Telomere 3’-overhang attrition and persistent telomeric DNA damage response in failing human hearts
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Background
Telomere homeostasis is critical for normal cellular and organ function, and its dysregulation is implicated in aging and chronic diseases. Although telomere length (TL) is critical for normal telomere function, its functional status can also be altered by many other factors. The organization and protective status of telomere in failing human heart (FHH) remains incompletely understood.
Methods
Using left ventricular tissues from patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC), ischemic heart disease (IHD), and non-failing heart (NFH), we performed a comprehensive analysis that included measurements of overall TL and 3’ overhang length in left ventricles and cardiomyocytes (CM), assessment of telomere-binding protein associations, and transcriptomic profiling through RNA sequencing.
Results
Although TL varied among individuals, reduced median TL was observed only in IDC, while both IDC and IHD showed an increased frequency of very short telomeres, falling below the 5th percentile, in CMs. Strikingly, significant telomere 3’-overhang attrition was detected in both disease groups and strongly correlated with elevated H2AX phosphorylated on serine 139 (γH2AX) in heart tissues, indicating DNA damage. This was accompanied by persistent activation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein-mediated DNA damage responses and the formation of telomere dysfunction-induced foci (TIFs) in CMs from FHH. Concomitantly, the association of telomeres with the single-stranded telomere-binding protein, Protection of Telomeres 1 (POT1), and the double-stranded telomere-interacting protein, telomere repeat-binding factor 2 (TERF2), was markedly reduced, accompanied by an increase in association of γH2AX and ssDNA binding protein, RPA with telomeres in IDC and IHD relative to NFH, signifying telomere de-protection.
Conclusions
CM telomere dysfunction, characterized by 3’ overhang attrition and de-protection, is a common feature in FHH, leading to persistent DNA damage response in telomeres. Better understanding of telomere biology throughout the progression of different heart diseases to heart failure will provide more effective prevention and treatment strategies.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Human telomeres safeguard chromosome ends through a higher-order telomere-loop (t-loop) structure and the shelterin complex, preventing their recognition as DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). In the failing human heart (FHH) with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) and ischemic heart disease (IHD), cardiomyocyte telomeres lose protection due to disruption of the shelterin complex, driven by oxidative DNA damage from reactive oxygen species (ROS) targeting G-rich telomeric sequences. This leads to t-loop unfolding, DDR cascade activation, 3’ overhang excision, and persistent DNA damage responses with Telomere Dysfunction-Induced Foci (TIFs) formation at the telomeric regions of cardiomyocytes in FHH. The ATM-mediated DDR, along with engagement of both classical non-homologous end joining (cNHEJ) and homologous recombination (HDR) repair pathways, is integral to FHH progression. This study underscores the significance of telomere 3’ overhang attrition in the pathogenesis of FHH with IDC and IHD. Unlike changes in overall telomere length, 3’ overhang shortening directly correlates with increased DNA damage in human myocardial tissue. Preventing telomere 3’ overhang attrition and oxidative damage offers a promising avenue for attenuating heart disease progression toward heart failure. In particular, selective ATM inhibition, as opposed to ATR inhibition, presents a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with IDC and IHD. Future efforts to pinpoint deficiencies in cNHEJ and HDR pathways in failing human hearts may reveal novel targets for heart failure prevention and treatment, providing new strategies in the management of this patient population. CMs , cardiomyocytes; DDR , DNA double-strand break repair; FHH , failing human heart; ROS , reactive oxygen species; t-loop , telomere-loop.
