Bmi1 limits dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure by inhibiting cardiac senescence

Gonzalez-Valdes, I.; Hidalgo, I.; Bujarrabal, A.; Lara-Pezzi, E.; Padron-Barthe, L.; Garcia-Pavia, P.; Gómez-del Arco, Pablo; Redondo, J.M.; Ruiz-Cabello, J.M.; Jimenez-Borreguero, L.J.; Enriquez, J.A.; de la Pompa, J.L.; Hidalgo, A.; Gonzalez, S.

doi:10.1038/ncomms7473

Article
Published: 09 March 2015

Bmi1 limits dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure by inhibiting cardiac senescence

I. Gonzalez-Valdes¹,
I. Hidalgo¹,
A. Bujarrabal¹,
E. Lara-Pezzi²,
L. Padron-Barthe^2,3,
P. Garcia-Pavia³,
Pablo Gómez-del Arco^4,5,
J.M. Redondo⁴,
J.M. Ruiz-Cabello⁶,
L.J. Jimenez-Borreguero⁶,
J.A. Enriquez⁷,
J.L. de la Pompa⁸,
A. Hidalgo⁹ &
…
S. Gonzalez¹

Nature Communications volume 6, Article number: 6473 (2015) Cite this article

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A Retraction to this article was published on 07 March 2017

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 14 May 2015

This article has been updated

Abstract

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most frequent cause of heart failure and the leading indication for heart transplantation. Here we show that epigenetic regulator and central transcriptional instructor in adult stem cells, Bmi1, protects against DCM by repressing cardiac senescence. Cardiac-specific Bmi1 deletion induces the development of DCM, which progresses to lung congestion and heart failure. In contrast, Bmi1 overexpression in the heart protects from hypertrophic stimuli. Transcriptome analysis of mouse and human DCM samples indicates that p16^INK4a derepression, accompanied by a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), is linked to severely impaired ventricular dimensions and contractility. Genetic reduction of p16^INK4a levels reverses the pathology of Bmi1-deficient hearts. In parabiosis assays, the paracrine senescence response underlying the DCM phenotype does not transmit to healthy mice. As senescence is implicated in tissue repair and the loss of regenerative potential in aging tissues, these findings suggest a source for cardiac rejuvenation.

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Introduction

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the commonest form of non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy and can lead to sudden cardiac death and heart failure¹. The health burden associated with DCM is a major contribution to health-care costs; however, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of noninherited DCM remain unexplored². DCM is defined by the presence of dilated and poorly functioning left ventricle in the absence of abnormal loading conditions, such as valve defect or hypertension or ischaemic heart failure sufficient to induce global systolic impairment. A large number of cardiac and systemic diseases can cause systolic impairment and left ventricular dilatation; however, in the majority of patients no identifiable cause is found (hence, idiopathic DCM). Therefore, understanding the aetiology of idiopathic DCM is of great clinical relevance in view of the devastating consequences of this disease in a large patient population.

The epigenetic signature establishes a cell-type-specific chromatin pattern that is of paramount importance for cell commitment and regeneration during development and adulthood^3,4,5. Epigenetic regulation offers a critical means for governing cardiac gene expression under different physiological and pathological states⁶. In fact, the nature of cardiomyopathy and heart failure intensely links with irregular cardiac gene expression. One of the causes of congenital heart disease is deficiency for specific epigenetic instructors during cardiogenesis⁵, such as the histone methyltransferases Ezh2 (ref. 7) and MLL2 (ref. 8), or transcription factors Tbx5 and Nkx2-5 that require histone-modifying enzymes to regulate gene expression⁵. Essential epigenetic changes at developmental cardiac-specific genes are also required for reprogramming of cardiac fibroblasts (FBs) into cardiomyocytes (CMs) and for cardiac lineage commitment^9,10. However, the role of critical epigenetic modifications in adult cardiac function has received comparatively little attention. A good example of that is the well-established role of epigenetic Bmi1 factor in the maintenance of adult stem cell populations¹¹; however, its direct or indirect implication in regulating the cardiac function is unknown.

Senescence protects organisms against damaged cells by inducing a stable growth arrest not only in tumour suppression¹² but also in noncancer pathologies¹³. Growth arrest is achieved, at least in part, through activation of the p16^INK4a/Retinoblastoma tumour-suppressor pathways^14,15. Concomitant with this arrest, senescent cells communicate with their environment, secreting a complex mixture of factors called the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) or senescence-messaging secretome^16,17.

Here we reasoned that the epigenetic factor Bmi1 might be involved in the maintenance of adult cardiac function. Using a combination of conditional knockout models, biochemical analysis, parabiotic assays and characterization of the DCM transcriptional signature in humans and mice, this study reveals the importance of a genuinely protective role of the epigenetic Bmi1 in cardiac adult pathophysiology, namely protection of adult heart from cellular senescence. Therefore, controlling cardiac gene expression by epigenetic-regulating factors gives a promising approach to the treatment of human cardiomyopathy.

