TGM2-mediated histone serotonylation is an epigenetic cardioprotective mechanism in HFpEF

Abstract

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous syndrome with incompletely understood molecular mechanisms. Histone serotonylation is a recently identified epigenetic modification in which serotonin is covalently conjugated to glutamine 5 of histone H3 in H3K4me3-marked nucleosomes. Here, we investigated the role of transglutaminase 2 (TGM2)-mediated histone serotonylation in HFpEF. In a mouse model of HFpEF induced by salty drinking water, unilateral nephrectomy and aldosterone infusion (SAUNA), cardiac H3K4me3Q5ser and nuclear TGM2 levels were increased. Cardiomyocyte-specific TGM2-deficient mice developed aggravated HFpEF phenotypes after SAUNA exposure, including worsened diastolic dysfunction, reduced exercise capacity, pulmonary congestion and delayed cardiomyocyte relaxation. CUT&RUN sequencing identified H3K4me3Q5ser-enriched regions predominantly around transcription start sites after SAUNA exposure, with notable enrichment at genes associated with G2/M checkpoint-related stress-response signaling. RNA sequencing further showed that activation of this pathway was impaired in SAUNA-exposed TGM2-deficient hearts. In cardiac myocytes, calcium-binding sites and nuclear localization of TGM2 support checkpoint-related stress-response gene activation in cardiac myocytes. Pharmacological WEE1 inhibition, which activates downstream CDK1-associated checkpoint signaling, partially rescued the aggravated HFpEF phenotype in TGM2-deficient mice. Finally, in patients with HFpEF, lower circulating serotonin levels were associated with adverse cardiac outcomes, and cardiomyocyte H3K4me3Q5ser levels correlated with serum serotonin concentrations. These findings suggest that cardiomyocyte TGM2-mediated histone serotonylation represents a stress-adaptive, cardioprotective epigenetic mechanism in HFpEF.