MECHANISMS OF SMOOTH MUSCLE CONTRACTION.
Horowitz, Arie, Constance B. Menice, Regent Laporte, Kathleen G. Morgan.
Kathleen G. Morgan, Ph.D., Boston Biomedical Research Institute, 20
Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114-2500 USA
APStracts 2:0034P, 1996.
ABSTRACT
Work performed with differentiated contractile smooth muscle tissue over the
last two decades has made clear that covalent modification of myosin by
phosphorylation of the 20 kDa myosin light chains is a significant mode of
regulation of contractile activity in smooth muscle, particularly in regard to
the generation of phasic contractions and the initial development of tonic
contractions. This regulatory mechanism appears to be of unique importance in
smooth muscle compared to striated muscle. It is equally clear, however, that
there is an important role for protein kinase C in the regulation of smooth
muscle tone maintenance, particularly in vascular smooth muscle. Several
possible signal transduction cascades involving protein kinase C are outlined.
Increasing evidence suggests a link between protein kinase C and actin-based
regulatory mechanisms. This review places emphasis on relating up-to-date
biochemical facts to the physiological realities of the smooth muscle cell.
APS Manuscript Number P16-6.
Article publication pending October 1996, Physiological Reviews.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 13 November 1996