Results

Bmi1 expression is not required for cardiogenesis

Several epigenetic Polycomb regulators are differently regulated during embryonic development and adult aging¹⁸, prompting us to analyse endogenous cardiac Bmi1 expression in the mouse. The amount of Bmi1 increased progressively throughout cardiogenesis, stabilizing in adulthood, and then declining in the hearts of aged mice (Supplementary Fig. 1a). This profile correlated inversely with the levels of p16^INK4a (Supplementary Fig. 1b), as noted in other studies with adult stem cells^{19,20,21,22,23,24}. To analyse the implication of Bmi1 in heart failure, we induced hypertrophy in wild-type mouse hearts, either surgically with a transverse aortic constriction (TAC) or by infusion with isoproterenol (Supplementary Fig. 1c). We additionally analysed the left ventricular myocardium from eight non-failing and eight failing human hearts. In humans and mice, analysis of cardiac Bmi1 expression showed a marked reduction in failing hearts, levels inversely correlated with p16^INK4a expression (Supplementary Fig. 1c,d). These results indicate a possible association of Bmi1 downregulation with the development of cardiac hypertrophy.

To explore the implication of Bmi1 in cardiogenesis, we crossed Bmi1^fl/fl mice with Nkx2.5-Cre^tg/+ mice²⁵ to induce cardiac-specific Bmi1 deletion from embryonic day (E) 7.5 onwards. Bmi1^f/f;Nkx-Cre^tg/+ mice were born at normal Mendelian frequency and were able to support pregnancy. Histologic examination of Bmi1^f/f;Nkx-Cre^tg/+ embryos at E14.5−E18.5 did not reveal any cardiac abnormality (Fig. 1a). Expression of Bmi1 mRNA on post-natal day 2 (P2) was significantly lower in Bmi1^f/f;Nkx-Cre^tg/+ hearts than in controls and correlated with below-normal levels of the epigenetic mark H3K9me3 (Fig. 1b; Supplementary Fig. 1e). Interestingly, Bmi1^f/f;Nkx-Cre^tg/+ hearts also had a significantly higher heart-to-body-weight (HW/BW) ratio, and expressed higher levels of fetal cardiac genes than littermate controls (Fig. 1c; Supplementary Fig. 1f). Histological comparison with Bmi1^f/f;Nkx-Cre^+/+ controls at 22 weeks after birth showed that Bmi1-null hearts were enlarged and presented fibrosis and CMs with the above-normal cross-sectional area (Fig. 1d; Supplementary Fig. 1g). Two-dimensional echocardiography revealed the hearts of Bmi1^f/f;Nkx-Cre^tg/+ mice to be dilated and poorly contractile (Fig. 1e). These hearts, moreover, had a markedly enlarged left ventricular internal diameter at diastole and severely depressed left ventricular mass and fractional shortening, a direct measure of cardiac contractile function, consistent with progressive DCM (Fig. 1e,f). Lung weight in 22-week-old Bmi1^f/f;Nkx-Cre^tg/+ mice was significantly increased (Fig. 1g; Supplementary Fig. 1h), suggesting the development of lung oedema secondary to the LV dysfunction. This was confirmed by serial pulmonary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which revealed significant pulmonary congestion and oedema (Fig. 1h) coinciding with the impaired cardiac contractile function and maximal left ventricular dilatation for Bmi1-null hearts (Fig. 1f). Perl’s Prussian blue staining on lung sections revealed impaired permeability of the alveolar septal barrier in Bmi1^f/f;Nkx-Cre^tg/+ mice, indicated by the accumulation of siderophages (hemosiderin-laden macrophages) in the perivascular regions of Bmi1^f/f;Nkx-Cre^tg/+ lungs (Fig. 1i). All Bmi1^f/f;Nkx-Cre^tg/+ mice died between 20 and 30 weeks, whereas Bmi1^f/f; Nkx-Cre^+/+ had a normal lifespan (Fig. 1j). These data thus suggest that cardiac Bmi1 deletion during embryogenesis does not affect cardiogenesis but causes DCM in adulthood.

**Figure 1: Bmi1 is not required for normal cardiac development.**

Adult Bmi1 deficiency causes DCM

To further test the contribution of Bmi1 deficiency to heart disease, we engineered CM-specific Bmi1 deletion in adulthood by crossing Bmi1^fl/fl mice²⁴ with the α-myosin heavy chain (αMHC)-Cre^tg/+ strain²⁶. Conditional mutants occurred at a normal Mendelian ratio, indicating an absence of embryonic lethality. Examination of 5-week-old Bmi1^f/f;αMHC-Cre^tg/+ mice confirmed cardiac Bmi1 deletion (Supplementary Fig. 2a). At 12 weeks of age, Bmi1^f/f;αMHC-Cre^tg/+ mice showed typical features of DCM: impaired cardiac ejection fraction, a high HW/BW ratio, enlarged CMs, fibrosis and larger-than-normal ventricular chambers (Fig. 2a,b; Supplementary Fig. 2b). These cardiac defects were accompanied by pulmonary oedema and the presence of siderophages (Fig. 2c–e). Consistent with this phenotype, adult Bmi1^f/f;αMHC-Cre^tg/+ mice developed full-blown DCM and suffered heart failure at 15–20 weeks of age (Fig. 3f).

