大鼠快慢肌单纤维肌球蛋白轻链的分析比较

从整块肌肉抽提的肌球蛋白,其轻链类型因肌肉收缩的快慢而有区别,即快肌的肌球蛋白有三条轻链,慢肌的肌球蛋白只有二条轻链(Sarker等,1971;Lowey和Risby,1971),它们分别属于不同的肌球蛋白同功酶,这在鸡(Hoh,1978)和兔(Hoh,1979)都是这样。另外,在神经肌肉的发育过程中,一旦有了神经控制,便使起初只合成快型轻链的肌肉,逐步向合成慢型轻链的慢肌分化(Rubinstein和Kelly,1978)。然而,快肌和慢肌不同的轻链图谱特征,是否也表现在肌纤维的快慢类型上呢?这很少见到报道。我们曾观察到单肌纤维的肌球蛋白有二个成份,它们之间的比值和各自的电泳迁移率可以作为区别二类不同单肌纤维的特征(章生艮、任惠民,1983)。我们认为既然快肌纤维和慢肌纤维的肌球蛋白成份各有特征,那末,单肌纤维的肌球蛋白轻链图谱,当然也应该能反映单肌纤维的快、慢类型了。本文目的就是利用毛细管凝胶电泳对单肌纤维的轻链分析,来探讨这个问题。     

鳜碱性肌球蛋白轻链基因cDNA的克隆及其发育表达分析

肌球蛋白轻链是构成鱼类肌纤维主要组成部分,在鱼类肌肉生长和收缩过程中具有重要作用。鳜鱼具有生长快、肉质细嫩、味道鲜美、营养成分高等优良的性状。研究通过构建鳜肌肉组织cDNA文库分离到两个碱性肌球蛋白轻链基因,即MLC1和MLC3基因。序列分析显示MLC1和MLC3基因cDNA序列全长分别为1237bp和1070bp,分别编码192和150个氨基酸,除去MLC1N端多出的42个氨基酸残基,MLC1与MLC3氨基酸序列同源性为80.3%。通过PROSITEtools软件预测显示两种轻链都具有两个保守的EF-手相结构,其中第二个EF-hand结构除前三个氨基酸外同源性达100%。鱼类MLC3轻链N端没有高等脊椎动物MLC3特有标志序列。采用实时荧光定量PCR方法对鳜鱼MLC1和MLC3发育性表达分析表明,在原肠期开始有低量表达,与原肠期、尾芽期和肌肉效应期相比,心搏期和仔鱼期MLC1和MLC3表达量显著升高。研究结果首次提供了鳜肌肉组织肌球蛋白主要结构基因的分子生物学信息以及它们在鳜肌肉组织发生和功能的相关性。       

平滑肌收缩调节的信号转导

平滑肌细胞内信号转导主要有肌球蛋白轻链激酶（ＭＬＣＫ）和蛋白激酶Ｃ（ＰＫＣ）途径。前者通过肌浆内Ｃａ＾２＋浓度升高,激活钙调蛋白（ＣａＭ）依赖性ＭＬＣＫ,催化肌球蛋白轻链丝氨酸（Ｓｅｒ）－１９磷酸化,肌球蛋白ＡＴＰ酶活性增加,肌丝滑行,肌肉收缩。肌浆内Ｃａ＾２＋浓度的恢复使ＭＬＣＫ失活,肌球蛋白轻链磷酸酶（ＭＬＣＰ）使肌球蛋白脱磷酸化,肌肉舒张。近来有证据表明ＰＫＣ信号转导途径通过影响细肌丝相关蛋     

鱼类肌球蛋白重链基因研究进展及展望

肌球蛋白是构成鱼类肌肉的主要蛋白之一。肌球蛋白由2条相对分子质量为220×10^3的重链和4条相对分子质量为16×10^3～20×10^3的轻链组成。以往对于肌球蛋白基因的研究大多数集中在高等脊椎动物,而有关鱼类的研究相对薄弱。对鱼类肌球蛋白和肌球蛋白重链基因结构、功能及其表达调节机制等研究进展做了综述分析;同时结合作者的研究实践,探讨了对名贵鱼类肌肉发生和肌球蛋白的进一步研究。     

