SUMO1 Role in The Heart
Heart failure is a process by which the heart’s pumping ability is significantly weakened, so that the body is unable to get adequate circulation. A weakened heart results in symptoms of fatigue, decreased exercise tolerance and shortness of breath. Patients with heart failure have a significantly increased risk of death compared to people with normal heart function. Heart failure is a major public health concern, as its incidence is on the rise worldwide, and is a leading cause of death in developed nations
SUMO 1 is a key component in cardiac function, since it helps regulate calcium homeostasis in the mitochondria of heart cells. SUMO 1 is associated with another essential cardiac protein called sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase, or SERCA2A. SERCA is a transmembrane protein located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of cardiac cells. Its main function is to regulate the discharge and uptake of intracellular calcium between the cytosol and the lumen of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Calcium is an essential factor for the development of cardiac myocyte contraction and relaxation. Thus, the management of intracellular calcium homeostasis by SERCA2A is critical for overall cardiac performance. Normally, SUMO 1 activates and stabilizes SERCA2A by binding at lysine resides 480 and 585. The interaction between SUMO 1 and SERCA2 is crucial for regulating calcium levels inside cardiac myocytes. Reduction in SUMO 1 protein reduces SERCA2A, and thus efficient calcium handling in patients with failing hearts
Read more about this topic: Small Ubiquitin-related Modifier 1
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