This review highlights the emerging role of titin beyond its mechanical function, acting as a key regulatory node for signaling, gene regulation, and protein quality control in cardiomyocytes.
Titin, the largest protein in the human body, is well known as a molecular spring in muscle cells and scaffold protein aiding myofibrillar assembly. However, recent evidence has established another important role for titin: that of a regulatory node integrating, and perhaps coordinating, diverse signaling pathways, particularly in cardiomyocytes. We review key findings within this emerging field, including those related to phosphorylation of the titin springs, and also discuss how titin participates in hypertrophic gene regulation and protein quality control.
Krüger et al. (2011) studied this question.