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G Pfitzer

Publications and source records attributed to G Pfitzer.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Role of Rho proteins in carbachol-induced contractions in intact and permeabilized guinea-pig intestinal smooth muscle.

1. The aim of this study was to determine whether the low molecular mass GTPase RhoA or related proteins are involved in carbachol- and high-K(+)-induced contractions in intact intestinal smooth muscle as well as the carbachol-induced increase in Ca2+ sensitivity of the myofilaments in permeabilized preparations. 2. The carbachol-induced increase in the Ca2+ sensitivity of force production in beta-escin-permeabilized intestinal smooth muscle was enhanced in preparations that were loaded with the constitutively active mutant of RhoA, Val14RhoA, and was inhibited by exoenzyme C3 from Clostridium botulinum, which ADP-ribosylates and inactivates small GTPases of the Rho family. The effect of C3 on Ca2+ sensitivity in the absence of the agonist was negligible, while the maximal Ca(2+)-activated force was inhibited by about 20%. 3. Inhibition of carbachol-induced force was associated with an increase in ADP-ribosylation of a protein band with a molecular mass of approximately 22 kDa, corresponding to Rho, and was partially reversed in the presence of Ile41RhoA, which is not a substrate for C3. Val14RhoA did not restore carbachol-induced Ca2+ sensitization in C3-treated smooth muscle. 4. In intact intestinal smooth muscle, toxin B from Clostridium difficile, which monoglucosylates members of the Rho family, inhibited high-K(+)-induced contractions and the initial phasic response to carbachol by about 30%. The delayed contractile response to carbachol was completely inhibited. 5. In smooth muscle preparations that were permeabilized with beta-escin after treatment with toxin B, carbachol-and GTP gamma S-induced Ca2+ sensitization was significantly inhibited. 6. These findings are consistent with a role for Rho or Rho-like proteins in agonist-induced increase in Ca2+ sensitivity of force production in intact and permeabilized intestinal smooth muscle.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗
PubMed1995

Modulation of Ca2+ sensitivity in smooth muscle by genistein and protein tyrosine phosphorylation.

Genistein, a potent tyrosine kinase inhibitor, inhibits contraction of several types of smooth muscle, suggesting that protein tyrosine phosphorylation may be an important regulatory mechanism for smooth muscle contraction. We suspected that one site between activation of smooth muscle and contraction which might be modulated by protein tyrosine phosphorylation involved mechanisms for control of Ca2+ sensitivity. Since smooth muscle permeabilized with staphylococcal alpha-toxin permits direct assessment of agonist-induced Ca2+ sensitivity, we studied the effects of genistein on potential coupling between tyrosine phosphorylation and Ca2+ sensitivity in permeabilized ileal smooth muscle. Results show that contraction of intact preparations with carbachol is markedly and reversibly inhibited by 40% at 4 micrograms genistein/ml and by 60% at 20 micrograms genistein/ml. Permeabilized preparations that are contracted with a submaximal [Ca2+] in the presence of GTP relax when genistein is added to the medium. Genistein also reversibly inhibits contractions induced in permeabilized muscle with either a submaximal or maximal [Ca2+] in the presence of GTP, as well as receptor-coupled activation of Ca2+ sensitization with 10 microM carbachol/10 microM GTP. Activation of permeabilized preparations at pCa 4.6 in the presence of 100 microM GTP promotes time-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of several substrates. Both phosphorylation and force are inhibited by genistein. However, relatively high levels of myosin light chain phosphorylation persist during genistein-induced inhibition of Ca2+ sensitivity. In contrast, genistein has no effect on Ca(2+)-activated contraction in Triton-skinned preparations in either the presence or the absence of GTP. This shows that it does not directly inhibit actin-myosin interaction and suggests that its target(s) may be a cytosolic or membrane-bound regulatory protein(s) that is leached from the preparations during Triton-skinning. Taken together, these new data suggest that (a) tyrosine phosphorylation of one or more substrates may be coupled to mechanisms which regulate Ca2+ sensitivity and (b) the inhibitory effects of genistein are probably due to inhibition of agonist-induced Ca2+ sensitivity.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Ca(2+)- and GTP[gamma S]-induced translocation of the glucose transporter, GLUT-4, to the plasma membrane of permeabilized cardiomyocytes determined using a novel immunoprecipitation method.

In cardiomyocytes glucose transport is activated not only by insulin but also by contractile activity that causes translocation of the glucose transporter, GLUT-4, from intracellular vesicles to the plasma membrane. The latter effect may possibly be mediated by intracellular Ca2+, as suggested by previous studies. To investigate the role of Ca2+, we permeabilized neonatal rat myocytes with alpha-toxin and incubated them for 1 h either at a pCa (i.e.--log10 [Ca2+]) of 8 (control) or at a pCa of 5 in the presence of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP). Translocation of GLUT-4 was then monitored by a novel immunoprecipitation method using a peptide antibody directed against an exofacial (extracellular) loop of GLUT-4 (residues 58-80). Incorporation of GLUT-4 into the plasmalemma was stimulated 1.8-fold by 10 microM Ca2+ and 1.7-fold by insulin (as in the case of intact cells). The insulin effect was Ca2+ independent, i.e. it was identical in the absence and presence of Ca2+ (10 microM). Guanosine 5'-O-(3-thio-triphosphate) (GTP[gamma S]), which was inactive in intact cells, also caused translocation of GLUT-4 in permeabilized cardiomyocytes. Thus, incorporation of GLUT-4 into the plasma membrane was enhanced 2.5-fold by 200 microM GTP[gamma S] in the virtual absence of Ca2+ (pCa 8) and even 3.5-fold at 10 microM free Ca2+. We conclude that an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration increases GLUT-4 translocation of (permeabilized) cardiomyocytes to a similar extent as do insulin and GTP[gamma S] in the absence of Ca2+, but that the effects of Ca2+ and GTP[gamma S] may be additive.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

The variable coupling between force and myosin light chain phosphorylation in Triton-skinned chicken gizzard fibre bundles: role of myosin light chain phosphatase.

The mechanism responsible for the regulation of smooth muscle tone at low levels of myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation is still poorly understood. According to one model, so-called latchbridges, which contribute to force maintenance at low levels of MLC phosphorylation, are generated by dephosphorylation of attached and phosphorylated crossbridges. The model predicts that the force generated for a given level of MLC phosphorylation depends on the activity of the MLC phosphatase. We tested this hypothesis by reducing the activity of the phosphatase by at least 80% in two ways: inhibition with okadaic acid and extraction. Under both conditions, higher levels of MLC phosphorylation were required to support a given level of force, suggesting a decreased flux of attached phosphorylated to attached dephosphorylated crossbridges, as predicted by this model. Although, under both conditions, the relationship between force and MLC phosphorylation was shifted to the right, the curves did not superimpose as would have been expected if the phosphatase activity were the only determinant of the coupling between force and phosphorylation. In the extracted fibres, two more proteins, calponin and SM22, were significantly reduced in addition. Therefore, these proteins might be involved in modulating the relationship between force and MLC phosphorylation.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Alterations of cardiac contractile function are related to changes in membrane calcium transport in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

OBJECTIVE: Transport activities of cardiac sodium-calcium exchange and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase were measured biochemically in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with hypertrophied myocardium and in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and it was tested whether possible differences have consequences for the contractile properties of papillary muscle. METHODS: Sarcolemmal sodium-dependent calcium transport via sodium-calcium exchange and oxalate-supported sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake were measured in left ventricular membranes of 22-week-old rats. Postextrastimulatory potentiated contractions, postrest potentiated contractions, the twitch-to-twitch decay of those potentiations and the response to increasing stimulation frequency of left ventricular papillary muscles were analysed. RESULTS: Compared with WKY rats we found in SHR: a significant increase in sodium-calcium exchange (65%) and in sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake (24%); a steeper twitch-to-twitch decay in postextrastimulatory potentiated contractions and postrest potentiated contractions, suggesting a lower calcium fraction recirculating between myofilaments and sarcoplasmic reticulum and, consequently, a relatively higher calcium efflux via sodium-calcium exchange; a stronger rest-dependent decrease in recirculating calcium fraction in postrest potentiated contractions accompanied by accelerated relaxation, suggesting an increasing driving force for calcium extrusion via sodium-calcium exchange, probably caused by decreasing intracellular sodium during rest; a greater transient decrease in peak force of subsequent twitches after postrest potentiated contractions below pre-interventional level, indicating higher cellular calcium loss; and a smaller negative inotropic effect in response to doubling of stimulation rate as a manoeuvre to increase the intracellular sodium level. CONCLUSION: In SHR, the contractile properties suggest an increased contribution of sodium-calcium exchange to cellular calcium removal, which is strongly supported by the enhanced sodium-calcium exchange activity in cardiac membrane vesicles.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation, cellular Ca2+, and Ca2+ sensitivity for contraction of smooth muscle.

Our studies are guided by the novel hypothesis that protein tyrosine phosphorylation is an important mechanism for regulating contraction of smooth muscle. Several lines of evidence are reviewed which suggest that enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation participates in mechanisms that regulate cytosolic Ca2+ and Ca2+ sensitivity for contraction. First, vanadate-induced contraction of guinea-pig taenia coli is functionally linked to enhanced protein tyrosine phosphorylation of at least three substrates, apparently resulting from vanadate-mediated inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase activity. Second, vanadate-induced contraction is dependent on extracellular Ca2+. Third, increases in cytosolic Ca2+ resulting from stimulation of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors in cultured canine vascular smooth muscle cells are associated with enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation and are inhibited by genistein, a potent inhibitor of tyrosine kinase activity. Fourth, genistein markedly and reversibly suppresses Ca2+ sensitivity for contraction in ileal longitudinal smooth muscle permeabilized with staphylococcal alpha-toxin. Moreover, the same or similar substrates (e.g., 42-45, 70, 80-85, 95, 100, 110, 116, and 205 kDa) are tyrosine phosphorylated in response to Ca2+ or stimulation of muscarinic or alpha 1-adrenergic receptors. Collectively, these data strongly suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation is an important mechanism for regulation of smooth muscle contraction.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Augmented agonist-induced Ca(2+)-sensitization of coronary artery contraction in genetically hypertensive rats. Evidence for altered signal transduction in the coronary smooth muscle cells.

The Ca2+ responsiveness of vascular smooth muscle myofilaments is not unique: it is increased during neuro-humoral activation and decreased during beta-adrenergic stimulation. In this study we tested whether an augmented Ca2+ responsiveness of smooth muscle myofilaments may contribute to the increased coronary tone observed in hypertension using beta-escin-permeabilized coronary arteries from 3-mo-old stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) and their age matched normotensive reference strain (WKY rats). In intact coronary arteries, the response to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) but not to KCl was larger in SHRSP than in WKY rats. In beta-escin permeabilized coronary arteries in which the receptor effector coupling is still intact, 5-HT enhanced force at constant submaximal (Ca2+) (pCa 6.38) to a greater extent in SHRSP. The Ca2+ sensitizing effect of 5-HT was mimicked by GTP gamma S (0.01-10 microM); again this effect was larger in SHRSP. In the absence of 5-HT or GTP gamma S the Ca2+ force relation was similar in both groups. Forskolin induced relaxation at constant submaximal (Ca2+). This desensitizing effect was smaller in SHRSP than in WKY rats. In conclusion, this study shows that intracellular signalling pathways involved in modulating the Ca2+ responsiveness of coronary smooth muscle myofilaments are altered in the genetically hypertensive animals favoring a hypercontractile state in the coronary circulation.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗
PubMed1993

Caldesmon and a 20-kDa actin-binding fragment of caldesmon inhibit tension development in skinned gizzard muscle fiber bundles.

Caldesmon is known to inhibit actin-activated myosin ATPase activity in solution, to inhibit force production when added to skeletal muscle fibers, and to alter actin movement in the in vitro cell motility assay. It is less clear that caldesmon can inhibit contraction in smooth muscle cells in which caldesmon is abundant. We now show that caldesmon and its 20-kDa actin-binding fragment are able to inhibit force in chemically skinned gizzard fiber bundles, which are activated by a constitutively active myosin light-chain kinase in the presence and absence of okadaic acid. This inhibitory effect is reversed by high concentrations of Ca2+ and calmodulin. Therefore, caldesmon may act by increasing the level of myosin phosphorylation required to obtain full activation. Our results also suggest that caldesmon does not act to maintain force in smooth muscle by cross-linking myosin with actin since competition of binding of caldesmon with myosin does not cause a reduction in tension.

