Molecular-level evidence of force maintenance by smooth muscle myosin during LC20 dephosphorylation.

ABSTRACT: Smooth muscle (SM) is found in most hollow organs of the body. Phasic SM, as found in the gut, contracts to propel content, whereas tonic SM, as found in most blood vessels, maintains tension. This force maintenance is referred to as the latch state and occurs at low levels of myosin activation (myosin light chain [LC20] phosphorylation). Molecular mechanisms have been proposed to explain the latch state but have been studied only at the whole-muscle level because of technological limitations. In the current study, an assay chamber was devised to allow injection of myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP) during laser trap and in vitro motility assays, without creating bulk flow, to reproduce latch state conditions at the molecular level. Using the laser trap in a single-beam mode, an actin f

SUBMITTER: Hammell MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9411650 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature