Activated glycogen synthase-3β suppresses cardiac hypertrophy in vivo

CL Antos, TA McKinsey, N Frey… - Proceedings of the …, 2002 - National Acad Sciences
CL Antos, TA McKinsey, N Frey, W Kutschke, J McAnally, JM Shelton, JA Richardson, JA Hill
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2002National Acad Sciences
The adult myocardium responds to a variety of pathologic stimuli by hypertrophic growth that
frequently progresses to heart failure. The calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein
phosphatase calcineurin is a potent transducer of hypertrophic stimuli. Calcineurin
dephosphorylates members of the nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT) family of
transcription factors, which results in their translocation to the nucleus and activation of
calcium-dependent genes. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) phosphorylates NFAT …
The adult myocardium responds to a variety of pathologic stimuli by hypertrophic growth that frequently progresses to heart failure. The calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin is a potent transducer of hypertrophic stimuli. Calcineurin dephosphorylates members of the nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT) family of transcription factors, which results in their translocation to the nucleus and activation of calcium-dependent genes. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) phosphorylates NFAT proteins and antagonizes the actions of calcineurin by stimulating NFAT nuclear export. To determine whether activated GSK-3 can act as an antagonist of hypertrophic signaling in the adult heart in vivo, we generated transgenic mice that express a constitutively active form of GSK-3β under control of a cardiac-specific promoter. These mice were physiologically normal under nonstressed conditions, but their ability to mount a hypertrophic response to calcineurin activation was severely impaired. Similarly, cardiac-specific expression of activated GSK-3β diminished hypertrophy in response to chronic β-adrenergic stimulation and pressure overload. These findings reveal a role for GSK-3β as an inhibitor of hypertrophic signaling in the intact myocardium and suggest that elevation of cardiac GSK-3β activity may provide clinical benefit in the treatment of pathologic hypertrophy and heart failure.
National Acad Sciences