Distinct Effects of Rap1 Subtype A GTPase Deficiency on the Male Mouse Heart

This study utilized a genetically engineered mouse model deficient in the small GTPase Rap1A (knockout/Rap1A-null) to understand the biological role of Rap1A in the heart. We examined differential protein expression in the left ventricle of Rap1A-null versus wild-type control C57BL/6 male mice (~5 months) using proteomics (nanoLC-MS/MS quantitative analysis), and in the whole heart of aged male mice (~16 months) using MAL-DI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. Additionally, we used an experimental model of acute cardiovascular stress and assessed the impact on heart tissue histology, gene expression and mortality risk. Rap1A-deficient hearts showed reduced size and reduced heart and left ventricular weights. Significantly reduced gene expression of extracellular matrix collagen type I and collagen type III was present under baseline and cardiovascular stress conditions. Assessment of the proteomic profile identified a crucial role of Rap1A in promoting healthy ventricular myocardium, as its deficiency exhibited increased impact on cytoskeletal, mitochondrial, metabolic and contractile protein expression in young and aged mice. In young Rap1A-deficient mice, overrepresentation analysis revealed markers myosin heavy chain 7 (β-MHC) and alpha-actinin-2 (α-actinin-2) associated with cardiomyopathies, and upon cardiac stress, showed mortality risk compared to controls. Altogether, these findings provide important insights into the role of Rap1A in cardiac structure and remodeling under basal and stress conditions in male mice.