Towards understanding the role of Receptor Expression Enhancing Protein 5 (REEP5) in cardiac muscle and beyond

The sarco-endoplasmic reticulum (SR/ER) is the largest membrane-bound organelle in eukaryotic cells and plays important roles in essential cellular processes, and in development and progression of many cardiac diseases. However, many aspects of its structural organization remain largely unknown, particularly in cells with a highly differentiated SR/ER network. In a recently published study led by Lee et al. (Nat Commun 11(1):965), we reported a cardiac enriched SR/ER membrane protein REEP5 that is centrally involved in regulating SR/ER organization and cellular stress responses in cardiac myocytes. In vitro REEP5 depletion in mouse cardiac myocytes resulted in SR/ER membrane destabilization and luminal vacuolization along with decreased myocyte contractility and disrupted Ca(2+) cycling. Further, in vivo CRISPR/Cas9-mediated REEP5 loss-of-function zebrafish mutants showed sensitized cardiac dysfunction to heart failure induction upon short-term verapamil treatment. Additionally, in vivo adeno-associated viral (AAV9)-induced REEP5 depletion in the mouse demonstrated cardiac dysfunction with dilated cardiac chambers, increased cardiac fibrosis, and reduced ejection fraction. These results demonstrate the critical role of REEP5 in SR/ER organization and function.