title: Myosin light chain kinase: functional domains and structural motifs.
abstract: Conventional myosin light chain kinase found in differentiated smooth and non-muscle cells is a dedicated Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase which phosphorylates the regulatory light chain of myosin II. This phosphorylation increases the actin-activated myosin ATPase activity and is thought to play major roles in a number of biological processes, including smooth muscle contraction. The catalytic domain contains residues on its surface that bind a regulatory segment resulting in autoinhibition through an intrasteric mechanism. When Ca2+/calmodulin binds, there is a marked displacement of the regulatory segment from the catalytic cleft allowing phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chain. Kinase activity depends upon Ca2+/calmodulin binding not only to the canonical calmodulin-binding sequence but also to additional interactions between Ca2+/calmodulin and the catalytic core. Previous biochemical evidence shows myosin light chain kinase binds tightly to actomyosin containing filaments. The kinase has low-affinity myosin and actin binding sites in Ig-like motifs at the N- and C-terminus, respectively. Recent results show the N-terminus of myosin light chain kinase is responsible for filament binding in vivo. However, the apparent binding affinity is greater for smooth muscle myofilaments, purified thin filaments, or actin-containing filaments in permeable cells than for purified smooth muscle F-actin or actomyosin filaments from skeletal muscle. These results suggest a protein on actin thin filaments that may facilitate kinase binding. Myosin light chain kinase does not dissociate from filaments in the presence of Ca2+/calmodulin raising the interesting question as to how the kinase phosphorylates myosin in thick filaments if it is bound to actin-containing thin filaments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Stull
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Krueger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trewhella
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology*; D009219:Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009219:Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase