Dictyostelium myosin heavy chain kinase A regulates myosin localization during growth and development

Phosphorylation of the Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain (MHC) has a key role in regulating myosin localization in vivo and drives filament disassembly in vitro. Previous molecular analysis of the Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain kinase (MHCK A) gene has demonstrated that the catalytic domain of this enzyme is extremely novel, showing no significant similarity to the known classes of protein kinases (Futey, L. M., Q. G. Medley, G. P. Cote, and T. T. Egelhoff. 1995. J. Biol. Chem. 270:523-529). To address the physiological roles of this enzyme, we have analyzed the cellular consequences of MHCK A gene disruption (mhck A- cells) and MHCK A overexpression (MHCK A++ cells). The mhck A- cells are viable and competent for tested myosin-based contractile events, but display partial defects in myosin localization. Both growth phase and developed mhck A- cells show substantially reduced MHC kinase activity in crude lysates, as well as significant overassembly of myosin into the Triton-resistant cytoskeletal fractions. MHCK A++ cells display elevated levels of MHC kinase activity in crude extracts, and show reduced assembly of myosin into Triton-resistant cytoskeletal fractions. MHCK A++ cells show reduced growth rates in suspension, becoming large and multinucleated, and arrest at the mound stage during development. These results demonstrate that MHCK A functions in vivo as a protein kinase with physiological roles in regulating myosin II localization and assembly in Dictyostelium cells during both growth and developmental stages.     

Recruitment of a myosin heavy chain kinase to actin-rich protrusions in Dictyostelium

Nonmuscle myosin II plays fundamental roles in cell body translocation during migration and is typically depleted or absent from actin-based cell protrusions such as lamellipodia, but the mechanisms preventing myosin II assembly in such structures have not been identified [1-3]. In Dictyostelium discoideum, myosin II filament assembly is controlled primarily through myosin heavy chain (MHC) phosphorylation. The phosphorylation of sites in the myosin tail domain by myosin heavy chain kinase A (MHCK A) drives the disassembly of myosin II filaments in vitro and in vivo [4]. To better understand the cellular regulation of MHCK A activity, and thus the regulation of myosin II filament assembly, we studied the in vivo localization of native and green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged MHCK A. MHCK A redistributes from the cytosol to the cell cortex in response to stimulation of Dictyostelium cells with chemoattractant in an F-actin-dependent manner. During chemotaxis, random migration, and phagocytic/endocytic events, MHCK A is recruited preferentially to actin-rich leading-edge extensions. Given the ability of MHCK A to disassemble myosin II filaments, this localization may represent a fundamental mechanism for disassembling myosin II filaments and preventing localized filament assembly at sites of actin-based protrusion.     

Multiple myosin II heavy chain kinases: roles in filament assembly control and proper cytokinesis in Dictyostelium

Myosin II filament assembly in Dictyostelium discoideum is regulated via phosphorylation of residues located in the carboxyl-terminal portion of the myosin II heavy chain (MHC) tail. A series of novel protein kinases in this system are capable of phosphorylating these residues in vitro, driving filament disassembly. Previous studies have demonstrated that at least three of these kinases (MHCK A, MHCK B, and MHCK C) display differential localization patterns in living cells. We have created a collection of single, double, and triple gene knockout cell lines for this family of kinases. Analysis of these lines reveals that three MHC kinases appear to represent the majority of cellular activity capable of driving myosin II filament disassembly, and reveals that cytokinesis defects increase with the number of kinases disrupted. Using biochemical fractionation of cytoskeletons and in vivo measurements via fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), we find that myosin II overassembly increases incrementally in the mutants, with the MHCK A(-)/B(-)/C(-) triple mutant showing severe myosin II overassembly. These studies suggest that the full complement of MHC kinases that significantly contribute to growth phase and cytokinesis myosin II disassembly in this organism has now been identified.     

