ERK and p38MAPK pathways regulate myosin light chain phosphatase and contribute to Ca2+sensitization of intestinal smooth muscle contraction

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Ihara ◽  
Q. Yu ◽  
M. Chappellaz ◽  
J. A. MacDonald
2016 ◽  
Vol 310 (8) ◽  
pp. C681-C691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Sutherland ◽  
Justin A. MacDonald ◽  
Michael P. Walsh

Phosphorylation of the myosin-targeting subunit 1 of myosin light chain phosphatase (MYPT1) plays an important role in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction, and several sites of phosphorylation by different protein Ser/Thr kinases have been identified. Furthermore, in some instances, phosphorylation at specific sites affects phosphorylation at neighboring sites, with functional consequences. Characterization of the complex phosphorylation of MYPT1 in tissue samples at rest and in response to contractile and relaxant stimuli is, therefore, challenging. We have exploited Phos-tag SDS-PAGE in combination with Western blotting using antibodies to MYPT1, including phosphospecific antibodies, to separate multiple phosphorylated MYPT1 species and quantify MYPT1 phosphorylation stoichiometry using purified, full-length recombinant MYPT1 phosphorylated by Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK) and cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). This approach confirmed that phosphorylation of MYPT1 by ROCK occurs at Thr697 and Thr855, PKA phosphorylates these two sites and the neighboring Ser696 and Ser854, and prior phosphorylation at Thr697 and Thr855 by ROCK precludes phosphorylation at Ser696 and Ser854 by PKA. Furthermore, phosphorylation at Thr697 and Thr855 by ROCK exposes two other sites of phosphorylation by PKA. Treatment of Triton-skinned rat caudal arterial smooth muscle strips with the membrane-impermeant phosphatase inhibitor microcystin or treatment of intact tissue with the membrane-permeant phosphatase inhibitor calyculin A induced slow, sustained contractions that correlated with phosphorylation of MYPT1 at 7 to ≥10 sites. Phos-tag SDS-PAGE thus provides a suitable and convenient method for analysis of the complex, multisite MYPT1 phosphorylation events involved in the regulation of myosin light chain phosphatase activity and smooth muscle contraction.


1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 771-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Walsh

The contractile state of smooth muscle is regulated primarily by the sarcoplasmic (cytosolic) free Ca2+ concentration. A variety of stimuli that induce smooth muscle contraction (e.g., membrane depolarization, α-adrenergic and muscarinic agonists) trigger an increase in sarcoplasmic free [Ca2+] from resting levels of 120–270 to 500–700 nM. At the elevated [Ca2+], Ca2+ binds to calmodulin, the ubiquitous and multifunctional Ca2+-binding protein. The interaction of Ca2+ with CaM induces a conformational change in the Ca2+-binding protein with exposure of a site(s) of interaction with target proteins, the most important of which in the context of smooth muscle contraction is the enzyme myosin light chain kinase. The interaction of calmodulin with myosin light chain kinase results in activation of the kinase that catalyzes phosphorylation of myosin at serine-19 of each of the two 20-kDa light chains (native myosin is a hexamer composed of two heavy chains (230 kDa each) and two pairs of light chains (one pair of 20 kDa each and the other pair of 17 kDa each)). This simple phosphorylation reaction triggers cycling of myosin cross-bridges along actin filaments and the development of force. Relaxation of the muscle follows removal of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasm, whereupon calmodulin dissociates from myosin light chain kinase regenerating the inactive kinase; myosin is dephosphorylated by myosin light chain phosphatase(s), whereupon it dissociates and remains detached from the actin filament and the muscle relaxes. A substantial body of evidence has been accumulated in support of this central role of myosin phosphorylation–dephosphorylation in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction. However, a wide range of physiological and biochemical studies supports the existence of additional, secondary Ca2+-dependent mechanisms that can modulate or fine-tune the contractile state of the smooth muscle cell. Three such mechanisms have emerged: (i) the actin-, tropomyosin-, and calmodulin-binding protein, calponin; (ii) the actin-, myosin-, tropomyosin-, and calmodulin-binding protein, caldesmon; and (iii) the Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C).Key words: smooth muscle, Ca2+, myosin phosphorylation, regulation of contraction.


