Protein kinase myosin light chain

Protein phosphorylation Calmodulin kinase I ATI Elongation factor-2 kinase Phosphorylase kinase Myosin Light Chain kinase... 

The remaining three types of CaMK are phosphorylase kinase, myosin light-chain kinase and CaMKIII. These each appear to phosphorylate fewer substrate proteins, and in some cases only one protein, under physiological conditions, and each may therefore mediate relatively fewer actions of Ca2+ in the nervous system. 

Klemt P, Peiper U, Speden RN, Zilker F (1981) The kinetics of post-vibration tension recovery of the isolated rat portal vein. J Physiol (Lond) 312 281-296 Kobayashi H, Inoue A, Mikawa T, Kuwayama H, Hotta Y, Masaki T, Ebashi S (1992) Isolation of cDNA for bovine stomach 155 kDa protein exhibiting myosin light chain kinase activity. J Biochem (Tokyo) 112 786-791 Kokubu N, Satoh M, Takayanagi I (1995) Involvement of botulinum C3-sensitive GTP-binding proteins in ai-adrenoceptor subtypes mediating Ca -sensitization. Eur J Pharmacol 290 19-27... 

Yagi, K., Yazawa, M., Kakiuchi, S., Ohshima, M., and Uenishi, K., 1978, Identification of an activator protein for myosin light chain kinase as the Ca -dependent modulator protein, J. Biol. Chem. 253 1338. 

In the presence of calcium, the primary contractile protein, myosin, is phosphorylated by the myosin light-chain kinase initiating the subsequent actin-activation of the myosin adenosine triphosphate activity and resulting in muscle contraction. Removal of calcium inactivates the kinase and allows the myosin light chain to dephosphorylate myosin which results in muscle relaxation. Therefore the general biochemical mechanism for the muscle contractile process is dependent on the avaUabUity of a sufficient intraceUular calcium concentration. 

Smooth muscle contractions are subject to the actions of hormones and related agents. As shown in Figure 17.32, binding of the hormone epinephrine to smooth muscle receptors activates an intracellular adenylyl cyclase reaction that produces cyclic AMP (cAMP). The cAMP serves to activate a protein kinase that phosphorylates the myosin light chain kinase. The phosphorylated MLCK has a lower affinity for the Ca -calmodulin complex and thus is physiologically inactive. Reversal of this inactivation occurs via myosin light chain kinase phosphatase. 

The ETa receptor activates G proteins of the Gq/n and G12/i3 family. The ETB receptor stimulates G proteins of the G and Gq/11 family. In endothelial cells, activation of the ETB receptor stimulates the release of NO and prostacyclin (PGI2) via pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins. In smooth muscle cells, the activation of ETA receptors leads to an increase of intracellular calcium via pertussis toxin-insensitive G proteins of the Gq/11 family and to an activation of Rho proteins most likely via G proteins of the Gi2/i3 family. Increase of intracellular calcium results in a calmodulin-dependent activation of the myosin light chain kinase (MLCK, Fig. 2). MLCK phosphorylates the 20 kDa myosin light chain (MLC-20), which then stimulates actin-myosin interaction of vascular smooth muscle cells resulting in vasoconstriction. Since activated Rho... 

If MLCK activates contraction by increasing myosin phosphorylation, then an increase in the activity of myosin light chain phosphatase, MLCP, by decreasing the fraction of myosin which is phosphorylated, should lead to relaxation from the active (contractile) state. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) is a strong inhibitor of smooth muscle contraction and it has been suggested that activation of MLCP could result from its phosphorylation via cAMP activated protein kinase (see Figure 5). 

Effect of protein-bound Ca TpC 4Ca antagonizes Tpl inhibition of F-actin-myosin interaction (allows F-actin activation of ATPase) Calmodulin 4Ca activates myosin light chain kinase that phosphorylates myosin p-light chain. The phosphorylated p-light chain no longer inhibits F-actin-myosin interaction (allows F-actin activation of ATPase). 

