Transgenic Over-Expression of a Motor Protein at High Levels Results in Severe Cardiac Pathology

Transgenesis has become a useful tool in effecting a complete or partial remodeling of the cardiac contractile apparatus. Although gene dosage effects were initially a concern, recent data showed that the heart is able to accommodate varying levels of transgenic over-expression without detectable ill effects. The present study was designed to test the limits of the transgenic paradigm in terms of the production of a cardiac phenotype due simply to the over-expression of a contractile protein. To this end, eight lines of mice which express an isoform of the essential myosin light chain 1 that is normally found in the adult ventricle (ELC1v) were generated. Overt phenotype was correlated both with the level of expression/protein replacement and copy number of the transgene. Two of the lines showed essentially complete replacement of the atrial isoform (ELC1a) with ELC1v. However, the phenotypes of the two lines differed dramatically. The line with the lower copy number (37 copies), and moderate over-expression (16 fold) showed no overt pathology while a line with very high copy number (94 copies) and extremely high levels of over-expression (27–50 fold) developed a significant atrial hypertrophy, dilation and cardiomyopathy. These data indicate that very high expression levels of a contractile protein can cause a cardiac pathology that is unrelated to its degree of replacement in the sarcomere and the unique role(s) it may assume in motor protein function.     

Structure and function of the essential light chain of myosin

The review summarizes the recent data on the structure and function of the essential light chain of myosin. It is known that the essential light chain of myosin stabilizes the lever arm. Consistent with the model of the shift of the dynamic population of conformations, the conformational flexibility of the essential light chain is emphasized, which opens the way to determining its new functions. It is proposed that the interaction between the C-terminal domain of the essential light chain and the N-terminal subdomain of the heavy chain of myosin may be involved in the coupling of ATP hydrolysis and rotation of the lever arm. The recent data indicate that the isoforms of the essential light chain with the additional N-terminal peptide are capable of interacting with actin and src-homologous domain 3 of myosin. The structural aspects of these interactions and the modulatory role of the isoforms of the essential light chain of myosin are discussed.     

平滑肌细胞迁移的肌球蛋白轻链非磷酸化途径

为了阐明平滑肌细胞迁移存在肌球蛋白轻链非磷酸化调节途径,研究花生四烯酸(arachidonicacid,AA)对肌球蛋白轻链非磷酸化状态下平滑肌细胞迁移的影响及其相关的信号传导途径.经Boyden小室跨膜迁移实验发现,AA对培养的兔血管平滑肌SM3细胞具有明显的诱导迁移作用.然而,当预先用10μmolL肌球蛋白轻链激酶(myosinlightchainkinase,MLCK)特异性抑制剂ML7作用SM3细胞后,发现AA对SM3细胞仍然具有明显的诱导迁移作用,并呈剂量依赖性,这种诱导作用可被细胞外信号调节激酶12(ERK12)的特异性抑制剂PD98059或磷脂酶C(PLC)的特异性抑制剂U73122所拮抗.此外,Ⅱ型肌球蛋白抑制剂blebbistatin(BLB)可部分抑制“非磷酸化”状态下AA的诱导迁移作用.经Western印迹检测显示,10μmolLML7可完全抑制SM3细胞中20kD肌球蛋白轻链(MLC20)磷酸化,并且加入AA后MLC20仍为非磷酸化状态.应用免疫荧光染色法观察肌动蛋白在SM3细胞中分布的变化,发现在AA作用下肌动蛋白呈细胞边缘聚集现象,有伪足形成,细胞形态表现为迁移状态.预先用ML7作用后再加入AA,肌动蛋白的分布与上述结果相同.研究结果初步表明,在平滑肌细胞迁移的作用途径中,在MLC磷酸化调节途径受到抑制时,AA可诱导MLC非磷酸化的平滑肌细胞发生迁移,其分子机理可能与ERK12和PLC信号传导途径有关,非磷酸化的肌球蛋白直接参与了该迁移过程.     

