Cardiomyocyte caveolae govern myocardial function and sex-dependent regulation of ventricular compliance and resilience via cavin-1

Quick, B. T.; Khoo, H. Y.; Bishop, T.; Russell, J. S.; Niogret, S.; Outhwaite, J. E.; Ho, U.; Griffiths, L. J.; Lu, Z.; Rae, J.; Palpant, N.; Parton, R. G.; Thomas, W. G.; Headrick, J. P.; Reichelt, M. E.

doi:10.64898/2026.04.17.717104

bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.04.17.717104

Cardiomyocyte caveolae govern myocardial function and sex-dependent regulation of ventricular compliance and resilience via cavin-1

Quick, B. T.·Khoo, H. Y.·Bishop, T.·Russell, J. S.·Niogret, S.·Outhwaite, J. E.·Ho, U.·Griffiths, L. J.·Lu, Z.·Rae, J.·Palpant, N.·Parton, R. G.·Thomas, W. G.·Headrick, J. P.·Reichelt, M. E.

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Abstract

AimsCaveolae are plasmalemmal microdomains regulating stretch-dependent, nitric oxide (NO), and other signalling pathways governing myocardial structure, function and resilience. We have reported that global deletion of the scaffold protein cavin-1 disrupts caveolar biogenesis and impairs ventricular compliance and tolerance to ischaemic injury. However, cardiomyocyte-specific and sex-dependent roles of cavin-1 and caveolar complexes remain unresolved. Methods and ResultsWe generated a floxed Cavin-1 transgenic mouse, enabling cardiomyocyte-specific knockdown via adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediated expression of iCre recombinase driven by a cardiac-specific troponin T promoter. Knockdown was confirmed by RNA, protein, and immunofluorescence analyses, and cardiac function was assessed via echocardiography, left ventricular pressure-volume (PV) catheterisation, and ex vivo PV analysis of perfused hearts. Conditionally deleted hearts and myocytes exhibited up to 50% knockdown of Cavin-1 mRNA together with 15% deficiency in muscle-specific Caveolin-3, 70% depletion of caveolae, and mislocalisation of NO synthase (NOS) within cardiomyocytes. This was associated with elevated heart rate and shortened PR interval; reduced intraventricular and systolic blood pressures and peripheral resistance; and sex-dependent impairment of ventricular filling (females only). Diastolic dysfunction was detectable ex vivo, to a greater extent in male vs. female hearts. Mechanisms were sex-dependent, linked to interstitial fibrosis in females and NOS overactivity (inhibited by 100 {micro}M L-NAME) in males. Female hearts also exhibited increased susceptibility to ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Coronary function appeared preserved in both sexes, with intact reactive hyperaemic responses. ConclusionThis model identifies cardiomyocyte caveolae and cavin-1 as key determinants of myocardial function and compliance, involving sex-dependent remodelling and NOS signalling. By linking cardiomyocyte disruption to whole-organ and -body dysfunction, this model provides mechanistic insight into impaired function in heart failure and ageing. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=117 SRC="FIGDIR/small/717104v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (37K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@51bfe4org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@10d4323org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1b2baa7org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@fc5f21_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

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Quick, B. T., Khoo, H. Y., Bishop, T., Russell, J. S., Niogret, S., Outhwaite, J. E., Ho, U., Griffiths, L. J., Lu, Z., Rae, J., Palpant, N., Parton, R. G., Thomas, W. G., Headrick, J. P., Reichelt, M. E.. 2026-04-21. Cardiomyocyte caveolae govern myocardial function and sex-dependent regulation of ventricular compliance and resilience via cavin-1. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.17.717104

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