MYH11rare variant augments aortic growth and induces cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure with pressure overload
Authors: Zhou Zhen , Hughes Kgosi , Saif Nisha , Kim Hyoseon , Massett Michael P. , Zheng Mingjie , Cecchi Alana C. , Guo Dongchuan , Murdock David R. , Pan Ping , Clinton Jelita S. , Wang Jun , Greally John M. , Milewicz Dianna M. 
Published: August 2024

Smooth muscle cell-specific myosin heavy chain, encoded byMYH11, is selectively expressed in smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Pathogenic variants inMYH11predispose to a number of disorders, including heritable thoracic aortic disease associated with patent ductus arteriosus, visceral myopathy, and megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome. Rare variants of uncertain significance occur throughout the gene, includingMYH11p.Glu1892Asp, and we sought to determine if this variant causes thoracic aortic disease in mice. Genomic editing was used to generateMyh11E1892D/E1892Dmice. Wild-type (WT) and mutant mice underwent cardiovascular phenotyping and with transverse aortic constriction (TAC).Myh11E1892D/E1892Dand WT mice displayed similar growth, blood pressure, root and ascending aortic diameters, and cardiac function up to 13 months of age, along with similar contraction and relaxation on myographic testing. TAC induced hypertension similarly inMyh11E1892D/E1892Dand WT mice, but mutant mice showed augmented ascending aortic enlargement and increased elastic fragmentation on histology. Unexpectedly, maleMyh11E1892D/E1892Dmice two weeks post-TAC had decreased ejection fraction, stroke volume, fractional shortening, and cardiac output compared to similarly treated male WT mice. Importantly, left ventricular mass increased significantly due to primarily posterior wall thickening, and cardiac histology confirmed cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and increased collagen deposition in the myocardium and surrounding arteries. These results further highlight the clinical heterogeneity associated withMYH11rare variants. Given thatMYH11is selectively expressed in SMCs, these results implicate a role of vascular SMCs in the heart contributing to cardiac hypertrophy and failure with pressure overload.

Author Summary

In this study, we explore the impact of a specific genetic variant,MYH11p.Glu1892Asp, on the heart and blood vessels in mice. TheMYH11gene is crucial for smooth muscle cells, which are found in the walls of blood vessels and play an important role in various vascular diseases. We created mice with this genetic variant to see if it would lead to thoracic aortic disease, a condition affecting the main artery from the heart. We found that mice with the variant were similar to normal mice in many aspects, such as growth, blood pressure, and heart function, for up to 13 months. However, when we induced high blood pressure in the mice, the mutant mice showed more significant enlargement of the aorta and damage to the elastic fibers in the aortic walls. Interestingly, male mutant mice also developed heart problems, such as reduced heart pumping ability and increased heart muscle thickness, after the high blood pressure challenge. This was accompanied by signs of heart muscle cell enlargement and increased tissue stiffness. These findings suggest that this rareMYH11variant can contribute to a range of heart and vascular issues, particularly under conditions of pressure overload, and highlight the importance of smooth muscle cells in the development of these problems.