人心肌肌球蛋白轻链1与重链和肌动蛋白的结合

在测得中国人心肌肌球蛋白轻链 1cDNA的核苷酸序列 ,并获得一株单克隆抗体 (HCMLC1 8)的基础上 ,用PCR方法 ,以中国人心肌肌球蛋白轻链 1的cDNA为模板 ,分别获得中国人心肌肌球蛋白轻链 1的各为 98个氨基酸的N端和C端片段cDNA的克隆并进行了表达。同时进行了其表达产物和大鼠心肌肌球蛋白重链和人心肌肌动蛋白以及单克隆抗体结合的研究 ,发现三者均和轻链 1的N端相结合 ,结合位点各不相同。这些结合位点可能均位于轻链 1的分子表面 ,而且如果轻链 1在实验状态下先与肌动蛋白结合 ,则有可能影响轻链与重链间的彼此结合。肌动蛋白在体外能以不同位点结合肌球蛋白重链和轻链 ,可能在肌肉收缩过程中具有重要的生理意义     

人心肌肌球蛋白链1与重链和肌动蛋白的结合

在测得中国人心肌肌球蛋白轻链1cDNA的核苷酸序列,并获得一株单克隆抗体（HCMLC1－8）的基础上,用PCR方法,以中国人心肌肌球蛋白轻链1的cDNA模板,分别获得中国人心肌肌球蛋白轻链1的各为98个氨基酸的N端和C端片段cDNA的克隆并进行了表达。同时进行了其表达产物和大鼠心肌肌球蛋白重链和人心肌肌动蛋白以及单克隆抗体结合的研究,发现三者均和轻链1的N端相结合,结合们点各不相同。这些结合位点可能均位于轻链1的分子表面,而且如果轻链1在实验状态下先与肌动蛋白结合,则有可能影响轻链与重链间的彼此结合,肌动蛋白在体外能以不同位点结合肌球蛋白重链和轻链,可能在肌肉收缩过程中具有重要的生理意义。     

肌球蛋白磷酸化的研究进展

肌球蛋白是肌原纤维粗丝的组成单位,由多条重链与多条轻链组成,被视为一种分子马达。在肌肉收缩、趋化性胞质分裂、胞引作用、膜泡运输以及信号传导等生理过程中起重要作用。目前肌球蛋白磷酸化是研究的一个热点,它对细胞的迁移、收缩、胞质分裂以及其他未知功能都有着至关重要的作用。肌球蛋白磷酸化分为重链的磷酸化与轻链的磷酸化。根据国内外的最新相关研究报道,分别从肌球蛋白的结构与功能、磷酸化的作用机制、磷酸化的生物学功能以及最新研究成果等方面,对肌球蛋白的磷酸化研究进展进行阐述。     

平滑肌肌球蛋白磷酸化与肌动球蛋白功能调节

在有Ｃａ２＋和钙调蛋白存在时,肌球蛋白轻链激酶催化肌球蛋白磷酸化,促使肌动蛋白激活的肌球蛋白（肌动球蛋白）Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰ酶活性显著增加．然而,肌球蛋白磷酸化水平与Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰ酶之间的关系是非线性的,原肌球蛋白可以进一步增加Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰ酶的活性,但仍不改变它们之间的非线性关系．肌球蛋白轻链激酶的合成肽抑制剂抑制了肌球蛋白磷酸化和Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰ酶活性,并导致平滑肌去膜肌纤维的等长收缩张力与速度的降低．结果提示肌球蛋白轻链激酶参与脊椎动物平滑肌收缩的调节过程,肌球蛋白轻链磷酸化作用会引起平滑肌收缩     

鲢鱼骨骼肌肌球蛋白重链基因的cDNA克隆与表达

肌球蛋白分子含有2个约200kD的重链亚基和4个约20kD的轻链亚基,重链亚基由球状的头部(S1)和α-双螺旋的杆部(Rod)组成1。在鱼类肌肉蛋白质的组成中,肌球蛋白约占肌原纤维蛋白的50%以上,并且其基因在生物进化过程中的变异性很大,以致肌原纤维蛋白性质的变化主要是由肌球蛋白的变化引起的2。       

