title: Role of magnesium in activation of smooth muscle.
abstract: We studied the effects of Mg2+-free solutions on isometric force (F0) and unloaded shortening velocity (Vus) in contractions elicited by Ca2+ or by ATP after thiophosphorylation by adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate (ATP gamma S) in chemically skinned guinea pig taenia coli smooth muscle. In Mg2+-free solutions, increasing Ca2+ did not increase Fo above resting levels. At the peak of a control contraction elicited by Ca2+, transfer to Mg2+-free (but Ca2+-containing) solutions resulted in a rapid relaxation and concomitant dephosphorylation of myosin. After ATP gamma S, a contracture required neither Mg2+ nor Ca2+ in the solutions for control levels of Fo. Vus in the Mg2+-free solutions after ATP gamma S was approximately 50% of control and could be restored to near control levels by addition of Mg2+ but not Ca2+. After ATP gamma S, pretreatment with 4 mM EDTA and contracture in 0.1 mM EDTA-containing solutions decreased Fo to 70-80% of control and Vus to 50-60% of control. Our results suggest that the relatively high requirement for Mg2+ for contraction in skinned smooth muscle largely reflects the Mg2+ dependence of myosin kinase and not for actin-myosin interaction. The dependence of Fo on Mg2+ (in the presence of excess ATP) in taenia coli is less than that reported for skeletal muscle. Appreciable force can be maintained with no added Mg2+ in the presence of 4 mMEDTA, and thus it appears that ATP4- can be a substrate for contraction after ATP gamma S treatment. In addition, our data imply that any Ca2+-dependent regulatory mechanism that does not involve myosin phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, if present, requires Mg2+ for expression.
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D007700:Kinetics; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C022571:adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate); D004533:Egtazic Acid; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D004492:Edetic Acid; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium