Melusin: A cardioprotective chaperone able to modulate lipid metabolism and ROS production in the heart

Melusin is a small-chaperone protein, selectively expressed in the heart and skeletal muscles. In the heart, melusin plays a broad protective role, protecting cardiomyocytes from apoptotic death and sustaining the compensatory myocardial hypertrophy. We recently demonstrated that melusin is able to regulate the activity of the mitochondrial trifunctional protein (MTP), the protein complex responsible for fatty acids β-oxidation in mitochondria, modulating the cardiac metabolism in physiologic and stressconditions. We analyzed the myocardial metabolism and the redox state of mitochondria in mice null and transgenic for melusin in physiologic condition and under stress, induced by transverse aortic constriction or injection of doxorubicin. Our results suggest that melusin is able to balance the lipid metabolism and the ROS production in the heart, ameliorating the cardiac response to stress stimuli. Further studies may allow to find new therapeutic targets and approaches eligible for the treatment of cardiac diseases.