Actin activation of myosin heavy chain kinase A in Dictyostelium: a biochemical mechanism for the spatial regulation of myosin II filament disassembly

Studies in Dictyostelium discoideum have established that the cycle of myosin II bipolar filament assembly and disassembly controls the temporal and spatial localization of myosin II during critical cellular processes, such as cytokinesis and cell locomotion. Myosin heavy chain kinase A (MHCK A) is a key enzyme regulating myosin II filament disassembly through myosin heavy chain phosphorylation in Dictyostelium. Under various cellular conditions, MHCK A is recruited to actin-rich cortical sites and is preferentially enriched at sites of pseudopod formation, and thus MHCK A is proposed to play a role in regulating localized disassembly of myosin II filaments in the cell. MHCK A possesses an aminoterminal coiled-coil domain that participates in the oligomerization, cellular localization, and actin binding activities of the kinase. In the current study, we show that the interaction between the coiled-coil domain of MHCK A and filamentous actin leads to an approximately 40-fold increase in the initial rate of kinase catalytic activity. Actin-mediated activation of MHCK A involves increased rates of kinase autophosphorylation and requires the presence of the coiled-coil domain. Structure-function analyses revealed that the coiled-coil domain alone binds to actin filaments (apparent K(D) = 0.9 microm) and thus mediates the direct interaction with F-actin required for MHCK A activation. Collectively, these results indicate that MHCK A recruitment to actin-rich sites could lead to localized activation of the kinase via direct interaction with actin filaments, and thus this mode of kinase regulation may represent an important mechanism by which the cell achieves localized disassembly of myosin II filaments required for specific changes in cell shape.     

WD repeat domains target dictyostelium myosin heavy chain kinases by binding directly to myosin filaments

Myosin heavy chain kinase (MHCK) A phosphorylates mapped sites at the C-terminal tail of Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain, driving disassembly of myosin filaments both in vitro and in vivo. MHCK A is organized into three functional domains that include an N-terminal coiled-coil region, a central kinase catalytic domain unrelated to conventional protein kinases, and a WD repeat domain at the C terminus. MHCK B is a homologue of MHCK A that possesses structurally related catalytic and WD repeat domains. In the current study, we explored the role of the WD repeat domains in defining the activities of both MHCK A and MHCK B using recombinant bacterially expressed truncations of these kinases either with or without their WD repeat domains. We demonstrate that substrate targeting is a conserved function of the WD repeat domains of both MHCK A and MHCK B and that this targeting is specific for Dictyostelium myosin II filaments. We also show that the mechanism of targeting involves direct binding of the WD repeat domains to the myosin substrate. To our knowledge, this is the first report of WD repeat domains physically targeting attached kinase domains to their substrates. The examples presented here may serve as a paradigm for enzyme targeting in other systems.     

Dictyostelium myosin II heavy-chain kinase A is activated by heparin, DNA and acidic phospholipids and inhibited by polylysine, polyarginine and histones.

Dictyostelium myosin II heavy-chain kinase A (MHCK A) is activated by autophosphorylation. Heparin and DNA, as well as vesicles composed of phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylinositol, were found to increase the initial rate of MHCK A autophosphorylation 5-10-fold in a Ca(2+)-independent manner. The negatively charged molecules also increased the activity of the autophosphorylated MHCK A by about 2-fold. In contrast, positively charged polypeptides such as poly(D-lysine), poly(L-lysine), poly(L-arginine) and histones strongly inhibited (IC50 of 0.5 micrograms/ml) the activity of the active, autophosphorylated MHCK A. Similar levels of inhibition, on a weight basis, were observed for poly(L-lysine) fractions with molecular weights from 3800 to 150,000-300,000. The inhibition was competitive with respect to peptide substrate and mixed with respect to ATP. At much higher concentrations poly(L-lysine) also inhibited the ability of MHCK A to autophosphorylate. It is proposed that negatively charged compounds and autophosphorylation increase the activity of MHCK A by weakening the interaction between the catalytic domain and a positively charged autoinhibitory domain.     

Regulation of Dictyostelium myosin I and II

Dictyostelium expresses 12 different myosins, including seven single-headed myosins I and one conventional two-headed myosin II. In this review we focus on the signaling pathways that regulate Dictyostelium myosin I and myosin II. Activation of myosin I is catalyzed by a Cdc42/Rac-stimulated myosin I heavy chain kinase that is a member of the p21-activated kinase (PAK) family. Evidence that myosin I is linked to the Arp2/3 complex suggests that pathways that regulate myosin I may also influence actin filament assembly. Myosin II activity is stimulated by a cGMP-activated myosin light chain kinase and inhibited by myosin heavy chain kinases (MHCKs) that block bipolar filament assembly. Known MHCKs include MHCK A and MHCK B, which have a novel type of kinase catalytic domain joined to a WD repeat domain, and MHC-protein kinase C (PKC), which contains both diacylglycerol kinase and PKC-related protein kinase catalytic domains. A Dictyostelium PAK (PAKa) acts indirectly to promote myosin II filament formation, suggesting that the MHCKs may be indirectly regulated by Rac GTPases.     

Myosin heavy-chain kinase A from Dictyostelium possesses a novel actin-binding domain that cross-links actin filaments

Myosin heavy-chain kinase A (MHCK A) catalyses the disassembly of myosin II filaments in Dictyostelium cells via myosin II heavy-chain phosphorylation. MHCK A possesses a 'coiled-coil'-enriched domain that mediates the oligomerization, cellular localization and actin-binding activities of the kinase. F-actin (filamentous actin) binding by the coiled-coil domain leads to a 40-fold increase in MHCK A activity. In the present study we examined the actin-binding characteristics of the coiled-coil domain as a means of identifying mechanisms by which MHCK A-mediated disassembly of myosin II filaments can be regulated in the cell. Co-sedimentation assays revealed that the coiled-coil domain of MHCK A binds co-operatively to F-actin with an apparent K(D) of approx. 0.5 muM and a stoichiometry of approx. 5:1 [actin/C(1-498)]. Further analyses indicate that the coiled-coil domain binds along the length of the actin filament and possesses at least two actin-binding regions. Quite surprisingly, we found that the coiled-coil domain cross-links actin filaments into bundles, indicating that MHCK A can affect the cytoskeleton in two important ways: (1) by driving myosin II-filament disassembly via myosin II heavy-chain phosphorylation, and (2) by cross-linking/bundling actin filaments. This discovery, along with other supporting data, suggests a model in which MHCK A-mediated bundling of actin filaments plays a central role in the recruitment and activation of the kinase at specific sites in the cell. Ultimately this provides a means for achieving the robust and highly localized disruption of myosin II filaments that facilitates polarized changes in cell shape during processes such as chemotaxis, cytokinesis and multicellular development.     

Dictyostelium myosin II heavy-chain kinase A is activated by autophosphorylation: studies with Dictyostelium myosin II and synthetic peptides

One of the major sites phosphorylated on the Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain by the Dictyostelium myosin II heavy-chain kinase A (MHCK A) is Thr-2029. Two synthetic peptides based on the sequence of the Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain around Thr-2029 have been synthesized: MH-1 (residues 2020-2035; RKKFGESEKTKTKEFL-amide) and MH-2 (residues 2024-2035). Both peptides are substrates for MHCK A and are phosphorylated to a level of 1 mol of phosphate/mol. Tryptic digests indicate that the peptides are phosphorylated on the threonine corresponding to Thr-2029. When assays are initiated by the addition of MHCK A, the rate of phosphate incorporation into the peptides increases progressively for 4-6 min. The increasing activity of MHCK A over this time period is a result of autophosphorylation. Although each 130-kDa subunit of MHCK A can incorporate up to 10 phosphate molecules, 3 molecules of phosphate per subunit are sufficient to completely activate the kinase. Autophosphorylated MHCK A displays Vmax values of 2.2 and 0.6 mumol.min-1.mg-1 and Km values of 100 and 1200 microM with peptides MH-1 and MH-2, respectively. Unphosphorylated MHCK A displays a 50-fold lower Vmax with MH-1 but only a 2-fold greater Km. In the presence of Dictyostelium myosin II, the rate of autophosphorylation of MHCK A is increased 4-fold. If assays are performed at 4 degrees C (to slow the rate of MHCK A autophosphorylation), autophosphorylation can be shown to increase the activity of MHCK A with myosin II.     

