2C, and 2E with 2B, 2D, and 2F). Interestingly, the series of nascent myofibrils did not contain significant amounts of obscurin in the A-bands despite the clear presence of a periodic pattern of -actinin (Figures 3A, 3B, and 3I). Nascent myofibrils and non-striated stress fiber-like structures were weakly immunopositive for obscurin despite an intense immunopositivity for -actinin (Figures 2, 4A, and 4B). This was especially evident where striations developed from non-striated regions within nascent myofibrillar bundles (Figures 2, 3, 4A, and 4B). Interestingly, several small rounded bodies of -actinin were typically visible at the points of transition from sarcomeric to non-sarcomeric regions of nascent myofibrils (Figures 2B and 2 E). Some structures containing -actinin were immunonegative for obscurin, especially in the spreading ruffled edges and processes of peripheral sarcoplasm (Figures 2A, 2B, 2D, 2E, and 3). Therefore, the initial assembly of myofibrils, as revealed by the cross-striated pattern of sarcomeric -actinin, occurs before large amounts of obscurin assemble into sarcomeres. This suggests that the accumulation of obscurin in the middle of sarcomeres occurs soon after or simultaneously with the differentiation of developed Z-lines. Interestingly, the abundant incorporation of obscurin into myofibrils coincided with the process of lateral fusion of newly formed contractile structures into large myofibrillar bundles and clusters (Figures 2 and 3). We found that during the process of lateral alignment of myofibrillar bundles at advanced stages of differentiation, obscurin localized in the M-bands and Z-lines progressively developed a continuous transverse striated pattern that extended across large areas of the sarcoplasm of cardiac myocytes (Figures 2 and 3). Therefore, active incorporation of obscurin into myofibrils and significant intensification of the immunoreactivity for this protein in the middle part of A-bands is associated with the stage of lateral alignment and fusion of myofibrils into larger bundles. This suggests that obscurin may aid the elastic alignment of myofibrils across the cardiomyocyte as an integrating linking protein at advanced stages of differentiation.
Given obscurin's reported ability to interact with titin (Bang et al. 2001 To further examine the possible role of obscurin in binding individual myofibrils into larger functional units, we examined its co-localization with desmin, an intermediate filament protein known to link myofibrils in register at the periphery of Z-lines in terminally differentiated cardiac muscle. We found that obscurin and desmin did not co-localize in differentiating cardiac myocytes (Figures 5A5C) . Instead, the transverse striated pattern of obscurin was already well developed and the fusion and lateral alignment of myofibrils was in progress while desmin was still in diffuse filaments typical of developing muscle. This demonstrates that obscurin is primarily associated with laterally aligning myofibrils before they associate with desmin and that obscurin-mediated primary alignment of the contractile apparatus precedes the maturation of the intermediate filament system.
To better understand the possible functional role of obscurin in stabilizing the contractile apparatus, we examined the dynamics of its localization during the disassembly of myofibrils induced by treating terminally differentiated adult cardiac myocytes with fetal bovine serum. We found that, during induced dedifferentiation and remodeling of adult cells, obscurin undergoes profound reorganization. Progressive loss of obscurin from the sarcomeres, as evidenced by the disappearance of the striated pattern of localization, was noticeable within 2426 hr after the addition of fetal serum and was one of the earliest events in the disassembly process. Nevertheless, many cells with diffuse sarcoplasmic reactivity for obscurin still demonstrated a striated pattern of -actinin localization (Figures 6A6I)
, indicating the persistence of Z-lines, at least transiently, after the removal of obscurin. In significantly dedifferentiated cells, both obscurin and -actinin were localized as granular particles diffusely distributed in the sarcoplasm (Figures 6G6I). Some of the granular structures appeared to contain both proteins, whereas others contained only one (Figures 6G6I). As redifferentiation proceeded, the development of a striated pattern of obscurin localization closely followed the assembly and differentiation of Z-lines and M/H-bands as described above for the neonatal cells.
Double immunolabeling for obscurin and desmin showed that, during dedifferentiation, the cross-striated pattern of desmin disappeared simultaneously with or before that of obscurin (Figures 7A7F). As in neonatal cells, the incorporation of obscurin into myofibrils of redifferentiating adult myocytes occurred before the arrangements of desmin intermediate filaments into a striated pattern of terminally differentiated muscle. Therefore, the kinetics of obscurin re-incorporation during redifferentiation are similar to the patterns of de novo assembly of myofibrillar clusters.
Our results show that most of obscurin incorporates into myofibrils primarily at relatively advanced stages of sarcomeric assembly, as the contractile apparatus becomes aligned laterally to form cross-striations typical of differentiating cardiac muscle. Temporally, this coincides with the incorporation of myosin filaments and assembly of the A-bands and M-bands. Electron microscopic and immunocytochemical studies of M-band differentiation have shown that these structures form at advanced stages of myofibrillogenesis (Markwald 1973
We found that the primary structure of obscurin bears a striking similarity to Unc-89, a protein required for assembly of myofibrils and M-bands in Caenorhabditis elegans (Russell et al. 2002
Obscurin binds a small form of ankyrin and co-localizes with it in skeletal muscle cells, suggesting that it may serve as a molecular link between the sarcoplasmic reticulum and the myofibrils (Bagnato et al. 2003
Based on our data and previous studies, we propose that obscurin functions as an integrator of myofibrillar structure. Its similarity to Unc-89 supports this model. Like Unc-89, obscurin is a large, muscle-specific protein containing numerous tandem immunoglobulin domains and tandem SH3 and Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor domains. Mutation of Unc-89 caused marked disorganization of muscle in C. elegans. In particular, the thick (myosin) filaments were not organized into A-bands and there were no M-bands (Waterston et al. 1980
Of special interest are the changes in obscurin localization after induction of disassembly of myofibrils in terminally differentiated heart cells with fetal bovine serum. Early decrease of immunoreactivity for obscurin after induction of myofibril disassembly demonstrates that this protein leaves sarcomeres earlier than the contractile system disintegrates during reversible dedifferentiation. Its early dissociation from myofibrils supports the view that at least some domains of this protein may be located on the external surfaces of the M- and Z-lines as demonstrated recently in skeletal muscle (Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos et al. 2003
An important role of obscurin may be linked to its structural and functional interactions with another giant muscle protein, titin, that extends through several sarcomeric regions. One of the major functions of titin in mature sarcomeres is to link the thick (myosin) filaments to the Z-lines (Sanger and Sanger 2002
A similar linkage is unlikely to exist between obscurin and desmin, one of the earliest muscle-specific proteins expressed during development of skeletal muscle and the heart. Earlier, we did not find co-localization of desmin and obscurin after induction of cardiac cell hypertrophy (Borisov et al. 2003
Supported by NIH 5RO3 HD39693-02 to MWR and NIH 1R01 HL64304 to RJB. We wish to thank Chris Edwards and Bruce Donohoe, the members of Micropscopy and Image Analysis Laboratory, for support of this work. We also thank Pavel Borisov for help with preparation of the manuscript.
Received for publication October 3, 2003; accepted May 4, 2004
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