Role of the short isoform of myosin light chain kinase in the contraction of cultured smooth muscle cells as examined by its down-regulation.

ABSTRACT: GbaSM-4 cells, smooth muscle cells derived from brain basilar artery, which express both 210-kDa long and 130-kDa short isoforms of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), were infected with an adenovirus vector carrying a 1.4-kb catalytic portion of MLCK-cDNA in an antisense orientation. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of short MLCK was depressed without affecting long MLCK expression. The contraction of the down-regulated cells was measured by the cell-populated collagen-fiber method. The tension development after stimulation with norepinephrine or was depressed. The additional infection of the down-regulated cells with the adenovirus construct containing the same insert in a sense direction rescued not only the short MLCK expression but also contraction, confirming the physio

SUBMITTER: Bao J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC123179 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature