p38γ and p38δ regulate postnatal cardiac metabolism through glycogen synthase 1

PLoS Biol. 2021 Nov 10;19(11):e3001447. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001447. eCollection 2021 Nov.

Abstract

During the first weeks of postnatal heart development, cardiomyocytes undergo a major adaptive metabolic shift from glycolytic energy production to fatty acid oxidation. This metabolic change is contemporaneous to the up-regulation and activation of the p38γ and p38δ stress-activated protein kinases in the heart. We demonstrate that p38γ/δ contribute to the early postnatal cardiac metabolic switch through inhibitory phosphorylation of glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1) and glycogen metabolism inactivation. Premature induction of p38γ/δ activation in cardiomyocytes of newborn mice results in an early GYS1 phosphorylation and inhibition of cardiac glycogen production, triggering an early metabolic shift that induces a deficit in cardiomyocyte fuel supply, leading to whole-body metabolic deregulation and maladaptive cardiac pathogenesis. Notably, the adverse effects of forced premature cardiac p38γ/δ activation in neonate mice are prevented by maternal diet supplementation of fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation. These results suggest that diet interventions have a potential for treating human cardiac genetic diseases that affect heart metabolism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Cardiomegaly / enzymology
  • Cardiomegaly / pathology
  • Cardiomegaly / physiopathology
  • Diet, High-Fat
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • Gene Deletion
  • Glucose Intolerance / enzymology
  • Glycogen / metabolism
  • Glycogen Synthase / metabolism*
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / metabolism
  • Insulin Resistance
  • Lipid Metabolism
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 12 / metabolism*
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 13 / metabolism*
  • Myocardium / enzymology*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / enzymology
  • Organ Specificity
  • Phosphorylation

Substances

  • Glycogen
  • Glycogen Synthase
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 12
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 13
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3

Grants and funding

G.S. is a YIP EMBO member. B.G.T. was a fellow of the FPI Severo Ochoa CNIC program (SVP-2013-067639) and currently is funded by the AHA-CHF (AHA award number: 818798). V.M.R. is a FPI fellow (BES-2014-069332) and A.M.S. is a fellow of the FPI Severo Ochoa CNIC program (BES-2016-077635). This work was funded by the following grants: to G.S.: funding from the EFSD/Lilly European Diabetes Research Programme Dr Sabio, from Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MINECO-FEDER SAF2016-79126-R and PID2019-104399RB-I00), Comunidad de Madrid (IMMUNOTHERCAN-CM S2010/BMD-2326 and B2017/BMD-3733) and Fundación Jesús Serra; to P.A.: Ayudas para apoyar grupos de investigación del sistema Universitario Vasco (IT971-16 to P.A.), MCIU/AEI/FEDER, funding from Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (RTI2018-095134-B-100); Excellence Network Grant from MICIU/AEI (SAF2016-81975-REDT and 2018-PN188) to PA and GS; to J.V.: funding from Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (PGC2018-097019-B-I00), the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria grant PRB3 (PT17/0019/0003- ISCIII-SGEFI / ERDF, ProteoRed), and “la Caixa” Banking Foundation (project code HR17-00247); to J.P.B.: funding from Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (PID2019-105699RB-I00, RED2018‐102576‐T) and Escalera de Excelencia (CLU-2017-03); to J.A.E.: funding from Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities MINECO (RED2018-102576-T, RTI2018-099357-B-I00), CIBERFES (CB16/10/00282), and HFSP (RGP0016/2018). RAP (XPC/BBV1602 and MIN/RYC1102). The CNIC is supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.