Myosin heavy chain kinase B participates in the regulation of myosin assembly into the cytoskeleton

Myosin II plays critical roles in events such as cytokinesis, chemotactic migration, and morphological changes during multicellular development. The amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum provides a simple system for the study of this contractile protein. In this system, myosin II filament assembly is regulated by myosin heavy chain (MHC) phosphorylation in the tail region of the molecule. Earlier studies identified an alpha-kinase, MHC kinase A (MHCK A), which phosphorylates three mapped threonine residues in the myosin tail, driving myosin disassembly. Using molecular and genomic approaches, we have identified a series of related kinases in Dictyostelium. The enzyme MHCK B shares with MHCK A a domain organization that includes a highly novel catalytic domain coupled to a carboxyl-terminal WD repeat domain. We have engineered, expressed, and purified a FLAG-tagged version of the novel kinase. In the present study, we report detailed biochemical and cellular studies documenting that MHCK B plays a physiological role in the control of Dictyostelium myosin II assembly and disassembly during the vegetative life of Dictyostelium amoebae. The presented data supports a model of multiple related MHCKs in this system, with different regulatory mechanisms and pathways controlling each enzyme.     

Novel myosin heavy chain kinase involved in disassembly of myosin II filaments and efficient cleavage in mitotic dictyostelium cells

We have cloned a full-length cDNA encoding a novel myosin II heavy chain kinase (mhckC) from Dictyostelium. Like other members of the myosin heavy chain kinase family, the mhckC gene product, MHCK C, has a kinase domain in its N-terminal half and six WD repeats in the C-terminal half. GFP-MHCK C fusion protein localized to the cortex of interphase cells, to the cleavage furrow of mitotic cells, and to the posterior of migrating cells. These distributions of GFP-MHCK C always corresponded with that of myosin II filaments and were not observed in myosin II-null cells, where GFP-MHCK C was diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm. Thus, localization of MHCK C seems to be myosin II-dependent. Cells lacking the mhckC gene exhibited excessive aggregation of myosin II filaments in the cleavage furrows and in the posteriors of the daughter cells once cleavage was complete. The cleavage process of these cells took longer than that of wild-type cells. Taken together, these findings suggest MHCK C drives the disassembly of myosin II filaments for efficient cytokinesis and recycling of myosin II that occurs during cytokinesis.     

Developmentally expressed myosin heavy-chain kinase possesses a diacylglycerol kinase domain.

In Dictyostelium, an ordered actin and myosin assembly-disassembly process is necessary for proper development, differentiation, and motility (Yumura S, Fukui F, 1985, Nature 314(6007): 194-196; Ravid S, Spudich JA, 1989, J Biol Chem 264(25): 15144-15150), and phosphorylation of myosin heavy chains has been implicated in the myosin assembly-disassembly process (Egelhoff TT, Lee RJ, Spudich JA, 1993, Cell 75(2):363-371). The developmentally expressed 84-kDa myosin heavy-chain kinase (MHCK) from Dictyostelium (Ravid S, Spudich JA, 1992, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89(13):5877-5881) is known to be a member of the protein kinase C (PKC) family. We have observed a rather striking homology between the large central domain of MHCK and the catalytic domain of diacylglycerol kinase (DGK), indicating that MHCK is in fact a gene fusion between a DGK and a PKC, possessing two separate kinase domains. The combined diacylglycerol kinase/myosin heavy-chain kinase (DGK/MHCK) may therefore have dual functionality, possessing the ability to phosphorylate both protein and lipid. We present a hypothesis that DGK/MHCK can antagonize both actin and myosin assembly, as well as other cellular processes, by coordinated down regulation of signaling via myosin heavy-chain kinase activity and diacylglycerol kinase activity.     

Purification of Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain kinase A based on the increase in negative charge accompanying hyperphosphorylation

The initial step in the purification of Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain kinase A (MHCK A) is chromatography over phosphocellulose. Fractions containing MHCK A are pooled and chromatographed over a Mono Q column (Pharmacia LKB Biotechnology) equilibrated in 0.15 M KCl. Under these conditions MHCK A and most of the contaminating proteins elute in the flowthrough. The addition of Mg2+ and ATP to the Mono Q flowthrough results in the phosphorylation, within 15 min, of MHCK A to a level of 10 mol of phosphate per mole of 130-kDa kinase subunit. The hyperphosphorylated MHCK A binds to Mono Q columns in the presence of 0.15 M KCl and can be eluted, as a single homogeneous band, by a salt gradient to 0.35 M KCl. A similar purification procedure may prove useful for other proteins which can be highly phosphorylated. Hyperphosphorylation is shown to have no effect on the position at which MHCK A elutes from gel filtration columns (apparent M(r) greater than 700,000).     