1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (11) ◽  
pp. 1386-1391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yawen Zhang ◽  
Suzanne Moreland ◽  
Robert S. Moreland

Ca2+-dependent myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation is an important step in the initiation of smooth muscle contraction. However, MLC phosphorylation alone cannot account for all aspects of contractile regulation, suggesting the involvement of other elements. In this article we present evidence obtained from Triton X-100 detergent skinned and intact tissue which demonstrates that vascular smooth muscle contraction can be initiated by a Ca2+-dependent mechanism that does not require prior MLC phosphorylation. We show that Ca2+ can initiate contractions supported by cytidine triphosphate (CTP) and that these contractions are inhibited by calmodulin antagonists, suggesting a Ca2+–calmodulin dependence of force distinct from that for MLC phosphorylation. Evidence is presented to demonstrate that carotid medial fibers contain a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase which is activated by Ca2+ and may catalyze caldesmon phosphorylation. Based in part on our results and those of other investigators, we propose that direct Ca2+–calmodulin binding to caldesmon or phosphorylation of caldesmon by a Ca2+-dependent MAP kinase disinhibits caldesmon. Disinhibition of caldesmon allows an inherent basal level of actin-activated myosin ATPase activity to be expressed. The result is the slow development of force.Key words: mitogen-activated protein kinase, caldesmon, Triton X-100, detergent-skinned fibers, cytidine triphosphate, calmodulin.


2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (1) ◽  
pp. F73-F85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Walsh ◽  
Keith Thornbury ◽  
William C. Cole ◽  
Gerard Sergeant ◽  
Mark Hollywood ◽  
...  

The involvement of Rho-associated kinase (ROK) in activation of rabbit urethral smooth muscle contraction was investigated by examining the effects of two structurally distinct inhibitors of ROK, Y27632 and H1152, on the contractile response to electric field stimulation, membrane depolarization with KCl, and α1-adrenoceptor stimulation with phenylephrine. Both compounds inhibited contractions elicited by all three stimuli. The protein kinase C inhibitor GF109203X, on the other hand, had no effect. Urethral smooth muscle strips were analyzed for phosphorylation of three potential direct or indirect substrates of ROK: 1) myosin regulatory light chains (LC20) at S19, 2) the myosin-targeting subunit of myosin light chain phosphatase (MYPT1) at T697 and T855, and 3) cofilin at S3. The following results were obtained: 1) under resting tension, LC20 was phosphorylated to 0.65 ± 0.02 mol Pi/mol LC20 ( n = 21) at S19; 2) LC20 phosphorylation did not change in response to KCl or phenylephrine; 3) ROK inhibition had no effect on LC20 phosphorylation in the absence or presence of contractile stimuli; 4) under resting conditions, MYPT1 was partially phosphorylated at T697 and T855 and cofilin at S3; 5) phosphorylation of MYPT1 and cofilin was unaffected by KCl or phenylephrine; and 6) KCl- and phenylephrine-induced contraction-relaxation cycles did not correlate with actin polymerization-depolymerization. We conclude that ROK plays an important role in urethral smooth muscle contraction, but not via inhibition of MLCP or polymerization of actin.


2010 ◽  
Vol 298 (5) ◽  
pp. C1118-C1126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaru Watanabe ◽  
Masatoshi Yumoto ◽  
Hideyuki Tanaka ◽  
Hon Hui Wang ◽  
Takeshi Katayama ◽  
...  

To explore the precise mechanisms of the inhibitory effects of blebbistatin, a potent inhibitor of myosin II, on smooth muscle contraction, we studied the blebbistatin effects on the mechanical properties and the structure of contractile filaments of skinned (cell membrane permeabilized) preparations from guinea pig taenia cecum. Blebbistatin at 10 μM or higher suppressed Ca2+-induced tension development at any given Ca2+ concentration but had little effects on the Ca2+-induced myosin light chain phosphorylation. Blebbistatin also suppressed the 10 and 2.75 mM Mg2+-induced, “myosin light chain phosphorylation-independent” tension development at more than 10 μM. Furthermore, blebbistatin induced conformational change of smooth muscle myosin (SMM) and disrupted arrangement of SMM and thin filaments, resulting in inhibition of actin-SMM interaction irrespective of activation with Ca2+. In addition, blebbistatin partially inhibited Mg2+-ATPase activity of native actomyosin from guinea pig taenia cecum at around 10 μM. These results suggested that blebbistatin suppressed skinned smooth muscle contraction through disruption of structure of SMM by the agent.