Actins↗
PubMed1993

Ras proteins increase Ca(2+)-responsiveness of smooth muscle contraction.

G-proteins may be involved in receptor-mediated Ca(2+)-sensitization of smooth muscle contraction, but the responsible G-proteins are not yet known. Here we show that in beta-escin skinned mesenteric microarteries, H-ras p21 proteins, preactivated with GTP or GTP gamma S, increase force at constant submaximal Ca2+ (pCa 6.3) concentration dependently. The GTP-bound form of the wild-type H-ras p21 and the oncogenic mutant (p21[G12V]) were equally effective. The nucleotide-free and the inactive GDP-bound form of ras p21 had no effect on force. The tryosine kinase inhibitor, tryphostin, partially reversed the effect of the ras proteins in the GTP-bound form on force. Thus, ras proteins mimic the Ca(2+)-sensitizing effect of GTP gamma S and vasoconstrictors in mesenteric microarteries which may involve tyrosine phosphorylation.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors suppress agonist-induced contraction in smooth muscle.

Because tyrosine kinases participate in diverse signalling pathways, we suspected that these enzymes might also participate in regulation of signal transduction in smooth muscle. Therefore, we studied the effects of geldanomycin, tyrphostin, and genistein, three structurally unrelated tyrosine kinase inhibitors, on receptor-mediated and depolarization-mediated contraction in three different types of smooth muscle. Contraction elicited by stimulation of muscarinic receptors with carbachol, or by stimulation of alpha-adrenergic receptors with norepinephrine or phenylephrine were markedly (> 80%) and reversibly inhibited by tyrosine-kinase inhibitors. In contrast, only slight inhibition (20%) occurred in contractions elicited by K(+)-induced depolorization. Moreover, tyrphostin did not inhibit direct Ca(2+)-mediated activation of the contractile apparatus in preparations permeabilized with beta-escin. These results suggest the novel hypothesis that tyrosine kinases participate in regulation of signal transduction that is associated with receptor-mediated contraction of smooth muscle.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Phosphorylation-contraction coupling in smooth muscle: role of caldesmon.

In intact smooth muscle strips from chicken gizzard, carbachol elicited brief, phasic contractions which were associated with a very rapid, transient phosphorylation of the 20 kDa myosin light chains. Phosphorylation was not significantly different from basal levels after 30 s while force still amounted to 50% of the peak value. The rate of tension decline could be increased by addition of atropine, even at apparently basal phosphorylation levels suggesting a phosphorylation independent regulation. The force, at a given level of phosphorylation, could also be modulated by addition of the actin binding, putative regulatory protein, caldesmon. Caldesmon, inhibits phosphorylation dependent force in skinned fiber bundles of chicken gizzard without affecting myosin light chain phosphorylation. This suggests that caldesmon might modulate contraction in smooth muscle. Moreover our results suggest that caldesmon does not function to maintain passive tension.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Relaxant effect of phalloidin on Triton-skinned microvascular and other smooth muscle preparations.

Guinea pig mesenteric microarteries (diameter 60-100 microns), the main branch of the mesenteric artery and taenia coli were skinned with 1% Triton X-100 for 4 h at 4 degrees C. Microarteries, mounted for circumferential force measurement, developed maximal active force in response to elevation of the free Ca2+ (pCa = 4.52, in EGTA buffer) in the presence of ATP (7.5 mM) and calmodulin (0.1-0.3 microM). In these preparations, addition of phalloidin (1-100 microM) slowly (greater than 1 h) relaxed submaximal contractions (pCa greater than 4.52) in a dose-dependent manner. Relaxation was irreversible as, after phalloidin wash-out, subsequent active force to pCa = 4.52 was also reduced. By contrast, phalloidin preincubation and wash-out under relaxed conditions (pCa greater than 8) only reduced subsequent force to pCa = 4.52 on prolonged stimulation. The extent of phalloidin-induced relaxation was not dependent on free Ca2+ between pCa 6.40 and 4.52. Phalloidin-induced relaxation did not occur during rigor contractions (i.e. absence of ATP and Ca2+). These mechanical effects of phalloidin were accompanied by a decreased leak of actin out of the skinned preparations and by the prevention of guanidine extraction of actin from these preparations. Phalloidin did not inhibit the myosin light chain kinase or phosphatase activity isolated from these preparations. In addition, the relaxant effects were also noted in taenia coli and the main branch of the mesenteric artery but not in skinned porcine ventricular heart muscle. These experiments suggest the possible participation of actin filament dynamics on the maintenance of active force in Triton-skinned smooth muscle.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Contractile protein interactions in smooth muscle.