**Figure 2: Bmi1 activation blocks development of cardiac hypertrophy.**

**Figure 3: Cardiac dysfunction in tamoxifen-treated *Bmi1*^f/f;αMHC^TM-Cre^tg/+mice.**

To test whether heart failure was sensitive to the Bmi1 dosage, we analysed the hearts of Bmi^fl/+;αMHC-Cre^tg/+ and Bmi^fl/+;αMHC-Cre^+/+ mice. Young Bmi1 heterozygotes showed no noticeable cardiac defects (Supplementary Fig. 2c); however, at ~6 months, they developed characteristics of DCM, including a severely depressed ejection fraction (Supplementary Fig. 2c), a trend towards a high HW/BW ratio (Supplementary Fig. 2d) and interstitial fibrosis (Supplementary Fig. 2e). These mice invariably died by 7 months after birth (Supplementary Fig. 2f), indicating that Bmi1 is critical to maintain adult heart function.

To confirm the requirement of Bmi1 in the adult heart, we used a tamoxifen (TM)-inducible α-myosin heavy chain (αMHC)^TM-Cre line²⁷ to delete Bmi1 in the hearts of 5-week-old adult mice (Fig. 3a,b). Heart weight and function in Bmi1^f/f;αMHC^TM-Cre^tg/+ conditional knockouts and Bmi1^f/f;αMHC^TM-Cre^+/+ and Bmi1^+/+;αMHC^TM-Cre^tg/+ control mice were monitored using histology and echocardiography (Fig. 3c–e). At 12 weeks post-TM treatment, average left ventricular internal diameter at diastole was similar in control and conditional knockout mice; however, dilatation and loss of contractility subsequently became evident in the mutants (Fig. 3d,e). At 22 weeks post induction, ventricular diameter in Bmi1^f/f;αMHC^TM-Cre^tg/+ mice had increased from 3.8 mm at baseline to 4.59 mm, correlating with a fractional shortening of 17% (Fig. 3d,e). MRI revealed significant pulmonary congestion and oedema, which correlated with a 54% increase in lung weight, compared with TM-treated control littermates (Fig. 3f,g). Iron overload in the lung, detected by Perl’s staining, was also evident (Fig. 3h). TM-treated Bmi1^f/f;αMHC^TM-Cre^tg/+ mice died between 28 and 32 weeks (23 and 27 weeks post induction), compared with only 1% of TM-treated control littermates (Fig. 3i). Thus, Bmi1 regulates CM function and maintenance throughout adult life.

Bmi1 overexpression in the heart safeguarded the hypertrophic stage

To assess the antihypertrophic effect of Bmi1, we crossed the doxycycline-inducible MLC2-rRTA^tg/+ mouse line²⁸ with tetO-Bmi1^tg/tg mice, generating iBmi1^tg/tg;MLC2^tg/+ mice and iBmi1^tg/tg;MLC2^+/+ control littermates (hereafter iBmi1^tg;MLC2 and iBmi^tg control mice). Inclusion of doxycycline in the drinking water of 8-week-old iBmi1^tg/tg;MLC2^tg/+ mice induced cardiac-specific overexpression of Bmi1 (Fig. 4a; Supplementary Fig. 3a). Doxycycline treatment did not induce overt cardiac abnormalities in Bmi1 transgenic mice or control counterparts (Fig. 4b–d). As in wild-type mice, TAC surgery in doxycycline-treated iBmi1^tg/tg;MLC2^+/+ controls triggered massive cardiac hypertrophy, an increase in CM cross-sectional area and fibrosis (Fig. 4b–e; Supplementary Fig. 3b). In contrast, TAC surgery induced none of these symptoms in the hearts of doxycycline-treated iBmi1^tg/tg;MLC2^tg/+ mice (Fig. 4e), indicating that Bmi1 overexpression blocks pathological ventricular remodelling.

**Figure 4: Bmi1 activation blocks development of cardiac hypertrophy.**

Regulation of a cardiac-specific transcriptional programme by Bmi1

To explore the primary cause of DCM in Bmi1-null mice, we set out to identify differentially expressed genes by massively parallel sequencing of heart samples from DCM-diagnosed patients who had undergone heart transplant (hDCM) and from Bmi1^f/f;αMHC^TM-Cre^tg/+ mice (17-week post induction; mDCM). Pairwise comparisons (with corresponding controls) identified 649 and 2,435 genes differentially expressed in mDCM and hDCM samples, respectively (Fig. 5a; Supplementary Data set). Differentially upregulated genes common to mDCM and hDCM samples included those associated with the fetal cardiac gene programme²⁹, such as Acta2, Myh7 and Myl1 and genes encoding extracellular matrix components and regulators, such as Tgfβ, collagens, chemokines and metalloproteinases (Fig. 5a). Significantly upregulated senescence genes were the critical senescence regulator p16^INK4a (Cdkn2a)^19,30,31 and essential components of the SASP (chemokines and Tgfβ family ligands; Fig. 5a). Consistent with the proliferative arrest that accompanies senescence, we found downregulated genes related to cell-cycle progression such as CDKN3, CyclinD2 and CyclinA2 (CCNA2). There was, moreover, robust upregulation of genes encoding pro-inflammatory factors associated with the SASP, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-7, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor and certain insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins³². These findings are suggestive of an important role of the senescence response mediated by the Bmi1/p16^INK4a axis in cardiac pathophysiology, consistent with the role of Bmi1 in preventing senescence in other contexts¹⁹.

**Figure 5: Control of cardiac-specific profile by Bmi1.**

To assess the epigenetic signature on the promoter regions of Bmi1 target genes, chromatin silencing was examined by measuring ubiquitination of histone H2A at the Lys119 residue (H2AK119ub), a histone modification mediated by PRC1 (ref. 3), and by Bmi1-specific binding using mDCM and control hearts (Fig. 5b). Additional Ezh1/Ezh2-dependent repressive H3K27me3 mark³⁰, and the chromatin active H3K4me3 mark were also analysed³ (Fig. 5b). Absence of Bmi1 led to an important increase in H3K27me3 mark bound and significantly enriched for the H2AK119ub signal in the promoter regions of the downregulated CyclinA2, Gbe1 and Gmnn genes, but not in the promoters of upregulated p16^INK4a, Il1 and Tgfβ3 genes in Bmi1^f/f;αMHC-Cre^tg/+ hearts (Fig. 5b). However, Bmi1 binding was located at the promoters of downregulated genes in the Bmi1^f/f;αMHC-Cre^+/+ control hearts. Interestingly, mDCM heart cells showed a stronger association with H3K4me3 at the RD domain in the p16^INK4a/ARF locus, which has been demonstrated to be the main Bmi1-binding site in this locus^33,34. In contrast, specific binding of H3K4me3 to the promoter regions of CyclinA2, Gbe1 and Gmnn was lower in the absence of Bmi1 (Fig. 5b). These gene expression data strongly correlate with the cardiac phenotype of Bmi1-null mice and suggest the implication of the senescence response in the progression of DCM.

CM senescence is increased in a Bmi1-specific manner

Sections from 12-week-old Bmi1^f/f;αMHC-Cre^tg/+ hearts, but not controls, stained positive for senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) marker (Fig. 6a). In contrast, apoptotic-mediated caspase 3 expression was not detected in Bmi1^f/f;αMHC-Cre^tg/+ or control hearts (Fig. 6a). We next assessed proliferation rate and cardiac SA-β-gal activity³⁵ in CMs isolated by the Langendorff perfusion method³⁶ and nonmyocyte subpopulations of FBs (CD3⁻/CD31⁻/Thy1⁺) and endothelial cells (ECs; CD3⁻/CD31⁺/Thy1⁻)³⁷. Bmi1 expression in Bmi1^f/f;αMHC-Cre^tg/+ CMs was ~10% of the level detected in control CMs, whereas FBs and ECs showed no significant differences between the two genotypes (Fig. 6b), as expected²⁶. Analysis of the cell-cycle status by 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation indicated that total cardiac cells and the FB and EC subpopulations cycled similarly in mutant mice and control littermates (Fig. 6c). In Bmi1^fl;αMHCCre hearts, ~31% of CMs were positive for SA-β-gal activity, compared with 18.4% in control hearts (Fig. 6d,e). Surprisingly, ~21% of FBs in Bmi1-null hearts were also positive, compared with 13% in control hearts (Fig. 6d,e), suggesting that CM-expressed Bmi1 might directly control the expression of paracrine factors that spread the senescence response to surrounding populations. To test this, we assessed the contribution of Tgfβ family ligands¹⁷ to DCM in Bmi1-null mice. Injection of Tgfβ-neutralizing antibodies into Bmi1^f/f;αMHC-Cre^tg/+ mice significantly reduced maximum left ventricular wall thickness and reversed the fractional shortening (Supplementary Fig. 3c,d). Moreover, Tgfβ blockade significantly reduced CM cross-sectional area (Supplementary Fig. 3e). Together, these results indicate that senescence originating in CMs plays an important role in the development of DCM in Bmi1-null hearts.

**Figure 6: Bmi1-mediated cardiomyocyte senescence.**

Bmi1 limits the senescence response in the heart by repressing Cdkn2a

To further define the involvement of senescence in the DCM of cardiac Bmi1-deficient mice, we eliminated p16^INK4a expression in the αMHCCre-mediated Bmi1-null background, generating Bmi1^fl/fl;αMHC-Cre^tg/+;p16^INK4a−/− mice and Bmi1^fl/fl;αMHC-Cre^+/+;p16^INK4a−/− littermates. Deletion of p16^INK4a (p16^−/−), with p19ARF expression unaffected³⁸, was neither accompanied by compensatory upregulation of other Polycomb members nor by increase in p53 and p21 senescence markers (Fig. 6f). Moreover, p16^−/− mice with intact Bmi1 (Bmi1^fl/fl;p16^−/−) showed no noticeable adult cardiac abnormalities over the period of study (40 weeks; Fig. 6g–k). Bmi1^fl/fl; αMHC-Cre^tg/+;p16^−/− mice had normal expression levels of the hypertrophy marker Myh7 and the profibrosis factor Tgfβ (Fig. 6f), and their hearts were of near normal size (Fig. 6g,h) and contained CMs of normal cross-sectional area, with no gross evidence of fibrosis (Fig. 6g,i). Bmi1^fl/fl;αMHC-Cre^tg/+;p16^−/− mice also had normal left ventricular wall thickness (Fig. 6j) and significantly improved FS capacity (Fig. 6k). Notably, the deletion of p16 almost completely averted the senescence effect of cardiac Bmi1 deletion, as shown by the normal proportion of CMs exhibiting SA-β-gal activity (14.4% in Bmi1^fl/fl;αMHC-Cre^tg/+;p16^−/− mice and 15.2% in Bmi1^fl/flp16^−/− controls; Fig. 6l–n). Moreover, p16 deletion significantly improved survival of mice lacking Bmi1 (Fig. 6n), suggesting that p16^INK4a is required for the senescence effect in Bmi1-null hearts.

