Confocal And Mass Spectrometry-based Investigation Of REEP5 Depletion By AAV9 In The Mouse Heart

The sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum (SR/ER) is an essential regulator of many key cellular processes, especially those that play a role in the development and progression of cardiac disease. However, many aspects of its structural organization remain poorly defined. Receptor Expression Enhancing Protein 5 (REEP5) is a cardiac enriched SR/ER membrane protein, which regulates organization of the highly differentiated SR/ER network and responses to stress. In zebrafish models, genetic knock-out of reep5 results in cardiac functional defects and reduced heart rate. Within the cardiomyocyte, depletion of Reep5 in vitro results in decreased muscle cell contraction, disrupted Ca 2+ signaling and SR/ER luminal vacuolization. For these studies, in vivo cardiac knock-down of Reep5 in the mouse was achieved using recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (rAAV9)-mediated gene delivery. Cardiac tissues or isolated cardiomyocytes were harvested at 7 days through to 4 weeks following knock-down, for biochemical and functional assessments. We observed that the largest significant change in REEP5 expression occurred 4 weeks post-rAAV9 injection, correlating to a 78% knock-down, observed by immunoblotting (unpaired t-test, p<0.0001, n=6-8). 5 weeks following knock-down, mice developed lethal cardiac dysfunction. To assess the biochemical changes induced by Reep5 knock-down, we have established an organelle-specific cardiac proteomic profile of the microsome, mitochondria and cytosol, using subcellular fractionation and mass spectrometry (nLC-ESI-MS-HCD-MS). Coupled with high resolution confocal microscopy and 3D mapping techniques, we have examined localization and expression patterns of key SR/ER and mitochondrial proteins, that have altered expression following knock-down of Reep5 at the myocyte-level. These findings provide a detailed understanding of the role that REEP5 plays in maintaining ER homeostasis, SR/ER structure, and general organelle integrity. By identifying the mechanistic significance of REEP5 expression in the heart, we can work to delineate underappreciated pathways in cardiac muscle development.