Emerging mechanisms of T-tubule remodelling in heart failure

• Published in: Cardiovascular research Vol. 98; no. 2; pp. 204 - 215
• Main Authors: Guo, Ang, Zhang, Caimei, Wei, Sheng, Chen, Biyi, Song, Long-Sheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.05.2013
• Subjects: Animals; Calcium - metabolism; Cardiomegaly - pathology; Excitation Contraction Coupling; Heart Failure - pathology; Heart Failure - physiopathology; Humans; Myocytes, Cardiac - pathology; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum - pathology; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum - physiology; Spotlight Reviews: Spotlight on T-Tubules and Ryanodine Receptor Microdomain Signalling in Cardiac Hypertrophy and Failure
• ISSN: 0008-6363; 1755-3245
• DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvt020

Cardiac excitation-contraction coupling occurs primarily at the sites of transverse (T)-tubule/sarcoplasmic reticulum junctions. The orderly T-tubule network guarantees the instantaneous excitation and synchronous activation of nearly all Ca(2+) release sites throughout the large ventricular myocyte. Because of the critical roles played by T-tubules and the array of channels and transporters localized to the T-tubule membrane network, T-tubule architecture has recently become an area of considerable research interest in the cardiovascular field. This review will focus on the current knowledge regarding normal T-tubule structure and function in the heart, T-tubule remodelling in the transition from compensated hypertrophy to heart failure, and the impact of T-tubule remodelling on myocyte Ca(2+) handling function. In the last section, we discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying T-tubule remodelling in heart disease.