Cardiomyocyte‐Enriched USP20 Ameliorates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy by Targeting STAT3 Deubiquitination

Abstract Although pathological cardiac hypertrophy is a key driver of heart failure, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. This study investigates the role and mechanism of deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) ubiquitin‐specific protease 20 (USP20) in cardiac hypertrophy. Transcriptomic...

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Main Authors: Lingfeng Zhong, Shanshan Dai, Fan Yu, Guo‐Ping Shi, Qinyan Gong, Yucong Zhang, Jingsi Duan, Zhengyin Lou, Zhixuan Tang, Fuzhe Gong, Derong Chen, Liya Hou, Xinyang Hu, Jinghai Chen, Jian'an Wang, Deling Yin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-06-01
Series:Advanced Science
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202416478
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author Lingfeng Zhong
Shanshan Dai
Fan Yu
Guo‐Ping Shi
Qinyan Gong
Yucong Zhang
Jingsi Duan
Zhengyin Lou
Zhixuan Tang
Fuzhe Gong
Derong Chen
Liya Hou
Xinyang Hu
Jinghai Chen
Jian'an Wang
Deling Yin
author_facet Lingfeng Zhong
Shanshan Dai
Fan Yu
Guo‐Ping Shi
Qinyan Gong
Yucong Zhang
Jingsi Duan
Zhengyin Lou
Zhixuan Tang
Fuzhe Gong
Derong Chen
Liya Hou
Xinyang Hu
Jinghai Chen
Jian'an Wang
Deling Yin
author_sort Lingfeng Zhong
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Although pathological cardiac hypertrophy is a key driver of heart failure, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. This study investigates the role and mechanism of deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) ubiquitin‐specific protease 20 (USP20) in cardiac hypertrophy. Transcriptomic profiling of hypertrophic hearts shows significant alterations in the expression of DUBs, including a remarkable downregulation of USP20. USP20 is predominantly expressed in cardiomyocytes. Co‐immunoprecipitation (Co‐IP) followed by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) is used to identify USP20 substrates. Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation assay (CUT&Tag) sequencing is employed to identify downstream targets of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Functionally, USP20 deficiency exacerbates cardiac hypertrophy induced by either angiotensin II (Ang II) or transverse aortic constriction (TAC), whereas USP20 overexpression alleviates hypertrophic responses. Mechanistically, USP20 deubiquitinates STAT3 by removing K63‐linked ubiquitin chains at K177 via its H645 active site, reducing STAT3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. This inhibites STAT3's transcriptional activity at coactivator‐associated arginine methyltransfer (Carm1) promoter, leading to upregulated CARM1 expression and mitigated hypertrophy. Importantly, the STAT3 inhibitor Stattic confirms STAT3 serves as a key substrate mediating the cardiac protective effects of USP20. These findings unveil a novel USP20/STAT3/CARM1 axis in cardiomyocytes and reveal its therapeutic potential for cardiac hypertrophy.
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spelling doaj-art-3ccdffc4b30b4c18b84f0a8f09ff7a2b2025-08-20T02:36:40ZengWileyAdvanced Science2198-38442025-06-011223n/an/a10.1002/advs.202416478Cardiomyocyte‐Enriched USP20 Ameliorates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy by Targeting STAT3 DeubiquitinationLingfeng Zhong0Shanshan Dai1Fan Yu2Guo‐Ping Shi3Qinyan Gong4Yucong Zhang5Jingsi Duan6Zhengyin Lou7Zhixuan Tang8Fuzhe Gong9Derong Chen10Liya Hou11Xinyang Hu12Jinghai Chen13Jian'an Wang14Deling Yin15Department of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou 310009 ChinaThe Key Laboratory of Emergency and Disaster Medicine of Wenzhou Department of Emergency The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Wenzhou 325000 ChinaDepartment of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou 310009 ChinaDepartment of Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, NRB‐7 Boston MA 02115 USADepartment of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou 310009 ChinaDepartment of Cardiology of First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Wenzhou 325000 ChinaDepartment of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou 310009 ChinaDepartment of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou 310009 ChinaDepartment of Cardiology of First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Wenzhou 325000 ChinaDepartment of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou 310009 ChinaDepartment of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou 310009 ChinaDepartment of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou 310009 ChinaDepartment of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou 310009 ChinaDepartment of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou 310009 ChinaDepartment of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou 310009 ChinaDepartment of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou 310009 ChinaAbstract Although pathological cardiac hypertrophy is a key driver of heart failure, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. This study investigates the role and mechanism of deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) ubiquitin‐specific protease 20 (USP20) in cardiac hypertrophy. Transcriptomic profiling of hypertrophic hearts shows significant alterations in the expression of DUBs, including a remarkable downregulation of USP20. USP20 is predominantly expressed in cardiomyocytes. Co‐immunoprecipitation (Co‐IP) followed by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) is used to identify USP20 substrates. Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation assay (CUT&Tag) sequencing is employed to identify downstream targets of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Functionally, USP20 deficiency exacerbates cardiac hypertrophy induced by either angiotensin II (Ang II) or transverse aortic constriction (TAC), whereas USP20 overexpression alleviates hypertrophic responses. Mechanistically, USP20 deubiquitinates STAT3 by removing K63‐linked ubiquitin chains at K177 via its H645 active site, reducing STAT3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. This inhibites STAT3's transcriptional activity at coactivator‐associated arginine methyltransfer (Carm1) promoter, leading to upregulated CARM1 expression and mitigated hypertrophy. Importantly, the STAT3 inhibitor Stattic confirms STAT3 serves as a key substrate mediating the cardiac protective effects of USP20. These findings unveil a novel USP20/STAT3/CARM1 axis in cardiomyocytes and reveal its therapeutic potential for cardiac hypertrophy.https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202416478cardiac hypertrophycardiomyocytedeubiquitinating enzymesignal transducer and activator of transcription 3ubiquitin‐specific protease 20
spellingShingle Lingfeng Zhong
Shanshan Dai
Fan Yu
Guo‐Ping Shi
Qinyan Gong
Yucong Zhang
Jingsi Duan
Zhengyin Lou
Zhixuan Tang
Fuzhe Gong
Derong Chen
Liya Hou
Xinyang Hu
Jinghai Chen
Jian'an Wang
Deling Yin
Cardiomyocyte‐Enriched USP20 Ameliorates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy by Targeting STAT3 Deubiquitination
Advanced Science
cardiac hypertrophy
cardiomyocyte
deubiquitinating enzyme
signal transducer and activator of transcription 3
ubiquitin‐specific protease 20
title Cardiomyocyte‐Enriched USP20 Ameliorates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy by Targeting STAT3 Deubiquitination
title_full Cardiomyocyte‐Enriched USP20 Ameliorates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy by Targeting STAT3 Deubiquitination
title_fullStr Cardiomyocyte‐Enriched USP20 Ameliorates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy by Targeting STAT3 Deubiquitination
title_full_unstemmed Cardiomyocyte‐Enriched USP20 Ameliorates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy by Targeting STAT3 Deubiquitination
title_short Cardiomyocyte‐Enriched USP20 Ameliorates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy by Targeting STAT3 Deubiquitination
title_sort cardiomyocyte enriched usp20 ameliorates pathological cardiac hypertrophy by targeting stat3 deubiquitination
topic cardiac hypertrophy
cardiomyocyte
deubiquitinating enzyme
signal transducer and activator of transcription 3
ubiquitin‐specific protease 20
url https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202416478
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