调节轻链在平滑肌肌球蛋白分子上的定位

 应用凝胶电泳覆盖技术和放射自显影法研究了32~P-标记的平滑肌肌球蛋白调节轻链在肌球蛋白分子上的定位。实验结果表明调节轻链(LC_(20))可重新结合于平滑肌肌球蛋白重链(200kD),重酶解肌球蛋白(130kD)及其62kD和26kD肽段上。这提示调节轻链的结合点位于平滑肌肌球蛋白亚段-1羧基端的26kD肽段上。     

Regulation by molluscan myosins

Molluscan myosins are regulated molecules that control muscle contraction by the selective binding of calcium. The essential and the regulatory light chains are regulatory subunits. Scallop myosin is the favorite material for studying the interactions of the light chains with the myosin heavy chain since the regulatory light chains can be reversibly removed from it and its essential light chains can be exchanged. Mutational and structural studies show that the essential light chain binds calcium provided that the Ca-binding loop is stabilized by specific interactions with the regulatory light chain and the heavy chain. The regulatory light chains are inhibitory subunits. Regulation requires the presence of both myosin heads and an intact headrod junction. Heavy meromyosin is regulated and shows cooperative features of activation while subfragment-1 is non-cooperative. The myosin heavy chains of the functionally different phasic striated and the smooth catch muscle myosins are products of a single gene, the isoforms arise from alternative splicing. The differences between residues of the isoforms are clustered at surface loop-1 of the heavy chain and account for the different ATPase activity of the two muscle types. Catch muscles contain two regulatory light chain isoforms, one phosphorylatable by gizzard myosin light chain kinase. Phosphorylation of the light chain does not alter ATPase activity. We could not find evidence that light chain phosphorylation is responsible for the catch state.     

Phosphorylation of vertebrate nonmuscle and smooth muscle myosin heavy chains and light chains

In this article we review the various amino acids present in vertebrate nonmuscle and smooth muscle myosin that can undergo phosphorylation. The sites for phosphorylation in the 20 kD myosin light chain include serine-19 and threonine-18 which are substrates for myosin light chain kinase and serine-1 and/or-2 and threonine-9 which are substrates for protein kinase C. The sites in vertebrate smooth muscle and nonmuscle myosin heavy chains that can be phosphorylated by protein kinase C and casein kinase II are also summarized.Original data indicating that treatment of human T-lymphocytes (Jurkat cell line) with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate results in phosphorylation of both the 20 kD myosin light chain as well as the 200 kD myosin heavy chain is presented. We identified the amino acids phosphorylated in the human T-lymphocytes myosin light chains as serine-1 or serine-2 and in the myosin heavy chains as serine-1917 by 1-dimensional isoelectric focusing of tryptic phosphopeptides. Untreated T-lymphocytes contain phosphate in the serine-19 residue of teh myosin light chain and in a residue tentatively identified as serine-1944 in the myosin heavy chain.Abbreviations MLC myosin light chain - MHC myosin heavy chain - Tris tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane - EGTA [ethylenebis(oxyethylenenitrilo)]tetraacetic acid - EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetate - TPCK N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone - PMA phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate     

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.     

Expression of proto-oncogenes and muscle specific genes during cardiac hypertrophy and development in rats and humans

A regulatory interdependence of expression of proto-oncogenes and muscle specific genes observed in smooth muscle was examined in cardiac muscle during normal development and hypertrophy both in rats and humans. During normal development in rats, myosin light chain 2 expression is very low at prenatal stages, while c-fos expression starts from the early stages of embryonic development. In aorta constricted rats c-fos induction occurs within 30 min whereas myosin light chain 2 expression is sufficiently high only after 3 or 4 days of post operative period. In the case of humans, the expression of myosin light chain 2 as well as c-fos occurs at high levels during embryonic development. Similar results were obtained with tissue samples obtained from patients with cardiac abnormalities. Induction of the c-fos gene in cultured myocytes by 12-O-tetradeeanoylphorbol 13-acetate has no influence on the expression of myosin light chain 2. These studies were extended with studies on c-myc and Β-myosin heavy chain gene expression which revealed a similar pattern of expression as that of c-fos and myosin light chain 2. These results have indicated that the expression of proto-oncogenes in cardiac muscle may be independently regulated from the expression of muscle specific genes.     

