Volume 53 (5): 583-592, 2005 Copyright ©The Histochemical Society, Inc. Arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 Expression in the Developing Heart
Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK Correspondence to: Prof. Edith Sim, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3QT, UK. E-mail: edith.sim{at}pharm.ox.ac.uk
Murine arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) is expressed in the developing heart and in the neural tube at the time of closure. Classically described as a xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme, there is increasing evidence for a distinct biological role for murine NAT2. We have characterized the expression of arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 during cardiogenesis, mapping its expression in vivo, using a lacZ insertion deletion, and also in vitro, by measuring NAT2 enzyme activity. These findings show that cardiac Nat2 expression is both temporally and spatially regulated during development. In neonatal mice, cardiac Nat2 expression is most extensive in the central fibrous body and is evident in the atrioventricular valves and the valves of the great vessels. Whereas Nat2 expression is not detected in ventricular myocardial cells, Nat2 is strongly expressed in scattered cells in the region of the sinus node, the epicardium of the right atrial appendage, and in the pulmonary artery. Expression of active NAT2 protein is maximal when the developing heart attains the adult circulation pattern and moves from metabolizing glucose to fatty acids. NAT2 acetylating activity in cardiac tissue from Nat2/ and Nat2+/ mice indicates a lack of compensating acetylating activity either from other acetylating enzymes or by NAT2 encoded by the wild-type Nat2 allele in Nat2+/ heterozygotes. The temporal and spatial control of murine Nat2 expression points to an endogenous role distinct from xenobiotic metabolism and indicates that Nat2 expression may be useful as a marker in cardiac development. (J Histochem Cytochem 53:583592, 2005)
Key Words: arylamine N-acetyltransferase/ NAT xenobiotic autonomic nervous system acetyl coenzyme A knockout mouse
ARYLAMINE N-ACETYLTRANSFERASES (NATs) are polymorphic enzymes, widespread in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and catalyze the transfer of the acetyl group from acetyl CoA to aromatic amines and hydrazines (Weber and Hein 1985
Mouse and human NAT genes exist as a cluster of polymorphic genes found at orthologous loci on chromosome 8 (Blum et al. 1990
The tissue distribution of each isoform is characteristic; mNAT1/hNAT2 expression is largely confined to tissues classically described as responsible for xenobiotic metabolism (Chung et al. 1993
Mice lacking both Nat1 and Nat2 genes appear aphenotypic (Cornish et al. 2003
The mammalian heart develops from lateral plate mesoderm via a simple tube whose spontaneous rhythmic contractions direct the fetal circulation from as early as the 10-somite stage. Development of the heart progresses through a continuum of morphological transformations involving looping of the tube heart, septation of the cardiac chambers, and differentiation of the multi-component conduction system (reviewed by Kirby 2002
Except where stated otherwise, all chemicals were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (Dorset, UK). All work involving animals was carried out according to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act of 1986 and was subject to local and national ethical review.
Nat2 Mutant Mice Maintenance and Breeding
Preparation of Protein Samples
For each genotype and each sex, tissues were dissected from at least six adult C57Bl/6 mice weighing between 22 and 28 g, derived from intercrosses of backcross generations three and four. Tissue homogenates were assayed for their ability to acetylate para-aminobenzoic acid (pABA) essentially as described (Sinclair et al. 1998
Whole-mount Staining for ß-Galactosidase Activity
NAT2 Acetylating Activity and Protein Levels Correlate with Nat2 Genotype The expression of mouse Nat2 was investigated in mice of Nat2+/+, +/, and / genotypes using a substrate known to be specific for mouse NAT2, pABA. Homogenates from tissues isolated from C57Bl/6 mice were assayed for their ability to acetylate pABA. Differences in the proportion of extracellular protein in different tissues (van den Hoff et al. 1997 Homogenates of heart tissue from adult Nat2+/+ animals show measurable pABA acetylating ability, at 25% that of liver homogenates from the same Nat2+/+ adults (Figure 1A). Although NAT2 activity in hearts from Nat2+/+ males (2.6 ± SD 0.4 nmol/min/mg protein; n=12) was greater than in hearts from Nat2+/+ females (2.1 ± SD 0.1 nmol/min/mg protein; n=12), this difference was not statistically significant. Heart tissue shows good genotype/phenotype correlation comparing tissues from Nat2+/+ and Nat2+/ animals, indicating that the wild-type allele was not overexpressed to compensate for the null allele.
Specific substrates have been identified for mNAT1 and mNAT2 enzymes. pABA is a specific substrate for murine NAT2 and is not acetylated by murine NAT1 (Estrada et al. 2000
To investigate whether the activity difference in Nat2+/+ and Nat2+/ mice arises from a difference in NAT2 protein levels, we tested the samples for NAT2 protein by Western blotting (Figure 1B), using a polyclonal antiserum raised against the C-terminal dodecapeptide from human NAT1 (Stanley et al. 1996
Nat2 Expression Is Specifically Localized within the Neonatal Heart
Nat2 Activity in Heart Is Developmentally Controlled and Is Highest around Parturition To test whether there is a postpartum developmental change in cardiac NAT2 activity, we examined acetylating activity in vitro of prenatal (E17.5) and neonatal day (ND) 23 hearts, comparing the NAT2 acetylating activity of heart homogenates before, during, and after the postpartum metabolic and circulation changes (Figure 3A). Maximum NAT2 activity is seen in the protein homogenates prepared from the hearts of neonatal pups (n=11), at which time it is at least 5-fold greater than that of adult heart homogenates (Figure 3A). NAT2 activity of fetal hearts (n=6) shortly before parturition (E17.5) is as low as in the adult heart. These data are consistent with those obtained from X-gal staining in that staining is maximal within 3 days of birth. To establish whether this developmental change in NAT2 activity is common to other tissues, we measured the activity of livers taken from the same animals. In contrast to the heart, the specific activity of NAT2 in the liver increases slightly between E17.5 and ND3 and is highest in the adult.