GFP hopo ICBP IP3 Ln3+ mal memal MLCK nota oxine par pdta pmea py quin-2 green fluorescent protein hydroxypyridinon(at)e intestinal calcium-binding protein inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate a lanthanide(III) cation malonate methylmalonate myosin light chain kinase 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-l,4,7-triacetate 8- hydroxyquinoline pyridine-2-azo-4 -dimethylaniline propylene-1,2-diaminetetraacetate 9- [2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl] adenine pjrridine pjrridyl 8-amino-2- [(2-amino-5-methylphenoxy )methyl] -6-methoxyquinoline-ATJV -tetraacetate 2- [ [2-[his(carboxymethyl)amino]-5-methyl-phenoxy] methyl] -6-methoxy-8- [bis(carboxymethyl) amino] quinoline]... 

The calcium mediated contraction of smooth muscle, which unlike striated muscle does not contain troponin, is quite different and requires a particular calcium-binding protein called calmodulin. Calmodulin (CM) is a widely distributed regulatory protein able to bind, with high affinity, four Ca2+ per protein molecule. The calcium—calmodulin (CaCM) complex associates with, and activates, regulatory proteins, usually enzymes, in many different cell types in smooth muscle the target regulatory proteins are caldesmon (CDM) and the enzyme myosin light chain kinase (MLCK). As described below, CaCM impacts on both actin and myosin filaments. 

When the Ca ion concentration falls, the activity of the kinase falls, and a protein phosphatase now dephosphory-lates the light chain (smooth mnscle myosin light chain phosphatase) (Figure 22.12). 

This enzyme [EC 2.7.1.123], also referred to as calcium/ calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II, and micro-tubule-associated protein MAP2 kinase, catalyzes the reaction of ATP with a protein to produce ADP and an 0-phosphoprotein. The enzyme requires calcium ions and calmodulin. Proteins that can serve as substrates include vimentin, synapsin, glycogen synthase, the myosin light-chains, and the microtubule-associated tau protein. This enzyme is distinct from myosin light-chain kinase [EC 2.7.1.117], caldesmon kinase [EC 2.7.1.120], and tau-protein kinase [EC 2.7.1.135]. 

Many of the biochemical and molecular events that are responsible for uterine smooth muscle contraction are the same as those that control other smooth muscle tissues (Fig. 62.1). Once uterine smooth muscle sensitivity has been augmented, actin and myosin must interact for contraction to occur. This interaction depends on the phosphorylation of the contractile proteins by the enzyme myosin light chain kinase (MLCK). This enzyme requires Ca++ and is active only when associated with calmodulin. Activation of the entire muscle contraction... 

The best characterized substrate of Ca Vcalmodulin is the Ca /calmodulin-depen-dent protein kinase (CaM kinase). CaM kinase has an important function in neuronal signal transduction. The mechanism of Ca Vcalmodulin activation of CaM kinase is described in more detail in Section 7.4, together with regulation of protein kinases. Another substrate of Ca Vcalmodulin is myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), involved in contraction of smooth musculature. 

Structural information on autoinhibition is available for the twitchin kinase. The twitchin kinase is a Ser/Thr-specific protein kinase of the nematode Caenorhabditis ele-gans and is homologous to the myosin light chain kinase of mammals (see 7.4.1). The crystal structure of a catalytic fragment of twitchin kinase (Hu et al., 1994) has an auto-inhibitory element at the C-terminus, which makes specific contact with parts of the active site and the ATP binding site. The active site of twitchin kinase is blocked by the autoinhibitory structural element by ... 

With its multiple second messengers and protein kinases, the phosphoinositide signaling pathway is much more complex than the cAMP pathway. For example, different cell types may contain one or more specialized calcium- and calmodulin-dependent kinases with limited substrate specificity (eg, myosin light-chain kinase) in addition to a general calcium- and calmodulin-... 

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