PDZRhoGEF and myosin II localize RhoA activity to the back of polarizing neutrophil-like cells

Chemoattractants such as formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP) induce neutrophils to polarize by triggering divergent pathways that promote formation of a protrusive front and contracting back and sides. RhoA, a Rho GTPase, stimulates assembly of actomyosin contractile complexes at the sides and back. We show here, in differentiated HL60 cells, that PDZRhoGEF (PRG), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for RhoA, mediates RhoA-dependent responses and determines their spatial distribution. As with RNAi knock-down of PRG, a GEF-deleted PRG mutant blocks fMLP-dependent RhoA activation and causes neutrophils to exhibit multiple fronts and long tails. Similarly, inhibition of RhoA, a Rho-dependent protein kinase (ROCK), or myosin II produces the same morphologies. PRG inhibition reduces or mislocalizes monophosphorylated myosin light chains in fMLP-stimulated cells, and myosin II ATPase inhibition reciprocally disrupts normal localization of PRG. We propose a cooperative reinforcing mechanism at the back of cells, in which PRG, RhoA, ROCK, myosin II, and actomyosin spatially cooperate to consolidate attractant-induced contractility and ensure robust cell polarity.     

Specific phosphorylation of threonine by the Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain kinase family

Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain kinase A (MHCK A), MHCK B, and MHCK C contain a novel type of protein kinase catalytic domain that displays no sequence identity to the catalytic domain present in conventional serine, threonine, and/or tyrosine protein kinases. Several proteins, including myelin basic protein, myosin regulatory light chain, caldesmon, and casein were phosphorylated by the bacterially expressed MHCK A, MHCK B, and MHCK C catalytic domains. Phosphoamino acid analyses of the proteins showed that 91 to 99% of the phosphate was incorporated into threonine with the remainder into serine. Acceptor amino acid specificity was further examined using a synthetic peptide library (MAXXXX(S/T)XXXXAKKK; where X is any amino acid except cysteine, tryptophan, serine, and threonine and position 7 contains serine and threonine in a 1.7:1 ratio). Phosphorylation of the peptide library with the three MHCK catalytic domains resulted in 97 to 99% of the phosphate being incorporated into threonine, while phosphorylation with a conventional serine/threonine protein kinase, the p21-activated kinase, resulted in 80% of the phosphate being incorporated into serine. The acceptor amino acid specificity of MHCK A was tested directly by substituting serine for threonine in a synthetic peptide and a glutathione S-transferase fusion peptide substrate. The serine-containing substrates were phosphorylated at a 25-fold lower rate than the threonine-containing substrates. The results indicate that the MHCKs are specific for the phosphorylation of threonine.     

A novel bifunctional phospholipase c that is regulated by Galpha 12 and stimulates the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway

Three families of phospholipase C (PI-PLCbeta, gamma, and delta) are known to catalyze the hydrolysis of polyphosphoinositides such as phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)) to generate the second messengers inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate and diacylglycerol, leading to a cascade of intracellular responses that result in cell growth, cell differentiation, and gene expression. Here we describe the founding member of a novel, structurally distinct fourth family of PI-PLC. PLCepsilon not only contains conserved catalytic (X and Y) and regulatory domains (C2) common to other eukaryotic PLCs, but also contains two Ras-associating (RA) domains and a Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RasGEF) motif. PLCepsilon hydrolyzes PIP(2), and this activity is stimulated selectively by a constitutively active form of the heterotrimeric G protein Galpha(12). PLCepsilon and a mutant (H1144L) incapable of hydrolyzing phosphoinositides promote formation of GTP-Ras. Thus PLCepsilon is a RasGEF. PLCepsilon, the mutant H1144L, and the isolated GEF domain activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in a manner dependent on Ras but independent of PIP(2) hydrolysis. Our findings demonstrate that PLCepsilon is a novel bifunctional enzyme that is regulated by the heterotrimeric G protein Galpha(12) and activates the small G protein Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.     