Smooth muscle tone and 'holding economy' depend on the rate constants governing the cross-bridge cycle. Thus, calcium activation via calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain phosphorylation may determine the apparent rate constant ('f') at which cross-bridges enter the force-generating state, forming actin-attached, strongly bound cross-bridges. This phosphorylation of the light chain may be inhibited in skinned fibers by a peptide mimic of the calmodulin recognition site of the myosin light chain kinase (RS 20) that relaxes smooth muscle. In smooth muscle, the apparent cross-bridge detachment rate constant ('g') also seems to be variable, a low constant allowing for a high holding economy and low shortening velocity in the 'latch state'. It may also account for force maintenance at low levels of myosin phosphorylation. Additionally, cross-bridge attachment may, however, be also controlled by other regulatory proteins such as calponin and caldesmon.

Actins↗
PubMed1991

Differential skinning of smooth muscle: a new approach to excitation-contraction coupling.

In intact smooth muscle, the calcium sensitivity of force may increase as well as decrease. Using differently skinned smooth muscle preparations, two pathways involved in the change of calcium sensitivity of force have been identified: in microarteries skinned with beta-escin, GTP (possibly via a G protein) is involved in sensitization to Ca2+, while in porcine coronary arteries skinned with Triton X-100 cyclic AMP and possibly cyclic GMP are involved in desensitization. In both cases, there is a corresponding change in the phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain of myosin, suggesting that the balance of phosphorylating to dephosphorylating reactions is altered at constant [Ca2+].

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Higher Ca2+ sensitivity of triton-skinned guinea pig mesenteric microarteries as compared with large arteries.

Small mesenteric resistance arteries and the main branch of the mesenteric artery (outer in situ diameter 115 +/- 3 microns [n = 76] and greater than 1,000 microns, respectively) were skinned with 1% Triton X-100. Both preparations were mounted as rings for circumferential force measurement in an EGTA solution (free Ca2+, less than 10 nM; calmodulin, 0.3 microM; pH 6.7). Force-pCa curves were obtained by increasing free Ca2+ (0.05 to 30 microM). The resulting dose-dependent contractions, after normalization to maximal force development (arteries, 21.4 +/- 2.4 [n = 3]; arterioles, 15.3 +/- 2.1 mN/mm2 [n = 5]) were fitted to sigmoidal force-pCa curves. Values of ED50 and of the cooperativity factor h were 6.08 and 2.39 in arterioles and 5.64 and 1.64 in arteries. The higher Ca2+ sensitivity of arteriolar preparations remained at pH 7.0 at higher calmodulin concentrations and after inhibition of smooth muscle phosphatase with okadaic acid. Total myosin light chain kinase activity in crude arteriolar extracts (using [gamma-32P] ATP and isolated gizzard light chains as substrates) was approximately 25% of arterial kinase. Both kinase preparations had identical Ca2+ sensitivities. Likewise, total arteriolar phosphatase activity (using 32P-labeled gizzard light chains) was approximately 25% of the arterial activity; both phosphatases had an identical sensitivity toward okadaic acid. The ratio of kinase/phosphatase activities was identical in both tissues. Extracts of both tissues contained two isozymes of the myosin heavy chain as determined with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Rapid myosin phosphorylation transients in phasic contractions in chicken gizzard smooth muscle.

In intact smooth muscle strips from chicken gizzard, electrical stimulation and carbachol elicited brief, phasic contractions which were associated with a very rapid, transient phosphorylation of the 20 kDa myosin light chains. The phosphorylation transients reached their peak after 3 s and 6 s and preceded that of force. Phosphorylation was not significantly different from basal levels after 10 s and 30 s while force still amounted to 50% of the peak value. The rate of tension decline could be increased by cessation of stimulation or by addition of atropine, even at apparently basal phosphorylation levels suggesting a phosphorylation independent regulation.

Animals↗