Myosin light chain phosphorylation and contraction of guinea pig gallbladder smooth muscle

1991 ◽  
Vol 261 (6) ◽  
pp. G952-G957
Author(s):  
R. J. Washabau ◽  
M. B. Wang ◽  
J. P. Ryan

These experiments were designed to determine 1) whether acetylcholine (ACh) stimulation is accompanied by changes in myosin light chain phosphorylation in gallbladder smooth muscle and 2) whether dephosphorylated noncycling cross bridges (latch bridges) exist in gallbladder smooth muscle. Isometric stress, isotonic shortening velocity, and myosin light chain phosphorylation were determined under conditions of contraction and relaxation in ACh-stimulated guinea pig gallbladder smooth muscle. Unstimulated muscle contained 6.8 +/- 2.0% phosphorylated myosin light chain. ACh stimulation (5 x 10(-5) or 10(-4) M) was associated with a rapid increase in myosin light chain phosphorylation to a value that was maintained throughout the tonic contraction. In contrast, isotonic shortening velocity was maximal at 30 s of stimulation and then declined over time to a steady-state level that was 25-30% of the peak velocity. Upon agonist washout (relaxation), dephosphorylation of the myosin light chain occurred at about the same rate as the decline in shortening velocity and preceded the decline in isometric stress. These data suggest that ACh stimulation is accompanied by changes in myosin light chain phosphorylation but that dephosphorylation of cross bridges is not necessary for the slowing of cross-bridge cycling rates in gallbladder smooth muscle.

1994 ◽  
Vol 266 (3) ◽  
pp. G469-G474 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Washabau ◽  
M. B. Wang ◽  
C. Dorst ◽  
J. P. Ryan

In acetylcholine (ACh)-stimulated gallbladder smooth muscle, we have previously shown that phosphorylation of the 20,000-Da myosin light chains is necessary for the initiation of contraction, that myosin is stably phosphorylated at steady state, and that dephosphorylation of cross bridges is not necessary for the slowing of cross-bridge cycling rates during the period of steady-state isometric stress. The present studies were undertaken to determine whether 1) K+ (60 or 80 mM) or cholecystokinin (CCK, 10(-8) M) stimulation is accompanied by changes in myosin light-chain phosphorylation in gallbladder smooth muscle and 2) dephosphorylated noncycling cross bridges exist in K(+)- or CCK-stimulated gallbladder smooth muscle. Isometric stress, isotonic shortening velocity, and myosin light-chain phosphorylation were determined during contraction with K+ or CCK. Steady-state isometric stress was reached within 2.5 min of stimulation with K+ or CCK and was maintained for the duration of the stimulation. Stimulation with K+ or CCK was associated with rapid increases in myosin light-chain phosphorylation and maintenance of myosin light-chain phosphorylation during the stimulation. In contrast, isotonic shortening velocity was maximal at 1 min of stimulation with either K+ or CCK and then declined significantly to values that were only 26-32% of the peak velocity. These data, along with data from previous experiments with ACh, suggest that myosin light-chain phosphorylation is essential in the initiation of contraction in gallbladder smooth muscle, regardless of the source of Ca2+ or of the contractile agonist.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


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.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (6) ◽  
pp. C1437-C1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Strauss ◽  
P. de Lanerolle ◽  
R. J. Paul

A peptide inhibitor, myosin kinase inhibitor (MKI), of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) was tested for its effects on contractility and myosin light chain phosphorylation in Triton X-100 skinned guinea pig taenia coli. MKI is based on the amino acid sequence of the myosin light chain (residues 11-19 LC20) and is a competitive inhibitor [inhibitory constant (Ki) congruent to 10 microM] of purified MLCK with respect to myosin light chain (LC20). MKI inhibited unloaded shortening velocity (V(us)) and the calcium-sensitive ATPase activity of the skinned fibers but had no significant effect on steady-state isometric force or myosin light chain phosphorylation, as measured by IEF-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. MKI had no significant effect on V(us) of thiophosphorylated fibers in the absence of calcium. MKI inhibited MLCK activity in protein extracts from taenia coli, as measured by radioactive phosphate incorporation into LC20. Surprisingly, MKI also inhibited the phosphatase activity of these same extracts. This peptide slowed the rate and extent of relaxation of calcium-contracted fibers and elicited a contraction in relaxed fibers. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that MKI may be a phosphatase inhibitor as well as an inhibitor of MLCK. Our data further suggest that the rate of phosphorylation-dephosphorylation turnover may be important in regulating V(us) in smooth muscle.


