Titin truncating variant cardiomyopathy and related sarcomere insufficiency causes high energy demand resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction, autophagosome formation, and apoptosis

Titin truncating variants (TTNtv) are the most prevalent genetic cause of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), resulting in upregulation of cardiac transcripts of oxidative phosphorylation (1,2). However, the underlying molecular mechanism(s) and cellular consequences of these findings remain unknown.

To gain insight into the metabolic changes and cellular consequences of a TTNtv, metabolic, mitochondrial, and survival pathways were studied in human TTNtv DCM hearts and isolated cardiomyocytes of TTNtv mice. TTNtv resulted in a significant increase of cardiac transcripts of glycolysis, citric acid cycle, mitochondrial fission, autophagy, and apoptosis when comparing RNAseq in 24 TTNtv and 27 mutation-negative DCM cardiac biopsies. Furthermore, a decrease in the area of myofibrils in human TTNtv hearts (TTNtv vs. mutation-negative DCM: 46%, and 62%, P=0.001), and an increase of mitochondrial (49% and 31%, P=0,001) and autophagosome areas (4% and 2%, P=0.002) was observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Similar patterns of cardiomyocyte disorganization and stress could be seen in TTNtv hearts of mice even without a phenotype. Additionally, observed swollen mitochondria by TEM and decreased quantity of OXPHOS proteins by immunoblotting in murine TTNtv hearts indicate mitochondrial stress. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption at baseline and the maximum respiration in TTNtv cardiomyocytes of mice increased by a factor of 1.8 and 1.5 respectively (both P≤0.05), compared to WT. Furthermore, palmitate oxidation in TTNtv cardiomyocytes increased by 1.3 fold (P=0.005) compared to WT mice, suggestive of increased energy demand in TTNtv.

Myofibrillar insufficiency in human TTNtv DCM augments the cardiac oxygen and energy consumption, leading to pronounced morphological and functional mitochondrial decompensation. Swelling, damage and fission of mitochondria is further characterized by autophagosome formation and increased apoptosis pathways in TTNtv hearts.

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Double-Dose consortium by Dutch Cardiovascular Alliance (DCVA)