Background-Titin is the largest mammalian (Ϸ3000 to 4000 kDa) and myofilament protein that acts as a molecular spring in the cardiac sarcomere and determines systolic and diastolic function. Loss of titin in ischemic hearts has been reported, but the mechanism of titin degradation is not well understood. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is localized to the cardiac sarcomere and, on activation in ischemia/reperfusion injury, proteolyzes specific myofilament proteins. Here we determine whether titin is an intracellular substrate for MMP-2 and if its degradation during ischemia/reperfusion contributes to cardiac contractile dysfunction. Methods and Results-Immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy in rat and human hearts showed discrete colocalization between MMP-2 and titin in the Z-disk region of titin and that MMP-2 is localized mainly to titin near the Z disk of the cardiac sarcomere. Both purified titin and titin in skinned cardiomyocytes were proteolyzed when incubated with MMP-2 in a concentration-dependent manner, and this was prevented by MMP inhibitors. Isolated rat hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion injury showed cleavage of titin in ventricular extracts by gel electrophoresis, which was confirmed by reduced titin immunostaining in tissue sections. Inhibition of MMP activity with ONO-4817 prevented ischemia/reperfusion-induced titin degradation and improved the recovery of myocardial contractile function. Titin degradation was also reduced in hearts from MMP-2 knockout mice subjected to ischemia/reperfusion in vivo compared with wild-type controls. Conclusion-MMP-2 localizes to titin at the Z-disk region of the cardiac sarcomere and contributes to titin degradation in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Key Words: contractile dysfunction Ⅲ ischemia Ⅲ matrix metalloproteinase-2 Ⅲ sarcomere Ⅲ titin M atrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is a zinc-dependent protease that is best known for its ability to degrade the extracellular matrix in both physiological and pathological conditions. MMP-2 is synthesized as a zymogen by a variety of cells, including cardiac myocytes, and is activated either by proteases 1 (such as by action of or by posttranslational modifications to the full-length enzyme caused by enhanced oxidative stress. For example, peroxynitrite, which is generated in early reperfusion after ischemia, 2 directly activates several MMPs, 3 including MMP-2, 4 via a nonproteolytic mechanism involving the S-glutathiolation of a critical propeptide cysteine in its autoinhibitory domain.
Ediotrial see p 2002 Clinical Perspective on p 2047MMPs are best recognized for their role in tissue remodeling by proteolyzing various components of the extracellular matrix in both health and disease, ie, in angiogenesis, embryogenesis, wound healing, 5 atherosclerosis, 6 aortic aneurysm, 7 and myocardial infarction. 8 More recent studies, however, show that MMP-2 is involved in several acute biological processes independently of its actions on extracellular matrix proteins. This includes platelet activati...