scholarly journals The effects of phosphorylation of smooth-muscle caldesmon

1987 ◽  
Vol 244 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
P K Ngai ◽  
M P Walsh

Caldesmon is a major calmodulin- and actin-binding protein of smooth muscle which interacts with calmodulin in a Ca2+-dependent manner or with actin in a Ca2+-independent manner. Isolated caldesmon is capable of inhibiting the actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase of smooth-muscle myosin, suggesting a possible physiological role for caldesmon in regulating the contractile state of smooth-muscle. Caldesmon can be phosphorylated in vitro by a co-purifying Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase and dephosphorylated by a protein phosphatase, both of which are present in smooth muscle. We investigated further the phosphorylation of caldesmon and the effects which phosphorylation has on the functional properties of the protein. The kinetics of caldesmon phosphorylation were similar whether the caldesmon substrate was free or bound to actin, actin/tropomyosin or thin filaments. Caldesmon containing endogenous kinase activity was rapidly phosphorylated (to approx. 1 mol of Pi/mol of caldesmon in 5 min) when reconstituted with actin, myosin, tropomyosin, calmodulin and myosin light-chain kinase in the presence of Ca2+ and MgATP2-. Under conditions in which unphosphorylated caldesmon showed substantial inhibition of the actin-activated myosin Mg2+-ATPase, no inhibition was observed with phosphorylated caldesmon. This was the case whether caldesmon was phosphorylated before addition to the actomyosin Mg2+-ATPase system, or phosphorylation was allowed to take place during the ATPase reaction. Binding studies revealed maximal binding of 1 mol of unphosphorylated caldesmon/9.5 mol of actin and 1 mol of phosphorylated caldesmon/11.7 mol of actin. All the bound phosphorylated caldesmon could be released by Ca2+/calmodulin, with half-maximal release at 0.11 microM-Ca2+, whereas only 62% of the bound unphosphorylated caldesmon could be removed, with half-maximal release at 0.16 microM-Ca2+. However, under conditions in which inhibition of actomyosin Mg2+-ATPase activity by non-phosphorylated but not by phosphorylated caldesmon was observed, both forms of caldesmon would remain bound to the thin filament. These observations suggest a possible mechanism whereby caldesmon phosphorylation may prevent its inhibitory action on the actomyosin Mg2+-ATPase.

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 195-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mechthild M. Schroeter ◽  
Brent Beall ◽  
Hans W. Heid ◽  
Joseph M. Chalovich

An analysis of the primary structure of the actin-binding protein fesselin revealed it to be the avian homologue of mammalian synaptopodin 2 [Schroeter, Beall, Heid, and Chalovich (2008) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 371, 582–586]. We isolated two synaptopodin 2 isoforms from rabbit stomach that corresponded to known types of human synaptopodin 2. The purification scheme used was that developed for avian fesselin. These synaptopodin 2 forms shared several key functions with fesselin. Both avian fesselin and mammalian synaptopodin 2 bound to Ca2+–calmodulin, α-actinin and smooth-muscle myosin. In addition, both proteins stimulated the polymerization of actin in a Ca2+–calmodulin-dependent manner. Synaptopodin 2 has never before been shown to polymerize actin in the absence of α-actinin, to polymerize actin in a Ca2+–calmodulin-dependent manner, or to bind to Ca2+–calmodulin or myosin. These properties are consistent with the proposed function of synaptopodin 2 in organizing the cytoskeleton.


1994 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 1007-1018
Author(s):  
R.I. Clyman ◽  
J. Tannenbaum ◽  
Y.Q. Chen ◽  
D. Cooper ◽  
P.D. Yurchenco ◽  
...  

