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Biomedical subjects

R S Adelstein

Publications and source records attributed to R S Adelstein.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Role of calcium and cyclic adenosine 3':5' monophosphate in regulating smooth muscle contraction. Mechanisms of excitation-contraction coupling in smooth muscle.

Caclium initiates smooth muscle contraction by activating an enzyme, myosin light chain kinase. This enzyme catalyzes the transfer of phosphate from adenosine triphosphate to the 20,000 dalton light chain of myosin. In its phosphorylated form myosin interacts with actin to produce muscle contraction. The mechanism by which calcium activates myosin kinase requires (1) the binding of calcium to a 16,500 dalton calcium-binding protein (calmodulin), and (2) the binding of calmodulin-calcium to a 125,000 dalton catalytic subunit. This two protein complex is the active form of myosin light chain kinase. Smooth muscle relaxation is mediated by cyclic adenosine 3':5' monophosphate (cyclic AMP). One nechanism by which the latter may exert a direct effect on actin-myosin interaction is through the activation of a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase that can phosphorylate the 125,000 dalton component of myosin light chain kinase. Phosphorylation of myosin light chain kinase decreases the activity of the enzyme, thus favoring the unphosphorylated form of myosin, which cannot interact with actin to produce smooth muscle contraction.

Actins

Macrophage myosin. Regulation of actin-activated ATPase, activity by phosphorylation of the 20,000-dalton light chain.

Myosin was purified from rabbit alveolar macrophages in a form that could not be activated by actin. This myosin could be phosphorylated by an endogenous myosin light chain kinase, up to 2 mol of phosphate being incorporated/mol of myosin. The site phosphorylated was located on the 20,000-dalton myosin light chain. Phosphorylation of macrophage myosin was found to be necessary for actin activation of myosin ATPase activity. Moreover, the actin-activated ATPase activity was found to vary directly with the extent of myosin phosphorylation, maximal phosphorylation (2 mol of Pi/mol of myosin) resulting in an actin-activated MgATPase activity of approximately 200 nmol of Pi/mg of myosin/min at 37 degrees C. These results establish that phosphyoyration of the 20,000-dalton light chain of myosin is sufficient to regulate the actin-activated ATPase activity of macrophage myosin.

Actins

Human platelet myosin light chain kinase requires the calcium-binding protein calmodulin for activity.

In an actomyosin fraction isolated from human platelets, phosphorylation of the 20,000-dalton light chain of myosin is stimulated by calcium and the calcium-binding protein calmodulin. The enzyme catalyzing this phosphorylation has been isolated by using calmodulin-affinity chromatography. Platelet myosin light chain kinase activity was monitored throughout the isolation procedures by using the 20,000-dalton smooth muscle myosin light chain purified from turkey gizzards as substrate. The partially purified myosin kinase requires both calcium and calmodulin for activity and has a specific activity of 3.1 mumol of phosphate transferred to the 20,000-dalton light chain per mg of kinase per min under optimal assay conditions. Km values determined for ATP and myosin light chains are 121 microM and 18 microM, respectively. Of several substrates surveyed as phosphate acceptors (alpha-casein, histone II-A, phosphorylase b, protamine, histone V-S, and phosvitin), only the 20,000-dalton myosin light chain is phosphorylated at a significant rate. These results suggest that platelet myosin light chain kinase is a calcium-dependent enzyme and that the requirement for calcium is mediated by the calcium-binding protein calmodulin.

Actomyosin

The cytoskeleton and cell movement: general considerations.

The cytoskeletal proteins, actin, myosin, tubulin, dynein, and their associated proteins, are discussed selectively with regards to their biochemical and structural properties. Particular emphasis is placed on the comparison of non-muscle proteins to their muscle counterparts, and on the various mechanisms for regulating actin polymerization, actin-myosin interaction, and tubulin polymerization. This review as well as the bibliography accompanying it is selective. An attempt is made to stress the most recent findings and to emphasize those areas which appear to hold the greatest promise for future research.

Actins

A comparative study of the myosin light chain kinases from myoblast and muscle sources. Studies on the kinases from proliferative rat myoblasts in culture, rat thigh muscle, and rabbit skeletal muscle.

Myosin light chain kinases have been isolated from rat thigh and rabbit skeletal muscle and cultured rat myoblasts. From these preparations, two types of kinases can be distinguished: calcium-dependent and calcium-independent. Both types of kinases can phosphorylate isolated P-light chains of myosin from several sources (skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and platelet). Data are shown which support the phosphorylation of the same site on the non-muscle P-light chains by both types of kinases. The rates of these reactins are, however, different for the two types of kinases. Kinetic analysis of the myoblast kinase shows differing affinities for various P-light chains (non-muscle greater than cardiac greater than skeletal). In the proliferative rat myoblast, phosphorylation of myosin is a prerequisite for actin activation of the myosin ATPase activity.

Adenosine Triphosphatases

Phosphorylation of smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase by the catalytic subunit of adenosine 3': 5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase.

Turkey gizzard smooth muscle light chain kinase was purified by affinity chromatography on calcium dependent regulator weight of 125,000 +/- 5,000 in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. When myosin light chain kinase is incubated with the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, 1 mol of phosphate is incorporated per mol of myosin kinase. Brief tryptic digestion of the 32P-labeled myosin kinase liberates a single radioactive peptide with a molecular weight of approximately 22,000. Phosphorylation of myosin kinase results in a 2-fold decrease in the rate at which the enzyme phosphorylates the 20,000-dalton light chain of smooth muscle myosin. These results suggest that cyclic AMP has a direct effect on actin-myosin interaction in smooth muscle.