Exposure of an old mouse to the circulation of a young mouse by parabiosis can reverse major effects of age-related cardiac hypertrophy³⁹. Moreover, senescent cells can communicate with their environment in a paracrine manner¹⁷. These observations prompted us to examine the impact of the systemic environment on senescence by surgically conjoining the circulation of Bmi1^f/f;αMHC-Cre^tg/+ and control littermate mice in parabiotic pairs (Fig. 7a). Efficiency of parabiosis was evaluated by using congenic markers to distinguish blood cells in parabiotic pairs, in which one partner was CD45.1⁺ (Supplementary Fig. 3f). The effect of a wild-type circulation on DCM hearts (parabiotic no-DCM/DCM pairs) after 1 month was readily apparent on cardiac histologic sections (Fig. 7b). Masson’s trichrome staining showed a reduction in interstitial cardiac fibrosis in the DCM heart, accompanied by reduced CM size (Fig. 7b). Accordingly, parabiosis reduced the HW/BW ratio and CM cross-sectional area in the DCM heart, whereas isochronic parabiosis (no-DCM/no-DCM or DCM/DCM pairs) had no effect (Fig. 7c,d). Parabiotic exposure of DCM mice to the circulation of healthy non-DCM littermates for 4–5 weeks rescued FS from initial values of 16.0±1.1–24.0±2.4% (Fig. 7e), indicating that the wild-type circulation restores cardiac function of the DCM partner in no-DCM/DCM pairs. These data indicate that factors in the circulation could modify discrete molecular pathways associated with ventricular remodelling and DCM, allowing reversal of the dilated cardiac function. Remarkably, however, DCM-related paracrine senescence factors were not able to transmit the DCM phenotype to healthy mice.

**Figure 7: Paracrine senescence response of Bmi1-related DCM does not transmit to healthy mice.**

Discussion

Here we propose a mechanistic model of how Bmi1 protects from DCM by limiting heart senescence. Absence of cardiac Bmi1 profoundly compromises expression of the senescence marker p16^INK4a in CMs, leading to a cardiac-senescent response caused likely by SASP, which mobilizes the systemic and local tissue milieu for tissue repair and aging^12,40. The detection of senescence factors by neighbouring healthy cells might further drive cellular senescence, thus contributing to a spiral of increasing inflammation and dysfunction that increases the original features of the DCM. The increasing burden of senescent cells might contribute to the early aetiology of DCM and accelerate progression of these age-related cardiac diseases (Fig. 8a). Remarkably, this paracrine nonproliferative senescence phenotype is not propagated between organisms via parabiosis, whereas a healthy circulation is able to reverse CM hypertrophy in mice with DCM. This effect is gender-independent and the reduction in CM size translates into a reduction in global cardiac mass. Factors present in the circulation of healthy mice are thus to some extent able to reverse critical structural and molecular aspects of cardiac aging. Although the full cast of factors involved in the rejuvenation of DCM are yet to be identified, our data provide proof of principle that signals from the systemic environment can override age-related, intrinsic changes in DCM, suggesting that these changes are predominantly epigenetic. In fact, in recent years, emerging evidence indicates that there are factors within the blood of young animals that have the ability to restore youthful characteristics to a number of organ systems in older animals^39,41. These studies offer compelling evidence that effects of aged-associated disease can be reversed.

**Figure 8: A model for the impact of cardiac-specific Bmi1 action.**

Risk assessment in DCM patients is currently limited to echocardiography studies, measurement of haemodynamic parameters and cardiopulmonary exercise performance. Understanding the role of epigenetic regulators in adult cardiac senescence provides a possible route towards more accurate profiling of cardiac dysfunction in dilated cardiomyopathies. Modulation of cardiac senescence response may further provide a novel strategy for treating heart failure, with Bmi1 serving as an attractive target.

Methods

Mice

ckoBmi1^fl/+ mice²⁴ were backcrossed to the C57BL/6 background. Mice used in this study included αMHC-Cre^tg/+ (ref. 26), αMHC^TM-Cre^tg/+ (ref. 27), Nkx2.5-Cre^tg/+ (ref. 25), MLC2-rRTA^tg/+ (ref. 28) and p16^{INK4a −/−} (ref. 38). The αMHC-Cre^tg/+ and αMHC^TM-Cre^tg/+ lines were kindly provided by Dr Redondo, Nkx2.5-Cre^tg/+ by Dr de la Pompa, MLC2-rRTA^tg/+ by Dr Lara-Pezzi and p16^INK4a−/− by Dr Berns. For the generation of tetO-Bmi1^tg/+ mice, Bmi1 cDNA was cloned into the pBS31 vector that included the minimal tetracycline-independent promoter. This Bmi1 vector was coelectroporated together with the vector harbouring FLPe recombinase under the control of the CAGGS promoter into KH2 ES cells (Open Biosystems). All genotyping primers are listed in Supplementary Table 1. All strains were on the C57BL/6J background; male and female mice aged 5–12 weeks were used, in the cases of not indicated. For iBmi1^tg/tg;MLC2^tg/+ and control mice, doxycycline (2 mg ml⁻¹, supplemented with sucrose at 5 mg ml⁻¹) was administrated to mice in drinking water for 2 weeks). The αMHC^TM-Cre line and their control littermates were injected with 1 mg TM (Sigma) in corn coil on five consecutive days. All mice were bred in-house in a pathogen-free environment and were provided with standard care and nutrition according to the EU guidelines. All animal study proposals were approved by the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC). For cardiogenesis studies, hearts at various embryonic stages or post-natal (P) days were collected for RNA/protein analysis or for histology.