Role of guanine nucleotide exchange factors for Rho family GTPases in the regulation of cell morphology and actin cytoskeleton in fission yeast

Rho GTPases regulate fundamental processes including cell morphology and migration in various organisms. Guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) has a crucial role in activating small GTPase by exchange GDP for GTP. In fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, six members of the Rho small GTPase family were identified and reported to be involved in cell morphology and polarized cell growth. We identified seven genes encoding Rho GEF domain from genome sequence and analyzed. Overexpressions of identified genes in cell lead to change of morphology, suggesting that all of them are involved in the regulation of cell morphology. Although all of null mutants were viable, two of seven null cells had morphology defects and five of seven displayed altered actin cytoskeleton arrangements. Most of the double mutants were viable and biochemical analysis revealed that each of GEFs bound to several small G proteins. These data suggest that identified Rho GEFs are involved in the regulation of cell morphology and share signals via small GTPase Rho family.     

Sites of phosphorylation by protein kinase A in CDC25Mm/GRF1, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Ras

Activation of the neuronal Ras GDP/GTP exchange factor (GEF) CDC25Mm/GRF1 is known to be associated with phosphorylation of serine/threonine. To increase our knowledge of the mechanism involved, we have analyzed the ability of several serine/threonine kinases to phosphorylate CDC25Mm in vivo and in vitro. We could demonstrate the involvement of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in the phosphorylation of CDC25Mm in fibroblasts overexpressing this RasGEF as well as in mouse brain synaptosomal membranes. In vitro, PKA was found to phosphorylate multiple sites on purified CDC25Mm, in contrast to protein kinase C, calmodulin kinase II, and casein kinase II, which were virtually inactive. Eight phosphorylated serines and one threonine were identified by mass spectrometry and Edman degradation. Most of them were clustered around the Ras exchanger motif/PEST motifs situated in the C-terminal moiety (residues 631-978) preceding the catalytic domain. Ser745 and Ser822 were the most heavily phosphorylated residues and the only ones coinciding with PKA consensus sequences. Substitutions S745D and S822D showed that the latter mutation strongly inhibited the exchange activity of CDC25Mm on Ha-Ras. The multiple PKA-dependent phosphorylation sites on CDC25Mm suggest a complex regulatory picture of this RasGEF. The results are discussed in the light of structural and/or functional similarities with other members of this RasGEF family.     

Release of myosin II from the membrane-cytoskeleton of Dictyostelium discoideum mediated by heavy-chain phosphorylation at the foci within the cortical actin network

Membrane-cytoskeletons were prepared from Dictyostelium amebas, and networks of actin and myosin II filaments were visualized on the exposed cytoplasmic surfaces of the cell membranes by fluorescence staining (Yumura, S., and T. Kitanishi-Yumura. 1990. Cell Struct. Funct. 15:355-364). Addition of ATP caused contraction of the cytoskeleton with aggregation of part of actin into several foci within the network, but most of myosin II was released via the foci. However, in the presence of 10 mM MgCl2, which stabilized myosin II filaments, myosin II remained at the foci. Ultrastructural examination revealed that, after contraction, only traces of monomeric myosin II remained at the foci. By contrast, myosin II filaments remained in the foci in the presence of 10 mM MgCl2. These observations suggest that myosin II was released not in a filamentous form but in a monomeric form. Using [gamma 32P]ATP, we found that the heavy chains of myosin II released from membrane-cytoskeletons were phosphorylated, and this phosphorylation resulted in disassembly of myosin filaments. Using ITP (a substrate for myosin II ATPase) and/or ATP gamma S (a substrate for myosin II heavy-chain kinase [MHCK]), we demonstrated that phosphorylation of myosin heavy chains occurred at the foci within the actin network, a result that suggests that MHCK was localized at the foci. These results together indicate that, during contraction, the heavy chains of myosin II that have moved toward the foci within the actin network are phosphorylated by a specific MHCK, with the resultant disassembly of filaments which are finally released from membrane-cytoskeletons. This series of reactions could represent the mechanism for the relocation of myosin II from the cortical region to the endoplasm.