During permanent closure of the ductus arteriosus, smooth muscle cells migrate through the extracellular matrix (ECM) to form intimal mounds that occlude the vessel's lumen. Smooth muscle cells (SMC) migrate over surfaces coated with collagen in vitro. During the migration SMC also synthesize fibronectin (FN) and laminin (LN). Antibodies against FN and LN inhibit migration on collagen by 30% and 67%, respectively. Because of the apparent importance of LN in migration, we examined how SMC interact with LN and LN fragments (P1, E8, P1′, E1′, E3, E4, and G). Ductus SMC adhere to high concentrations of LN and two fragments of the molecule: P1 and E8. They use a unique set of integrin receptors to bind to LN (alpha 1 beta 1, alpha 6 beta 1 and alpha v beta 3), to P1 (alpha 1 beta 1, alpha v beta 3), and to E8 (alpha 6 beta 1, alpha v beta 3). The alpha v beta 3 integrin binds to the P1 fragment of LN in an RGD peptide-dependent manner, and to the E8 fragment in an RGD-independent manner; the RGD site on the P1 fragment probably is not available to the cell in intact LN. Antibodies against beta 1 integrins completely inhibit SMC adhesion to LN; antibodies against the alpha v beta 3 integrin do not block SMC adhesion to LN, but do prevent cell spreading. LN is also capable of interfering with SMC adhesion to other ECM components. The antiadhesive effect of LN is located in the E1′ domain. Both exogenous and endogenous LN increase SMC motility on collagen I. The locomotion-promoting activity of LN resides in the E1′ antiadhesive domain, and not in its adhesive (P1, E8) domains. LN causes a decrease in the number of focal contacts on collagen I. This might enable SMC to alter their mobility as they move through the extracellular matrix to occlude the ductus arteriosus lumen.


1993 ◽  
Vol 265 (5) ◽  
pp. C1371-C1378 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. Walsh ◽  
J. D. Carmichael ◽  
G. J. Kargacin

Calponin isolated from chicken gizzard smooth muscle binds in vitro to actin in a Ca(2+)-independent manner and thereby inhibits the actin-activated Mg(2+)-adenosinetriphosphatase of smooth muscle myosin. This inhibition is relieved when calponin is phosphorylated by protein kinase C or Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, suggesting that calponin is involved in thin filament-associated regulation of smooth muscle contraction. To further examine this possibility, calponin was isolated from toad stomach smooth muscle, characterized biochemically, and localized in intact isolated cells. Toad stomach calponin had the same basic biochemical properties as calponin from other sources. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that calponin in intact smooth muscle cells was localized to long filamentous structures that were colabeled by antibodies to actin or tropomyosin. Preservation of the basic biochemical properties of calponin from species to species suggests that these properties are relevant for its in vivo function. Its colocalization with actin and tropomyosin indicates that calponin is associated with the thin filament in intact smooth muscle cells.


2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 4720-4735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alistair N. Hume ◽  
Abul K. Tarafder ◽  
José S. Ramalho ◽  
Elena V. Sviderskaya ◽  
Miguel C. Seabra

Melanophilin (Mlph) regulates retention of melanosomes at the peripheral actin cytoskeleton of melanocytes, a process essential for normal mammalian pigmentation. Mlph is proposed to be a modular protein binding the melanosome-associated protein Rab27a, Myosin Va (MyoVa), actin, and microtubule end-binding protein (EB1), via distinct N-terminal Rab27a-binding domain (R27BD), medial MyoVa-binding domain (MBD), and C-terminal actin-binding domain (ABD), respectively. We developed a novel melanosome transport assay using a Mlph-null cell line to study formation of the active Rab27a:Mlph:MyoVa complex. Recruitment of MyoVa to melanosomes correlated with rescue of melanosome transport and required intact R27BD together with MBD exon F–binding region (EFBD) and unexpectedly a potential coiled-coil forming sequence within ABD. In vitro binding studies indicate that the coiled-coil region enhances binding of MyoVa by Mlph MBD. Other regions of Mlph reported to interact with MyoVa globular tail, actin, or EB1 are not essential for melanosome transport rescue. The strict correlation between melanosomal MyoVa recruitment and rescue of melanosome distribution suggests that stable interaction with Mlph and MyoVa activation are nondissociable events. Our results highlight the importance of the coiled-coil region together with R27BD and EFBD regions of Mlph in the formation of the active melanosomal Rab27a-Mlph-MyoVa complex.


