Cardiac Troponin I Directly Binds and Inhibits Mitochondrial ATP Synthase: a Noncanonical Role in the Post-Ischemic Heart

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a sarcomeric protein critical to myocyte contraction. Unexpectedly, we found that some cTnI localized to the mitochondrial matrix in the heart, inhibited mitochondrial functions when stably expressed in non-cardiac cells and increased opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore under oxidative stress. Direct, specific, and saturable binding of cTnI to ATP synthase was demonstrated in vitro, using immune-captured ATP synthase, and in cells using proximity ligation assay. cTnI binding doubled F1F0 ATPase activity, whereas skeletal troponin I and several human mutant cTnI variants associated with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy did not. A rationally-designed ten amino acid peptide, P888, inhibited cTnI binding to ATP synthase, inhibited cTnI-induced increase in ATPase activity in vitro, and reduced cardiac injury following transient ischemia in vivo. We therefore suggest that mitochondria-associated cTnI may inhibit cardiac ATP synthase under basal conditions; pharmacological agents that release this inactivating effect of cTnI and thus preventing ATP hydrolysis during cardiac ischemia may increase the reservoir of functional mitochondria to reduce cardiac injury. Significance StatementCardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a key sarcomeric protein involved in the regulation of myocardial contractility. We found that some cTnI is present in the mitochondrial matrix where it binds to ATP synthase, disrupting mitochondrial function; inhibition of the cTnI-ATP synthase interaction with a selective peptide inhibitor reduces cardiac dysfunction following ischemia and reperfusion injury. Several pathogenic cTnI mutations associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy do not affect ATP synthase activity, suggesting a potential mechanism that contributes to the diverse pathologies associated with these mutations.