Echocardiography and MRI

Echocardiograms were performed on mice anaesthetized with 2.0% isoflurane, using a Vevo 770 High-Resolution In Vivo Micro-Imaging System and RMV 707B Scanhead (VisualSonics Inc). Scans were conducted by two experienced researchers blinded to the mouse genotype. Measurements of left parasternal long and short axes and M-mode (left parasternal short axis) images were obtained at a heart rate of 500–550 bpm. LV end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), LV end-systolic diameter (LVESD) and wall thickness were measured from M-mode tracings, and the average of three consecutive cardiac cycles is reported. The LV fractional shortening percentage was calculated as ([LVEDD−LVESD]/LVEDD) × 100 MRI of lung was performed with a 7-T Agilent scanner (Agilent, Santa Clara, USA) equipped with a DD2 console and an actively shielded gradient set (205/120 insert of maximum 130 mT m⁻¹ gradient strength). For image acquisition, we employed a combination of volume coil/surface coil coil to enhance signal-to-noise ratio formed by a 72-mm inner diameter quadrature birdcage TX coil (Rapid Biomedical GmBH, Germany) and an actively detuning 30-mm flexible customized surface RX coil (Neos Biotec, Pamplona, Spain). Following a tripilot gradient-echo image, a gradient-echo sequence without gating was used to acquire oblique coronal slices (one to two slices) and axial slices (7–10 slices covering the entire lung, 72-s acquisition time per slice) using the following parameters: TR/TE=6.7/2.2 ms, flip angle=10 degree, bandwidth=100 kHz, field of view=3 × 3 cm, matrix=256 × 128, slice thickness=1 mm and number average experiment (Number average EXperiments=60). Mice were anaesthetized with 2% isoflurane and oxygen and positioned on a thermoregulated (38.7 °C) mouse bed. Ophthalmic gel was placed in their eyes to prevent retinal drying.

Human DCM samples

The study population comprised six patients with medically refractory DCM, excluding specifically those patients with the evidence of ischaemic cardiomyopathy or myocarditis. Before cardiac transplantation, patients received a two-stage drug regime designed to avoid deterioration (β1/β2-blocker (carvedilol), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (lisinopril), angiotensin receptor I antagonist (losartan) and aldosterone antagonist (spironolactone)). Patients were subsequently switched to a selective β1 blocker (bisoprolol) and given the β2-agonist, clenbuterol, with a view to stimulate hypertrophy and improve cardiac function. Echocardiography and exercise testing were performed regularly during treatment before transplantation to monitor the recovery process. In addition, four ventricular samples were available for mRNA analysis from donor organs used for transplantation (n=2), and donor organs unsuitable for transplantation (n=2). Data collected from these RNA samples were used in gene expression analyses.

Histology and immunohistochemical analyses

For histological analysis, embryos or heart tissues were fixed in 10% paraformaldehyde (PFA) at the stages indicated in each figure legend, dehydrated and embedded in paraffin for preparation of 5- or 10-μm histological sections. Rehydrated slides were stained with haematoxylin and eosin and Masson’s trichrome. For determination of CM cross-sectional area, deparaffinized and rehydrated heart sections were incubated for 1 h at room temperature with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled wheatgerm agglutinin (Sigma-Aldrich) to visualize myocyte membranes. Regions that included the circular shapes of capillaries were selected from the epicardial side of the LV-free walls. The mean cross-sectional area of CMs was determined from 60 to 80 cells. For fluorescence detection of SA-β-gal activity, cells (10⁷ cell ml⁻¹) were incubated with C₁₂FDG (fluorescein di-β-D-galactopyranoside; 33 μM; Sigma), a β-galactosidase substrate that generates a fluorescent product upon cleavage, for 60 min at 37 °C (ref. 35). Cytochemical detection of senescent cells in vitro was determined in cells and fixed tissues with the Senescence β-Galactosidase Staining Kit (Cell Signaling).