Process Formation in Astrocytes: Modulation of Cytoskeletal Proteins

Studies on primary astrocytes cultured in vitro have shown that process formation involves changes in cytoskeletal proteins and release of tension on the substratum. Actin filament reorganization has previously been found to be the major cytoskeletal change occurring during process formation. These changes are relatively rapid with breakdown of the actin web and release of contacts occur within 15 min. of cyclic AMP treatment. The former is regulated by myosin light chain (MLC) and actin depolymerizing factor (ADF), with MLC involved in the initial release of contractile tension and ADF in both initial and longer term actin breakdown. Our results show that the dephosphorylation of MLC is due to the phosphorylation and inactivation of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) in response to cyclic AMP. To further study the mechanisms underlying the process formation in astrocytes we used endothelin-1 (ET-1), a vasopeptide which has been shown to inhibit process formation in astrocytes and sodium fluoride which is a general phosphatase inhibitor. We observe an increase in phosphorylation of MLC on inhibition of process formation. To study the role of adhesion in process formation we used suspension cultures of astrocytes. Our results with the astrocytes in suspension suggest that the process formation in astrocytes is adhesion dependent and the changes in ADF and MLC occur only when there is process formation.     

Decreased phosphatase activity, increased Ca2+ sensitivity, and myosin light chain phosphorylation in urinary bladder smooth muscle of newborn mice

Developmental changes in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction were examined in urinary bladder smooth muscle from mice. Maximal active stress was lower in newborn tissue compared with adult, and it was correlated with a lower content of actin and myosin. Sensitivity to extracellular Ca2+ during high-K+ contraction, was higher in newborn compared with 3-wk-old and adult bladder strips. Concentrations at half maximal tension (EC50) were 0.57 +/- 0.01, 1.14 +/- 0.12, and 1.31 +/- 0.08 mM. Force of the newborn tissue was inhibited by approximately 45% by the nonmuscle myosin inhibitor Blebbistatin, whereas adult tissue was not affected. The calcium sensitivity in newborn tissue was not affected by Blebbistatin, suggesting that nonmuscle myosin is not a primary cause for increased calcium sensitivity. The relation between intracellular [Ca2+] and force was shifted toward lower [Ca2+] in the newborn bladders. This increased Ca2+ sensitivity was also found in permeabilized muscles (EC50: 6.10 +/- 0.07, 5.77 +/- 0.08, and 5.55 +/- 0.02 pCa units, in newborn, 3-wk-old, and adult tissues). It was associated with an increased myosin light chain phosphorylation and a decreased rate of dephosphorylation. No difference was observed in the myosin light chain phosphorylation rate, whereas the rate of myosin light chain phosphatase-induced relaxation was about twofold slower in the newborn tissue. The decreased rate was associated with a lower expression of the phosphatase regulatory subunit MYPT-1 in newborn tissue. The results show that myosin light chain phosphatase activity can be developmentally regulated in mammalian urinary bladders. The resultant alterations in Ca2+ sensitivity may be of importance for the nervous and myogenic control of the newborn bladders.     

平滑肌肌球蛋白轻链激酶的非激酶作用及对ATP 酶活性的调节

肌球蛋白轻链激酶（myosin light chain kinase, MLCK）具有激酶活性和非激酶活性,在平滑肌收缩过程中起着关键酶调控的作用.为探寻MLCK的非激酶活性区域对MLCK活性的影响,以进一步阐明MLCK的非激酶活性在调节平滑肌收缩过程中的分子机制.采用PCR技术构建MLCK部分氨基酸缺失的重组表达载体pGEX-F6-5/D,经大肠杆菌表达得到可溶性GST融合蛋白,利用SDS-PAGE及Western 印迹鉴定表达的MLCK在细胞中的分布,结果还显示,提取液的上清和沉淀中均有MLCK片段的表达.运用亲和层析技术分离并纯化删除前、后表达的MLCK片段（F6.5和F6-5/D）,经谷胱甘肽琼脂糖凝胶 4B 纯化,SDS-PAGE鉴定显示为单一表达条带.应用EnzChek磷分析试剂盒和孔雀绿两种方法分别测定不同浓度的MLCK对非磷酸化肌球蛋白Mg²⁺-ATP酶活性的影响.两种MLCK的片段均具有激活ATP酶活性的作用,并随MLCK浓度的增加,酶的活性增加.比较删除前后不同MLCK片段对ATP酶活性的影响结果显示,删除MLCK片段1002位丙氨酸至1019位亮氨酸后,对ATP酶的激活作用较删除前明显降低,表明删除的部分氨基酸序列为MLCK非激酶活性所必需的区域.利用电镜技术观察到MLCK片段（F6.5）使非磷酸化肌球蛋白构象发生明显的变化.加入MLCK片段后肌球蛋白的构象由非活性型转化为活性型,并且MLCK片段还具有促进肌球蛋白单体形成肌丝的作用.