Transcription factor Meis1 act as a new regulator of ischemic arrhythmias in mice

Abstract Introduction The principal voltage-gated Na+ channel, NaV1.5 governs heart excitability and conduction. NaV1.5 dysregulation is responsible for ventricular arrhythmias and subsequent sudden cardiac death (SCD) in post-infarct hearts. The transcription factor Meis1 performs a significant role in determining differentiation fate and regenerative capability of cardiomyocytes. However, the functions of Meis1 in ischemic arrhythmias following myocardial infarction (MI) are still largely undefined. Objectives Here we set out to study whether Meis1 could act as a key regulator to mediate cardiac Na+ channels and its underlying mechanisms. Methods Heart-specific Meis1 overexpression was established by AAV9 virus injection in C57BL/6 mice. The QRS duration, the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac conduction velocity were evaluated by ECG, programmed electrical stimulation and optical mapping techniques respectively. The conventional patch clamp technique was performed to explore the INa characteristics of isolated mouse ventricular myocytes. In vitro, Meis1 was also overexpressed in hypoxic-treated neonatal cardiomyocytes. The analysis of immunoblotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect the changes in the expression of NaV1.5 in each group. Results We found that forced expression of Meis1 rescued the prolongation of QRS complex, produced anti-arrhythmic activity and improved epicardial conduction velocity in infarcted mouse hearts. In terms of mechanisms, the cardiac electrophysiological function of mice can be ameliorated by the recovery of Meis1, which is characterized by the restoration of INa current density and NaV1.5 expression level of cardiomyocytes in the marginal zone of myocardial infarction. Furthermore, the vitro studies showed that Meis1 was also able to rescue hypoxia-induced decreased expression and dysfunction of NaV1.5 in ventricular myocytes. We further revealed that E3 ubiquitin ligase CDC20 led to the ubiquitination and degradation of Meis1, which blocked the transcriptional regulation of SCN5A by Meis1 and ultimately led to the electrophysiological remodeling in ischemic-hypoxic cardiomyocytes. Conclusion CDC20 mediated ubiquitination of Meis1 to govern the transcription of SCN5A and cardiac electrical conductance in mouse cardiomyocytes. This finding uncovers a new mechanism of NaV1.5 dysregulation in infarcted heart, and provides new therapeutic strategies for malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death following MI.