Mettl1 knockdown alleviates cardiac I/R injury in mice by inactivating the Mettl1-CYLD-P53 positive feedback loop
Shu-ting Yu1,2,
Zhi-yong Sun1,
Na Li1,
Zhe-zhe Qu1,
Chang-hao Wang1,
Tian-tian Ju1,
Ying-qi Liu1,
Zhong-ting Mei1,
Kui-wu Liu1,
Mei-xi Lu3,
Min Huang1,
Ying Li1,
Shun-kang Dou1,
Jian-hao Jiang1,
Yao-zhi Zhang1,
Chuan-hao Huang1,
Xiao-chen Pang1,
Ying-qiong Jia1,
Xian-hui Dong1,
Fan Wu1,
Yi Zhang1,
Wan-hong Li1,
Bao-feng Yang1,4,5,6,
Wei-jie Du1,4,5,6
1 Department of Pharmacology (The State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
2 National Key Laboratory for Innovation and Transformation of Luobing Theory, The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
3 Traditional Chinese Medicine School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
4 State Key Laboratory of Frigid Zone Cardiovascular Diseases (SKLFZCD), Department of Pharmacology (State Key Laboratory -Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine- Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
5 Research Unit of Noninfectious Chronic Diseases in Frigid Zone (2019RU070), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin 150081, China
6 Northern Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Correspondence to: Bao-feng Yang: yangbf@ems.hrbmu.edu.cn, Wei-jie Du: duweijie@hrbmu.edu.cn,
DOI: 10.1038/s41401-024-01395-5
Received: 22 February 2024
Accepted: 9 September 2024
Advance online: 16 October 2024
Abstract
The N7-methylguanosine (m7G) methyltransferase Mettl1 has been recently implicated in cardiac repair and fibrosis. In this study we investigated the role of Mettl1 in mouse cardiomyocytes injury and the underlying mechanisms. Cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) I/R model was established in mice by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) for 45 min followed by reperfusion for 24 h. We showed the mRNA and protein levels of Mettl1 were significantly upregulated in mouse I/R hearts and H2O2-treated neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes (NMCMs). Mettl1 knockdown markedly ameliorated cardiac I/R injury, evidenced by decreased infarct size, apoptosis, and improved cardiac function. Overexpression of Mettl1 triggered cardiomyocytes apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. By performing RNA sequencing combined with m7G methylated RNA sequencing in Mettl1-overexpressing mouse hearts, we revealed that Mettl1 catalyzed m7G modification of the deubiquitinase cylindromatosis (CYLD) mRNA to increase the expression of CYLD, which enhanced the stability of P53 via abrogating its ubiquitination degradation. Vice versa, P53 served as a transcriptional factor to positively regulate Mettl1 expression during I/R injury. Knockdown of CYLD mitigated cardiomyocytes apoptosis induced by Mettl1 overexpression or oxidative stress. From the available drug-targets databases and literature, we identified 4 small molecule inhibitors of m7G modification. Sinefungin, one of the Mettl1 inhibitors exerted profound protection against cardiac I/R injury in vivo and in vitro. Collectively, this study has identified Mettl1 as a key regulator of cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and targeting the Mettl1-CYLD-P53 positive feedback circuit may represent a novel therapeutic avenue for alleviating cardiac I/R injury.