1991 ◽  
Vol 260 (6) ◽  
pp. G920-G924 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Washabau ◽  
M. B. Wang ◽  
C. L. Dorst ◽  
J. P. Ryan

These experiments were designed to characterize the effect of muscle length on isometric stress, sensitivity to stimulation, and phosphorylation of the 20,000-Da myosin light chains in guinea pig gallbladder smooth muscle. Basal, active, and total isometric stress were determined in acetylcholine- or K(+)-treated (10(-4) M ACh, 80 mM KCl) muscle strips at 0.6-1.3 times the optimal muscle length (Lo) for isometric stress development. The effect of muscle length on the sensitivity to ACh and K+ was determined in cumulative dose-response experiments (10(-8) to 10(-4) M ACh, 10-80 mM KCl) at 0.7, 1.0, and 1.3 Lo. The effect of muscle length on myosin light chain phosphorylation was determined in ACh- or K(+)-treated (10(-4) M ACh, 80 mM KCl) muscle strips at 0.7, 1.0, and 1.3 Lo. In gallbladder smooth muscle, 1) active isometric stresses at 0.7 and 1.3 Lo were less than active isometric stress at 1.0 Lo; 2) the sensitivity of developed stress was similar at 1.0 and 1.3 Lo but decreased at 0.7 Lo; 3) the decline in isometric stress and sensitivity at 0.7 Lo was associated with reduced levels of phosphorylated myosin light chain; and 4) the decline in isometric stress at 1.3 Lo was not associated with reduced amounts of phosphorylated myosin light chain. These results suggest that the decline in active stress and sensitivity at short muscle lengths (L less than Lo) in gallbladder smooth muscle is due, at least in part, to decreases in the activation of the myofilaments. The decline in active isometric stress at long muscle lengths (L greater than Lo) is not due to changes in myofilament activation.


2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pasquale Chitano ◽  
Charles L. Worthington ◽  
Janet A. Jenkin ◽  
Newman L. Stephens ◽  
Sylvia Gyapong ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
Vol 549 (2) ◽  
pp. 489-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Wirth ◽  
M. Schroeter ◽  
C. Kock‐Hauser ◽  
E. Manser ◽  
J. M. Chalovich ◽  
...  

1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (6) ◽  
pp. G1571-G1580 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Siegman ◽  
T. M. Butler ◽  
S. U. Mooers ◽  
L. Trinkle-Mulcahy ◽  
S. Narayan ◽  
...  

Smooth muscle in megacolon was studied in the lethal spotted mouse and its normal sibling. In megacolon, structural remodeling and a very large increase in total protein content are associated with some changes in the contractile protein isoform composition. 1) There is a higher actin concentration in megacolon, primarily caused by a larger proportion of gamma-isoforms. 2) There was no difference in myosin concentration or in SM1/SM2 heavy chains in megacolon and normal muscle contractile proteins. 3) Only LC17a essential light chain is present in both normal and megacolon. 4) The 25- to 50-kDa 5'-insert occurs in 15-20% of the myosin in normal colon, compared with 5- to 10-fold lower amounts in megacolon. In permeabilized muscles there was no significant difference in unloaded shortening velocity (Vo) with maximal thiophosphorylation of the 20-kDa light chains, nor was there significant difference in the force vs. Ca2+ and force vs. myosin light chain phosphorylation relationships. At approximately 60% myosin light chain phosphorylation after Ca2+ activation, Vo of megacolon was approximately two times faster than Vo of normal muscle. These cellular changes largely account for the higher propulsive velocity of the colon in situ. The distribution of myosin and actin isoforms and the lack of a simple relationship between myosin light chain phosphorylation and Vo point to the operation of additional regulatory processes.


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