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays

For ChIP analysis, we used sorted 10⁶ cells per condition and added formaldehyde directly to the tissue culture medium to a final concentration of 1% and incubated cultures for 10 min at room temperature on a shaking platform. We stopped the crosslinking by adding glycine to a final concentration of 0.125 M. We washed crosslinked cells twice with cold phosphate-buffered saline and lysed them at a density of 5 × 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹ for 10 min at 4 °C in 1% SDS, 50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.0) and 10 mM EDTA-containing protease inhibitors. We sonicated lysates to obtain chromatin fragments <1 kb and centrifuged them for 15 min in a microfuge at room temperature. We diluted 400 μl of lysate 1:10 with 1.1% Triton-X100, 2 mM EDTA, 150 mM NaCl and 20 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.0) containing protease inhibitors, precleared with 50% salmon sperm DNA and protein A agarose slurry (Upstate). Antibodies used for ChIP assays⁴² were rabbit polyclonal anti-Bmi1, H3K27me3, H2AK119 and H3K4me3 (all from Upstate; 1:2,500). We then added salmon sperm DNA and protein A agarose beads (60 μl) and incubated for 1 h. We washed the immunoprecipitated pellets with 0.1% SDS, 1% Triton-X100, 2 mM EDTA, 20 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.0) and 150 mM NaCl (one wash); 0.1% SDS, 1% Triton-X100, 2 mM EDTA, 20 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.0) and 500 mM NaCl (one wash); 0.25 M LiCl, 1% Nonidet P-40, 1% sodium deoxycholate, 1 mM EDTA and 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0 (one wash); and 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.0) and 1 mM EDTA (two washes). We then eluted the chromatin from the beads twice by incubation with 250 μl 1% SDS and 0.1 M NaHCO₃ during 15 min at room temperature with rotation. After adding 20 μl of 5 M NaCl, we reversed the crosslinks for 4 h at 65 °C. Samples were supplemented with 20 μl of 1 M Tris-HCl (pH 6.5), 10 μl of 0.5 M EDTA, 20 μg of RNase A and 40 μg of proteinase K and incubated for 1 h at 45 °C. DNA from precipitated complexes was amplified using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR). RT–PCR amplifications were performed in triplicate with multiple dilutions, and primer sequences are included in the Supplementary Table 1.

RNA extraction and real-time PCR

Heart tissue samples were stored in RNAlater RNA stabilization reagent (QIAGEN) at 4 °C. Total RNA was extracted using the RNeasy Fibrous Tissue Mini Kit (QIAGEN). First-strand cDNA synthesis was performed with 1 μg of total RNA, random hexamers and SuperScript III Reverse Transcriptase (Invitrogen). Real-time PCR was performed using a QuantiTect SYBR Green PCR kit (QIAGEN) in a Light-Cycler (Roche). The expression level of each gene was normalized to that of 18S rRNA, which served as an endogenous internal control. The primer sequences are available at the Supplementary Table 1.

Cardiac hypertrophy induction

Isoproterenol (60 mg per kg body weight) was administered to 9-week-old mice for 14 days using subdermally implanted ALZET osmotic minipumps. PBS-filled minipumps were used as a control. For TAC surgery, mice (8–10 weeks old, 21–24 g body weight) were anaesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of a mixture of xylazine (5 mg kg⁻¹) and ketamine (100 mg kg⁻¹). The animals were then placed in a supine position, an endotracheal tube was inserted and the animals were ventilated using a volume-cycled rodent ventilator with a tidal volume of 0.4 ml room air and a respiratory rate of 110 breaths per minute. The chest cavity was exposed by cutting open the proximal portion of the sternum. The aortic arch between the innominate and left common carotid arteries was isolated and was constricted with a 7–0 nylon suture tied firmly three times against a 25-gauge blunted needle for LI-TAC or a 27-gauge needle for HI-TAC. Sham-operated mice underwent the same surgical procedure, including isolation of the aorta, but without placement of the suture.

Tgf-β blocking activity assay

DCM mice (Bmi1^flαMHC-Cre^tg/+) received intraperitoneal injections of Tgf-β antibody (10 mg per kg body weight in PBS; AB-100-NA; R&D Systems) every 3 days for 2 weeks before being killed. Control mice were treated with identical doses of rabbit IgG (R&D Systems).

Protein analysis

Antibodies used for western blots were as follows: anti-Bmi1 (Millipore), anti-Ezh2 (Active Motif), anti-aMHC (Millipore), anti-H3K9me3 (Upstate), anti-murine p16 (Santa Cruz Biotechnology), anti-human p16 (Cell Signaling) and anti-β-actin (Sigma; these antibodies were used at 1:500). Secondary antibody was the horseradish peroxidase-linked anti-mouse IgG (Dako; 1:2,500).

Isolation of CMs and cardiac FBs

Cells were isolated from Langendorff heart preparations followed by enzymatic digestion⁴³. For isolation of nonmyocyte-enriched cells, hearts were dissected free of vessels and atria, washed in ice-cold modified Krebs–Henseleit bicarbonate buffer (pH 7.2; Sigma-Aldrich) and rapidly cut into pieces. The heart pieces were incubated in 5 ml of digesting solution (0.25 mg ml⁻¹ Liberase TH (Roche) and 10 mM HEPES in balanced salt solution-containing calcium and magnesium) for 8 min at 37 °C with vigorous stirring. The supernatant was then added to 10 ml of ice-cold Krebs–Henseleit bicarbonate. Five millilitres of fresh digesting solution were added to the remaining tissue fragments, and the digestion and sampling steps were repeated until all the tissues were dissolved. The collected cells were filtered through a 35-μm nylon mesh (BD Falcon) and then used for flow cytometry. Different cellular subsets were incubated with phycoerythrin-conjugated anti-Thy1 antibody (eBioscience), FITC-conjugated anti-CD31 antibody (BD Biosciences) and allophycocyanin-conjugated CD3 antibody (eBioscience), after which they were analysed and sorted on a FACSAria II flow cytometer (BD Biosciences) using the FlowJo softwarem (these antibodies were used at 1:100). For analysis of SA-β-gal expression, cells were stained with the fluorogenic β-galactosidase substrate fluorescein di-β-D-galactopyranoside (1:250).

