title: Selected contribution: roles of focal adhesion kinase and paxillin in the mechanosensitive regulation of myosin phosphorylation in smooth muscle.
abstract: The increase in intracellular Ca(2+) and myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation in response to the contractile activation of tracheal smooth muscle is greater at longer muscle lengths (21). However, MLC phosphorylation can also be stimulated by Ca(2+)-insensitive signaling pathways (19). The cytoskeletal proteins paxillin and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) mediate a Ca(2+)-independent length-sensitive signaling pathway in tracheal smooth muscle (30). We used alpha-toxin-permeabilized tracheal smooth muscle strips to determine whether the length sensitivity of MLC phosphorylation can be regulated by a Ca(2+)-insensitive signaling pathway and whether the length sensitivity of active tension depends on the length sensitivity of myosin activation. Although active tension remained length sensitive, ACh-induced MLC phosphorylation was the same at optimal muscle length (L(o)) and 0.5 L(o) when intracellular Ca(2+) was maintained at pCa 7. MLC phosphorylation was also the same at L(o) and 0.5 L(o) in strips stimulated with 10 microM Ca(2+). In contrast, the Ca(2+)-insensitive tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK and paxillin stimulated by ACh was higher at L(o) than at 0.5 L(o). We conclude that the length-sensitivity of MLC phosphorylation depends on length-dependent changes in intracellular Ca(2+) but that length-dependent changes in MLC phosphorylation are not the primary mechanism for the length sensitivity of active tension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA.
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Gunst
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D004285:Dogs; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D018994:Myosin Light Chains / Q000378:metabolism*; D051419:Paxillin; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014132:Trachea / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000494:pharmacology; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D018994:Myosin Light Chains; D051419:Paxillin; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D014443:Tyrosine; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; D000109:Acetylcholine; D002118:Calcium