Myogenesis and histogenesis of skeletal muscle on flexible membranes in vitro

Summary Primary muscle cell cultures consisting of single myocytes and fibroblasts are grown on flexible, optically clear biomembranes. Muscle cell growth, fusion and terminal differentiation are normal. A most effective membrane for these cultures is commercially available Saran Wrap. Muscle cultures on Saran will, once differentiated, contract vigorously and will deform the Saran which is pinned to a Sylgard base. At first, the muscle forms a two-dimensional network which ultimately detaches from the Saran membrane allowing an undergrowth of fibroblasts so that these connective tissue cells completely surround groups of muscle fibers. A three-dimensional network is thus formed, held in place through durable adhesions to stainless steel pins. This three-dimensional, highly contractile network is seen to consist of all three connective tissue compartments seenin vivo, the endomysium, perimysium and epimysium. Finally, this muscle shows advanced levels of maturation in that neonatal and adult isoforms of myosin heavy chain are detected together with high levels of myosin fast light chain 3. Antibody 2E9 to neonatal myosin heavy chain was obtained from Dr. Everett Bandman. MF 20 which reacts with all myosin heavy chain isoforms including the embryonic isoform and MF 14 which reacts specifically with adult myosin heavy chain were obtained from Drs. Bader and Fischman. Antibody to myosin fast light chain 3 was obtained from Dr. Susan Lowey. Antibody to fibronectin was obtained from Dr. Douglas Fambrough. This work was supported by grants to R. C. S. from the Muscular Dystrophy Association and from NIH. Editor's Statement The paper represents a novel and interesting approach to the co-culture of myotubes with fibroblasts which allows three dimensional development of endomysium, perimysium and epimysium and expression of adult-type muscle proteins. Such organogenic development is not normally seen in vitro. The technique should prove useful in elucidating development aspects of muscle cells and their relationship with connective support.     

Targeting by myosin phosphatase-RhoA interacting protein mediates RhoA/ROCK regulation of myosin phosphatase

Vascular smooth muscle cell contractile state is the primary determinant of blood vessel tone. Vascular smooth muscle cell contractility is directly related to the phosphorylation of myosin light chains (MLCs), which in turn is tightly regulated by the opposing activities of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and myosin phosphatase. Myosin phosphatase is the principal enzyme that dephosphorylates MLCs leading to relaxation. Myosin phosphatase is regulated by both vasoconstrictors that inhibit its activity to cause MLC phosphorylation and contraction, and vasodilators that activate its activity to cause MLC dephosphorylation and relaxation. The RhoA/ROCK pathway is activated by vasoconstrictors to inhibit myosin phosphatase activity. The mechanism by which RhoA and ROCK are localized to and interact with myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP) is not well understood. We recently found a new member of the myosin phosphatase complex, myosin phosphatase-rho interacting protein, that directly binds to both RhoA and the myosin-binding subunit of myosin phosphatase in vitro, and targets myosin phosphatase to the actinomyosin contractile filament in smooth muscle cells. Because myosin phosphatase-rho interacting protein binds both RhoA and MLCP, we investigated whether myosin phosphatase-rho interacting protein was required for RhoA/ROCK-mediated myosin phosphatase regulation. Myosin phosphatase-rho interacting protein silencing prevented LPA-mediated myosin-binding subunit phosphorylation, and inhibition of myosin phosphatase activity. Myosin phosphatase-rho interacting protein did not regulate the activation of RhoA or ROCK in vascular smooth muscle cells. Silencing of M-RIP lead to loss of stress fiber-associated RhoA, suggesting that myosin phosphatase-rho interacting protein is a scaffold linking RhoA to regulate myosin phosphatase at the stress fiber.     