In Neonates, Nat2 Expression Is Widespread in the Central Fibrous Body and Heart Valves and Is Localized in Clusters of Cells within the Atria and Pulmonary Artery Localization of Nat2 expression was examined in more detail in serial sections of X-galstained hearts dissected from ND2 pups. Hearts isolated from Nat2/ neonates show no obvious morphological abnormalities. X-gal staining, indicative of NAT2 expression, is most prominent in the cells of the fibrous continuity (Figure 4A). A field of cells from the mitral to the tricuspid valve shows uniform staining (Figures 4A and 4C). Scattered cells in the epicardial tissue of the atria and a cluster of cells in the region of the sinoatrial node show robust staining (Figure 4B). Staining is visible in the leaflets of the atrioventricular valves (Figures 4A and 4C) and in the valves and walls of the great vessels (Figures 4D and 4E). The walls of the pulmonary artery have interspersed but strongly staining cells (Figure 4E) within the smooth muscle layer. Neither the working myocardium nor the His bundle shows detectable staining. X-gal staining of Nat2+/+ hearts revealed no evidence of endogenous ß-galactosidase expression. By ND5, X-gal staining in the trigone has diminished, as has staining in the atrioventricular valves. Nat2 gene activity, as evidenced by X-gal staining, remains in the pulmonary valve and in the walls of the pulmonary artery (Figures 5A and 5B). A few cells at the level of the aortic valve leaflets show ß-galactosidase activity (Figures 5C and 5D).
Nat2 Expression in Hearts of E11.5 Fetuses Expression of ß-galactosidase driven by the Nat2 promoter from the Nat2 knockout allele in stage E11.5 mouse fetuses has been investigated in whole-mount heart preparations, shown in Figure 6. Strong X-gal staining is visible in the right ventricle and in the wall of the primary heart tube. Expression of mNat2 in the right ventricle has previously been identified immunohistochemically in E11.5 fetal mice and can be seen in the right atrium at E13.5 (Stanley et al. 1998
The expression of mouse NAT2 is both spatially and temporally controlled over different stages of cardiac development, encompassing fetus, neonate, and adult. The expression of the Nat2 gene has been assayed in heart tissue by monitoring the expression of the lacZ gene, driven by the Nat2 control elements. Previous studies support the lacZ gene expression as a realistic indicator of Nat2 gene expression in this strain of mice compared with laboratory-inbred strains (Stanley et al. 1998
The activity of the NAT2 enzyme has been assayed in mice carrying two, one, or zero copies of the Nat2 null allele. In heart tissue from the rapid acetylating strain C57Bl/6, the levels of NAT2 protein correlate with activity levels in Nat2/, Nat2+/, and Nat2+/+ genotypes, indicating that there is no compensation either from the remaining wild-type allele, in the case of the heterozygotes, or from the other Nat genes. Similar results have been obtained observing expression of each individual hNAT1 allele in heterozygous and homozygous individuals (Butcher et al. 2004
The work of Boukouvala et al. (2003)
Changes in the Nat2 gene activity in murine fetal tissue and postpartum liver have been examined in terms of both RNA levels and acetylation activity (McQueen et al. 2003 Major changes in the structure and metabolism of the heart occur shortly after parturition. During fetal development, when the lungs are functionally inactive, the ventricles of the heart operate in parallel and some protection from hypoxia is afforded by use of glucose as opposed to fatty acid as source of myocardial energy. On parturition, the pattern of circulation changes, with the closure of the foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus, largely in response to pressure changes arising from occlusion of the umbilical vessels and decreased pulmonary vascular resistance (shown schematically in Figure 3B). Postnatally, the use of fatty acids predominates over that of glucose.
Oxidative stress is an important determinant of homocysteine levels, production of toxic cellular by-products, and xenobiotic metabolism. Increased generation of free radicals accompanies reoxygenation of isolated hearts after hypoxia (Damerau et al. 1993
Murine Nat2 expression is most marked in the fibrous continuity of the neonatal heart. It is, however, also expressed along the length of the valves that regulate the flow of blood into both the ventricles and the major vessels, and in the wall of the right atrium in close proximity to the sinoatrial node. Highest levels of autonomic innervation are to be found in the region of the sinus node (Chow et al. 2001 Although Nat2/ mice are overtly aphenotypic, our results showing highly specific temporal and spatial control during cardiac development are indicative of an endogenous role distinct from that of xenobiotic metabolism. Preliminary proteomic studies suggest that the Nat2/ mutation is complemented by changes in other cytoplasmic proteins. The expression of polymorphic murine Nat2/human NAT1 in locations associated with pacemaker activity and autonomic innervation suggest that mNat2 activity should be investigated in relation to cardiac function.
The authors thank the Wellcome Trust for financial support. We thank Hilary Long for outstanding technical assistance, Matt Anderton for reading an early draft of the manuscript, Robert Anderson and Shuomo Bhattacharya for help with cardiac morphology, and Jennie Charlton for secretarial support.
Received for publication August 4, 2004; accepted October 31, 2004
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