Thirty years of research on atrial natriuretic factor: historical background and emerging concepts

The discovery of the natriuretic properties of atrial muscle extracts pointed to the existence of an endocrine function of the heart that is now known to be mediated by the polypeptide hormones atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). On the basis of such a finding, approximately 27 000 publications to date have described a wide variety of biological properties of the heart hormones as well as their application as therapeutic agents and biomarkers of cardiac disease. Stimulation of secretion of ANF and BNP from the atria is mediated through mechanisms involving G proteins of the G(q) or G(o) types. We showed that the latter type underlies the transduction of muscle stretch into stimulated secretion and that it is more highly abundant in atria than in ventricles. The Gα(o)()-1 subunit appears to play a key role in the biogenesis of atrial granules and in the intracellular targeting of their contents. Protein interaction studies using a yeast two-hybrid approach showed interactions between Gα(o)()-1, proANF, and the intermediate conductance, calcium-activated K(+) channel SK4. Pharmacological inhibition of this channel decreases ANF secretion. Unpublished studies using in vitro knockdowns suggest interdependency in granule protein expression levels. These studies suggest previously unknown mechanisms of intracellular targeting and secretion control of the heart hormones that may find an application in the therapeutic manipulation of circulating ANF and BNP.