Phosphorylation of myosin light chain kinase: a cellular mechanism for Ca2+ desensitization

Phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain of myosin by the Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain kinase plays an important role in smooth muscle contraction, nonmuscle cell shape changes, platelet contraction, secretion, and other cellular processes. Smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase is also phosphorylated, and recent results from experiments designed to satisfy the criteria of Krebs and Beavo for establishing the physiological significance of enzyme phosphorylation have provided insights into the cellular regulation and function of this phosphorylation in smooth muscle. The multifunctional Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II phosphorylates myosin light chain kinase at a regulatory site near the calmodulin-binding domain. This phosphorylation increases the concentration of Ca²⁺/calmodulin required for activation and hence increases the Ca²⁺ concentrations required for myosin light chain kinase activity in cells. However, the concentration of cytosolic Ca²⁺ required to effect myosin light chain kinase phosphorylation is greater than that required for myosin light chain phosphorylation. Phosphorylation of myosin light chain kinase is only one of a number of mechanisms used by the cell to down regulate the Ca²⁺ signal in smooth muscle. Since both smooth and nonmuscle cells express the same form of myosin light chain kinase, this phosphorylation may play a regulatory role in cellular processes that are dependent on myosin light chain phosphorylation.     

Contraction kinetics and myosin isoform composition in smooth muscle from hypertrophied rat urinary bladder

Mechanical properties and isoform composition of myosin heavy and light chains were studied in hypertrophying rat urinary bladders. Growth of the bladder was induced by partial ligation of the urethra. Preparations were obtained after 10 days. In maximally activated skinned preparations from the hypertrophying tissue, the maximal shortening velocity and the rate of force development following photolytic release of ATP were reduced by about 20 and 25%, respectively. Stiffness was unchanged. The relative content of the basic isoform of the essential 17 kDa myosin light chain was doubled in the hypertrophied tissue. The expression of myosin heavy chain with a 7 amino acid insert at the 25K/50K region was determined using a peptide-derived antibody against the insert sequence. The relative amount of heavy chain with insert was decreased to 50%, in the hypertrophic tissue. The kinetics of the cross-bridge turn-over in the newly formed myosin in the hypertrophic smooth muscle is reduced, which might be related to altered expression of myosin heavy or light chain isoforms. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Localization of an actin binding domain in smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase

Phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain of myosin II by myosinlight chain kinase is important for regulating many contractile processes.Smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase has been shown to be associated withboth actin and myosin filaments in vitro and in vivo. In this report wedefine an actin binding region by using molecular deletions to generaterecombinant mutant proteins that were analyzed by co-sedimentation withF-actin. An actin binding region restricted to residues 2-42 in the animoterminus of the rabbit smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase wasidentified.     

Refined model of the 10S conformation of smooth muscle myosin by cryo-electron microscopy 3D image reconstruction

The actin-activated ATPase activity of smooth muscle myosin and heavy meromyosin (smHMM) is regulated by phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain (RLC). Complete regulation requires two intact myosin heads because single-headed myosin subfragments are always active. 2D crystalline arrays of the 10S form of intact myosin, which has a dephosphorylated RLC, were produced on a positively charged lipid monolayer and imaged in 3D at 2.0 nm resolution by cryo-electron microscopy of frozen, hydrated specimens. An atomic model of smooth muscle myosin was constructed from the X-ray structures of the smooth muscle myosin motor domain and essential light chain and a homology model of the RLC was produced based on the skeletal muscle S1 structure. The initial model of the 10S myosin, based on the previous reconstruction of smHMM, was subjected to real space refinement to obtain a quantitative fit to the density. The smHMM was likewise refined and both refined models reveal the same asymmetric interaction between the upper 50 kDa domain of the "blocked" head and parts of the catalytic, converter domains and the essential light chain of the "free" head observed previously. This observation suggests that this interaction is not simply due to crystallographic packing but is enforced by elements of the myosin heads. The 10S reconstruction shows additional alpha-helical coiled-coil not seen in the earlier smHMM reconstruction, but the location of one segment of S2 is the same in both.