Zygote ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carsten Krischek ◽  
Burkhard Meinecke

In the present study the effects of roscovitine on the in vitro nuclear maturation of porcine oocytes were investigated. Roscovitine, a specific inhibitor of cyclin-dependent protein kinases, prevented chromatin condensation in a concentration-dependent manner. This inhibition was reversible and was accompanied by non-activation of p34cdc2/histone H1 kinase. It also decreased enzyme activity of MAP kinase, suggesting a correlation between histone H1 kinase activation and the onset of chromatin condensation. The addition of roscovitine (50 μM) to extracts of metaphase II oocytes revealed that the MAP kinase activity was not directly affected by roscovitine, which indicates a possible link between histone H1 and MAP kinase. Chromatin condensation occurred between 20 and 28 h of culture of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) in inhibitor-free medium (germinal vesicle stage I, GV1: 74.6% and 13.7%, respectively). Nearly the same proportion of chromatin condensation was detected in COCs incubated initially in inhibitor-free medium for 20-28 h and subsequently in roscovitine-supplemented medium (50 μM) for a further 2-10 h (GV I: 76.2% and 18.8%, respectively). This observation indicates that roscovitine prevents chromatin condensation even after an initial inhibitor-free cultivation for 20 h. Extending this initial incubation period to ≥22 h led to an activation of histone H1 and MAP kinase and increasing proportions of oocytes exhibiting chromatin condensation in the presence of roscovitine. It is concluded that histone H1 kinase is involved in the induction of chromatin condensation during in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes.


1985 ◽  
Vol 68 (s10) ◽  
pp. 147s-150s ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Thom ◽  
J. Calvete ◽  
R. Hayes ◽  
G. Martin ◽  
P. Sever

1. The effects of compounds with α2-agonist and α2-antagonist properties on human forearm blood flow and on isolated human arterial segments have been studied. 2. The findings from these studies in vivo and in vitro did not provide evidence in support of the hypothesis that postsynaptic α2-receptors mediate smooth muscle contraction in the tissues under investigation. 3. The constriction of the forearm vascular bed in response to low intra-arterial doses of idazoxan (RX 781094), an α2-antagonist, provides evidence for a physiological role for a presynaptic α2 autoregulatory mechanism. 4. The variability of the forearm vascular responses to higher doses of idazoxan highlights the pitfalls that may have misled previous authors in their interpretation of the results of similar studies. A U-shaped dose-response curve to compounds with mixed α2-and α1-antagonist properties may be constructed, which emphasizes the importance of the dose-dependent selectivity of these antagonists at α2- and α1-receptors. 5. The effect of idazoxan on the responses of arterial segments in vitro to exogenous catecholamines was dependent on the integrity of the endothelium, and provides evidence that α2-receptors may mediate release of the endothelium-derived relaxing factor.


2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 1301-1317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongmei Li ◽  
Xian Wang ◽  
Anlong Xu

Background/Aims: Approximately 10%-20% of patients with acute cardiovascular disease who have received coronary intervention suffer restenosis and high inflammation. The stent compound paclitaxel+hirudin was prepared for the treatment of post-intervention restenosis. This study aimed to explore the anti-inflammatory and anti-restenosis mechanisms of paclitaxel+hirudin with regard to the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. Methods: Human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs) at 4-6 generations after in vitro culture were used as a model. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used as an inducer to maximally activate the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB inflammation pathway. After MyD88 knockdown and selective blocking of MyD88 degradation with epoxomicin, the effects of paclitaxel+hirudin stenting on key sites of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway were detected using ELISA, Q-PCR, and western blot analysis. Results: LPS at 1 μg/mL for 48 h was the optimal modeling condition for inflammatory activation of HCASMCs. Paclitaxel+hirudin inhibited the levels of key proteins and the gene expression, except for that of the MyD88 gene, of the TLR4-MyD88 pathway. The trend of the effect of paclitaxel+hirudin on the pathway proteins was similar to that of MyD88 knockdown. After epoxomicin intervention, the inhibitory effects of paclitaxel+hirudin on the key genes and proteins of the TLR4-MyD88 pathway were significantly weakened, which even reached pre-intervention levels. Paclitaxel+hirudin affected the MyD88 protein in a dosage-dependent manner. Conclusion: The paclitaxel+hirudin compound promotes MyD88 degradation in the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway to reduce the activity of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 and to weaken the LPS-initiated inflammatory reactions of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α.


2013 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Gnus ◽  
Albert Czerski ◽  
Stanisław Ferenc ◽  
Wojciech Zawadzki ◽  
Wojciech Witkiewicz ◽  
...  

