Myosin binding protein H-like fine-tunes how the heart's atria contract.

What is it about?

We previously found a previously undescribed protein in the heart called myosin binding protein H-like (MyBP-HL). MyBP-HL seems to regulate how heart cells contract. Changes in this protein causes impaired heart function. Interestingly, MyBP-HL is almost exclusively found in the atria of the heart, where contraction isn't as well studied. In this paper, we use mouse models to show where MyBP-HL is found in heart cells, that it regulates a related protein, cardiac myosin binding protein-C, and how contraction and relaxation of atrial muscle is changed with MyBP-HL is missing.

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Photo by Pin Adventure Map on Unsplash

Photo by Pin Adventure Map on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Regulation of contraction machinery of the heart (the sarcomere) to treat disease recently became an approved therapeutic target for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and is also being developed for treatment of heart failure. While the function of the cardiac ventricles are clearly more important, atrial dysfunction is also becoming a recognized cause and/or modifier of many heart diseases. Because the cardiac atria and ventricle are regulated differently. We have now identified a major regulator of atrial function, and one that regulates myosin binding protein-C, which is known to cause a large percent of inherited hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Our findings provide further evidence that some mutations, therapeutic treatments may function differently in the atria than the ventricle. This will require further study.

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