The Role of CD147 in Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy Is Regulated by Glycosylation

CD147, also known as EMMPRIN or basigin, is a transmembrane glycoprotein receptor that activates matrix metalloproteinases and promotes inflammation. CD147 function is regulated by posttranslational modifications of which glycosylation has attracted the most attention. In this study, we demonstrated that glycosylated CD147 was the dominant form in heart tissue, and its levels were markedly elevated in response to transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Adeno-associated virus 9-mediated, cardiac-specific overexpression of wild-type CD147 in mice significantly promoted pressure overload-induced pathological cardiac remodeling accompanied by augmented oxidative stress and ferroptosis. By contrast, mutations of CD147 glycosylation sites notably weakened these detrimental effects of CD147. Mechanistically, CD147 exacerbated TAC-induced pathological cardiac remodeling via direct binding with the adaptor molecule TRAF2 and subsequent activation of TAK1 signalling, which was dependent on glycosylation of CD147. Collectively, our findings provide the first evidence that CD147 promoted pathological cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in a glycosylation-dependent manner through binding the adaptor protein TRAF2 and activating the downstream TRAF2-TAK1 signalling pathway. Thus, glycosylation of CD147 may be a potent interventional target for heart failure treatment.