Investigation of the effect of α1-adrenergic receptor subtypes on the contraction of the abdominal aorta will allow for more effective treatment of hypertension by use of selective antagonists. The aim of the study was to evaluate the participation of α1-adrenergic receptor subtypes in the contractility of the aortic smooth muscle cells in rabbits. The in vitro experiments were performed in isolated tissue preparations from 30 adult female New Zealand rabbits. The abdominal aortic sections were placed in organ bath chambers and contracted with increasing doses of non-selective α1-adrenergic receptor agonist phenylephrine without pre-incubation or after incubation in α1-adrenergic receptor subtype-selective or non-selective antagonists. Separate sections were incubated with increasing concentrations of antagonists. Phenylephrine caused maximal rise in arterial smooth muscle tone to 4.75 ± 0.47 mN. The most potent in blocking phenylephrine induced contraction was 5-metylurapidil (α1A-adrenergic receptor antagonist) followed by phentolamine and prazosin (non-selective α1-adrenergic receptor antagonists); BMY 7378 (α1D-adrenergic receptor antagonist), cyclazosin and L-765.314 (α1B-adrenergic receptor antagonists) were less effective. All antagonists, except BMY 7378 elicited relaxation of non-precontracted aorta in dose dependent manner. Our results indicate that postsynaptic α1A receptors are the most potent in producing rabbit abdominal aorta contraction, while α1B and α1D subtypes are less effective.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
An Liu ◽  
Wenyuan Shi ◽  
Dongdong Lin ◽  
Haihui Ye

C-type allatostatins (C-type ASTs) are a family of structurally related neuropeptides found in a wide range of insects and crustaceans. To date, the C-type allatostatin receptor in crustaceans has not been deorphaned, and little is known about its physiological functions. In this study, we aimed to functionally define a C-type ASTs receptor in the mud crab, Scylla paramamosian. We showed that C-type ASTs receptor can be activated by ScypaAST-C peptide in a dose-independent manner and by ScypaAST-CCC peptide in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 6.683 nM. Subsequently, in vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to investigate the potential roles of ScypaAST-C and ScypaAST-CCC peptides in the regulation of ecdysone (20E) and methyl farnesoate (MF) biosynthesis. The results indicated that ScypaAST-C inhibited biosynthesis of 20E in the Y-organ, whereas ScypaAST-CCC had no effect on the production of 20E. In addition, qRT-PCR showed that both ScypaAST-C and ScypaAST-CCC significantly decreased the level of expression of the MF biosynthetic enzyme gene in the mandibular organ, suggesting that the two neuropeptides have a negative effect on the MF biosynthesis in mandibular organs. In conclusion, this study provided new insight into the physiological roles of AST-C in inhibiting ecdysone biosynthesis. Furthermore, it was revealed that AST-C family peptides might inhibit MF biosynthesis in crustaceans.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (13) ◽  
pp. 5339-5354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joerg Kahle ◽  
Matthias Baake ◽  
Detlef Doenecke ◽  
Werner Albig

ABSTRACT The transcriptional activator NF-Y is a heterotrimeric complex composed of NF-YA, NF-YB, and NF-YC, which specifically binds the CCAAT consensus present in about 30% of eukaryotic promoters. All three subunits contain evolutionarily conserved core regions, which comprise a histone fold motif (HFM) in the case of NF-YB and NF-YC. Our results of in vitro binding studies and nuclear import assays reveal two different transport mechanisms for NF-Y subunits. While NF-YA is imported by an importin β-mediated pathway, the NF-YB/NF-YC heterodimer is translocated into the nucleus in an importin 13-dependent manner. We define a nonclassical nuclear localization signal (ncNLS) in NF-YA, and mutational analysis indicates that positively charged amino acid residues in the ncNLS are required for nuclear targeting of NF-YA. Importin β binding is restricted to the monomeric, uncomplexed NF-YA subunit. In contrast, the nuclear import of NF-YB and NF-YC requires dimer formation. Only the NF-YB/NF-YC dimer, but not the monomeric components, are recognized by importin 13 and are imported into the nucleus. Importin 13 competes with NF-YA for binding to the NF-YB/NF-YC dimer. Our data suggest that a distinct binding platform derived from the HFM of both subunits, NF-YB/NF-YC, mediates those interactions.


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