Animals

Thrombin-stimulated myosin phosphorylation in intact platelets and its possible involvement secretion.

A 20,000 dalton polypeptide, which is phosphorylated in intact platelets pre-incubated with 32P-PO4, has been identified as a platelet myosin light chain. Stimulation of intact platelets with thrombin produced a 5-fold increase in the amount of radioactive phosphate incorporated into the light chain. Myosin phosphorylation preceeded acid hydrolase secretion and occurred concomitantly with adenine nucleotide secretion. These results are suggestive of participation of contractile mechanisms in platelet secretion.

Blood Platelets

Effect of phosphorylation of smooth muscle myosin on actin activation and Ca2+ regulation.

A 35--70% ammonium sulfate fraction of smooth muscle actomyosin was prepared from guinea pig vas deferens. This fraction also contains a smooth muscle myosin kinase and a phosphatase that phosphorylates and dephosphorylates, respectively, the 20,000-dalton light chain of smooth muscle myosin. Phosphorylated and dephosphorylated smooth muscle myosin. Phosphorylated and dephosphorylated smooth muscle myosin were purified from this ammonium sulfate fraction by gel filtration, which also separated the kinase and the phosphatase from the myosin. Purified phosphorylated and dephosphorylated myosin have identical stained patterns after sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. They also have similar ATPase activities measured in 0.5 M KCl in the presence of K+-EDTA and Ca2+. However, the actin-activated myosin ATPase activity is markedly increased after phosphorylation. Moreover, the actin-activated ATPase activity of phosphorylated myosin is inhibited by the removal of Ca2+ in the absence of any added regulatory proteins. Dephosphorylation of myosin results in a decrease in the actin-activated ATPase activity. Skeletal muscle tropomyosin markedly increased the actin-activated ATPase activity of phosphorylated but not dephosphorylated myosin in the presence, but not in the absence, of Ca2+.

Actins

Characterization of the myosin-phosphorylating system in normal murine astrocytes and derivative sv40 wild-type and A-mutant transformant.

Myosin and myosin light-chain kinase have been isolated and characterized from small quantities of normal and SV40-transformed, murine astrocytic neuroglial cells in culture and from intact normal mouse brain. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the astrocyte myosins revealed a heavy chain of 200,000 daltons and two light chains of 20,000 and 15,000 daltons. These myosins are similar to other cytyplasmic myosins. The astrocyte 20,000-dalton light chain can be phosphorylated by an endogenous myosin light-chain kinase which has properties similar to those of the myosin light-chain kinase found in human platelets. No differences were detected in either the astrocyte myosins or myosin light-chain kinases between (a) the normal and transformed cells, (b) the transformed cells grown at the permissive and nonpermissive temperatures, or (c) the SV40 wild-type and A-mutant transformants.

Actins

Isolation and characterization of myosin from subjects with asymmetric septal hypertrophy.

Human cardiac myosin isolated from operatively obtained samples of ventricular septum and left ventricular free wall of subjects with asymmetric septal hypertrophy (ASH) was compared, with respect to structural and enzymatic properties, to myosin isolated from hearts of subjects without heart disease. The following parameters were studied: (1) activation of myosin ATPase activity by K+-EDTA and Ca2+, (2) molecular weight of the heavy and light chains of myosin as determined by electrophoretic migration in polyacrylamide-sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gels and (3) ability to form bipolar aggregates at low ionic strength, as examined by electron microscopy. No difference was present in any of these parameters between human cardiac myosin from subjects with ASH and from subjects without heart disease. Thus, the genetic defect present in subjects with ASH is not expressed in the particular structural and functional characteristics of myosin evaluated in this study.

Adenosine Triphosphatases

Isolation and properties of platelet myosin light chain kinase.

A protein kinase which phosphorylates the 20 000-dalton light chain of platelet myosin has been isolated from human blood platelets and purified approximately 600-fold. Elution of a 7.5% polyacrylamide gel following electrophoresis of the partially purified enzyme yielded a single peak of kinase activity which could be aligned with a protein band on a stained gel. Assuming a globular shape, a native molecular weight of 83 000 (+/- 10%) was determined by gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-200. The kinase requires Mg2+ for activity and is not sensitive to the removal of trace Ca2+. The enzyme purified from human platelets phosphorylates the 20 000-dalton light chain of mouse fibroblast and chicken gizzard myosin, but does not phosphorylate human skeletal and cardiac myosin.

Adenosine Triphosphatases

Characterization of myosin from patients with asymmetric septal hypertrophy.

Human cardiac myosin isolated from operatively obtained samples of ventricular septum and left ventricular free wall of patients with asymmetric septal hypertrophy (ASH) was compared, with respect to structural and enzymatic properties, to myosin isolated from hearts of patients without heart disease. The following parameters were studied: 1) activation of myosin ATPase activity by K+-EDTA and Ca2+,2) molecular weight of the heavy and light chains of myosin as determined by electrophoretic migration in SDS-polyacrylamide gels, and 3) ability to form bipolar aggregates at low ionic strength, as examined by electron microscopy. No difference was present in any of these parameters between human cardiac myosin from patients with ASH and from patients without heart disease. Thus, the genetic defect present in patients with ASH is not expressed in the particular structural and functional characteristics of myosin evaluated in this study.

Actomyosin