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Pathogenic variants in TNNC2 cause congenital myopathy due to an impaired force response to calcium
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Pathogenic variants in TNNC2 cause congenital myopathy due to an impaired force response to calcium

Steven A Moore, Martijn van de Locht, Sandra Donkervoort, Josine M de Winter, Stefan Conijn, Leon Begthel, Benno Kusters, Payam Mohassel, Ying Hu, Livija Medne, …
The Journal of clinical investigation, Vol.131(9), pp.1-16
05/03/2021
DOI: 10.1172/JCI145700
PMCID: PMC8087209
PMID: 33755597
url
https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI145700View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Troponin C (TnC) is a critical regulator of skeletal muscle contraction; it binds Ca2+ to activate muscle contraction. Surprisingly, the gene encoding fast skeletal TnC (TNNC2) has not yet been implicated in muscle disease. Here, we report 2 families with pathogenic variants in TNNC2. Patients present with a distinct, dominantly inherited congenital muscle disease. Molecular dynamics simulations suggested that the pathomechanisms by which the variants cause muscle disease include disruption of the binding sites for Ca2+ and for troponin I. In line with these findings, physiological studies in myofibers isolated from patients' biopsies revealed a markedly reduced force response of the sarcomeres to [Ca2+]. This pathomechanism was further confirmed in experiments in which contractile dysfunction was evoked by replacing TnC in myofibers from healthy control subjects with recombinant, mutant TnC. Conversely, the contractile dysfunction of myofibers from patients was repaired by replacing endogenous, mutant TnC with recombinant, wild-type TnC. Finally, we tested the therapeutic potential of the fast skeletal muscle troponin activator tirasemtiv in patients' myofibers and showed that the contractile dysfunction was repaired. Thus, our data reveal that pathogenic variants in TNNC2 cause congenital muscle disease, and they provide therapeutic angles to repair muscle contractility.
Genetics Calcium signaling Muscle Biology Neuromuscular disease Genetic diseases

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