Sex-specific regulation of the cardiac transcriptome by the protein phosphatase 2A regulatory subunit B55α

Nicola Sergienko; Adam Trewin; Helen Kiriazis; Antonia Raaijmakers; Daniel Donner; Victoria Garside; Kelly Smith; James Bell; Kimberley Mellor; Lea Delbridge; Julie McMullen; Kate Weeks
Abstract
Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) regulatory subunit B55α has been implicated in the transcriptional regulation of cardiac growth and fibrosis by suppressing HDAC5/MEF2 signalling in cardiomyocytes. We created and characterised two mouse models with global or cardiomyocyte-specific disruption of the gene encoding B55α (Ppp2r2a) to conduct the first detailed exploration of B55α in the heart. Global homozygous B55α knockout mice died in utero, while heterozygous mice had thinner left ventricular walls at 12 months, an effect more pronounced in males. At 10–12 weeks of age, cardiomyocyte-specific B55α knockout mice displayed normal cardiac morphology with increased left ventricular collagen deposition, identifying B55α as a negative regulator of cardiac fibrosis. Gene expression analyses demonstrated extensive remodelling of the cardiac transcriptome in male but not female mice, revealing a sexually dimorphic role for B55α in cardiac transcriptional regulation. These findings provide a basis for future work investigating B55α in cardiac stress settings.
Journal NPJ METABOLIC HEALTH AND DISEASE
ISSN 2948-2828
Published 06 Nov 2024
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Type Journal Article
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