Cell proliferation

BrdU (Sigma-Aldrich) was injected daily into the peritoneum (100 mg per kg body weight in PBS) for 3 days, with the last injection 2 h before harvesting the hearts. The hearts were fixed in 4% PFA, paraffin-embedded and sectioned. BrdU-positive nuclei were detected with mouse monoclonal anti-BrdU primary antibody (Dako; 1:250) and immunofluorescent staining as described above. BrdU- or Ki67-labelled cells and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)-stained nuclei were counted in nonmyocyte cells from 5 to 10 fields ( × 400 magnification) with focal fibrosis and/or expanded interstitium (identified with wheatgerm agglutinin staining) and in areas with preserved myocardial architecture (for example, absence of both focal fibrosis and expanded interstitium) in 9–15 sections per heart. Myocytes were identified with fluorescent microscopy visualization of sarcomeres. Nuclei of sarcomere-negative cells within interstitial regions were designated as nonmyocyte nuclei. Nuclei were quantified using the ImageJ nucleus counter software. The percentage of proliferating cells was calculated as the number of positive BrdU- or Ki67-labelled nuclei divided by the number of DAPI-stained nuclei.

Parabiosis

Anaesthetized mice were shaved at the corresponding lateral aspects and matching skin incisions were made from the olecranon to the knee joint of each mouse, and the subcutaneous fascia was bluntly dissected to create ~0.5 cm of free skin. The olecranon and knee joints were attached by a single 5–0 polypropylene suture and tie, and the dorsal and ventral skins were approximated by continuous suture. A single dose of flunixin meglumine (Schering-Plough, 1 mg kg⁻¹) was injected subcutaneously into each partner at the end of the surgical procedure. One month after surgery, blood samples were obtained from each of the partners for analysis of haematopoietic progenitors.

Statistical analysis

All data are expressed as the mean±s.d. Paired data were evaluated using Student’s t-test. Survival rates among mice were analysed using the long-rank test. Differences were considered statistically significant at P<0.05.

Additional information

Accession codes: The RNAseq data from mDCM and hDCM samples have been deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus under accession code GSE64391 and GSE65447, respectively

How to cite this article: Gonzalez-Valdes, I. et al. Bmi1 limits dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure by inhibiting cardiac senescence. Nat. Commun. 6:6473 doi: 10.1038/ncomms7473 (2015).

Change history

07 March 2017
This paper has been retracted at the request of the authors.
14 May 2015
In the original version of this Article, the last name of the author Pablo Gómez-del Arco was incorrectly given as Gomez, and the affiliation details were incorrect. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Miguel Torres and Jose Antonio Enriquez for helpful discussions; Rebeca Diges for excellent technical assistance; and Simon Bartlett for text editing. S.G. is funded by the Human Frontiers Science Program Organization and the Spanish Ministries of Economy and Competitiveness (SAF2010-15386 and SAF2013-42252-R). The CNIC is supported by the Ministery of Economy and Competitiveness and the Pro-CNIC Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

Stem Cell Aging Group, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, E-28029, Spain
I. Gonzalez-Valdes, I. Hidalgo, A. Bujarrabal & S. Gonzalez
Molecular Regulation of Heart Development and Disease Group, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, E-28029, Spain
E. Lara-Pezzi & L. Padron-Barthe
Heart Failure and Inherited Cardiac Diseases Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Manuel de Falla, 1, Madrid, E-28222, Spain
L. Padron-Barthe & P. Garcia-Pavia
Gene Regulation in Cardiovascular Remodelling and Inflammation Group, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, E-28029, Spain
Pablo Gómez-del Arco & J.M. Redondo
Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, E28049, Spain
Pablo Gómez-del Arco
Advanced Imaging Unit, Ciber de Enfermedades respiratorias and UCM, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, E-28029, Spain
J.M. Ruiz-Cabello & L.J. Jimenez-Borreguero
Functional Genetics of the Oxidative Phosphorylation System, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, E-28029, Spain
J.A. Enriquez
Intercellular Signaling In Cardiovascular Development and Disease Group, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, E-28029, Spain
J.L. de la Pompa
Imaging the Cardiovascular Inflammation and the Immune Response, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, E-28029, Spain
A. Hidalgo

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I. Gonzalez-Valdes
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Contributions

I.G.-V. has performed most of the experiments; I.H., L.P.-B., P.G., J.M.R. and A.B. have contributed to data analysis and discussion of the paper; J.M.R.-C., L.J.J.-B. have performed the imaging data; P.G.-P. and E.L.-P. have contributed with the samples of DCM patients; J.A.E., J.L.d.l.P. and A.H. have supervised the data analysis; S.G. designed and supervised the study and wrote the paper.

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Correspondence to S. Gonzalez.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary Figures and Supplementary Table

Supplementary Figures 1-3 and Supplementary Table 1 (PDF 684 kb)

Supplementary Data 1

The supplementary dataset shows 2435 genes differentially expressed between heart samples of dilated cardiomyopathy-diagnosed patients (who had undergone heart transplant; hDCM) and healthy control patients, as well as 649 genes differentially expressed from heart samples of Bmi1f/f;aMHCTM-Cretg/+ and controls mice (17 weeks postinduction; mDCM). (XLS 583 kb)

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Gonzalez-Valdes, I., Hidalgo, I., Bujarrabal, A. et al. Bmi1 limits dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure by inhibiting cardiac senescence. Nat Commun 6, 6473 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7473

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Received: 26 August 2014
Accepted: 30 January 2015
Published: 09 March 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7473

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