2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (10) ◽  
pp. 857-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A Murphy ◽  
Christopher M Rembold

In contrast to striated muscle, both normalized force and shortening velocities are regulated functions of cross-bridge phosphorylation in smooth muscle. Physiologically this is manifested as relatively fast rates of contraction associated with transiently high levels of cross-bridge phosphorylation. In sustained contractions, Ca2+, cross-bridge phosphorylation, and ATP consumption rates fall, a phenomenon termed "latch". This review focuses on the Hai and Murphy (1988a) model that predicted the highly non-linear dependence of force on phosphorylation and a directly proportional dependence of shortening velocity on phosphorylation. This model hypothesized that (i) cross-bridge phosphorylation was obligatory for cross-bridge attachment, but also that (ii) dephosphorylation of an attached cross-bridge reduced its detachment rate. The resulting variety of cross-bridge cycles as predicted by the model could explain the observed dependencies of force and velocity on cross-bridge phosphorylation. New evidence supports modifications for more general applicability. First, myosin light chain phosphatase activity is regulated. Activation of myosin phosphatase is best demonstrated with inhibitory regulatory mechanisms acting via nitric oxide. The second modification of the model incorporates cooperativity in cross-bridge attachment to predict improved data on the dependence of force on phosphorylation. The molecular basis for cooperativity is unknown, but may involve thin filament proteins absent in striated muscle.Key words: chemo-mechanical transduction, activation-contraction coupling, cross-bridge, myosin light chain kinase, myosin light chain phosphatase, phosphorylation, cooperativity.


2002 ◽  
Vol 367 (2) ◽  
pp. 517-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Ti DENG ◽  
Cindy SUTHERLAND ◽  
David L. BRAUTIGAN ◽  
Masumi ETO ◽  
Michael P. WALSH

Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) has been implicated in Ca2+- independent contraction of smooth muscle via its ability to phosphorylate myosin. We investigated the possibility that this kinase might also phosphorylate and regulate the myosin light-chain phosphatase inhibitor proteins CPI-17 [protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent phosphatase inhibitor of 17kDa] and PHI-1 (phosphatase holoenzyme inhibitor-1), known substrates of PKC. Both phosphatase inhibitors were phosphorylated by ILK in an in-gel kinase assay and in solution. A Thr→Ala mutation at Thr38 of CPI-17 and Thr57 of PHI-1 eliminated phosphorylation by ILK. Phosphopeptide mapping, phospho amino acid analysis and immunoblotting using phospho-specific antibodies indicated that ILK predominantly phosphorylated the site critical for potent inhibition, i.e. Thr38 of CPI-17 or Thr57 of PHI-1. CPI-17 and PHI-1 thiophosphorylated by ILK at Thr38 or Thr57 respectively inhibited myosin light-chain phosphatase (MLCP) activity bound to myosin, whereas the site-specific mutants CPI-17-Thr38Ala and PHI-1-Thr57Ala, treated with ILK under identical conditions, like the untreated wild-type proteins had no effect on the phosphatase. Consistent with these effects, both thiophospho-CPI-17 and -PHI-1 induced Ca2+ sensitization of contraction of Triton X-100-demembranated rat-tail arterial smooth muscle, whereas CPI-17-Thr38Ala and PHI-1-Thr57Ala treated with ILK in the presence of adenosine 5′-[γ-thio]triphosphate failed to evoke a contractile response. We conclude that ILK may activate smooth-muscle contraction both directly, via phosphorylation of myosin, and indirectly, via phosphorylation and activation of CPI-17 and PHI-1, leading to inhibition of MLCP.


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