title: RhoA/Rho-kinase in erectile tissue: mechanisms of disease and therapeutic insights.
abstract: Penile erection is a complicated event involving the regulation of corpus cavernosal smooth muscle tone. Recently, the small monomeric G-protein RhoA and its downstream effector Rho-kinase have been proposed to be important players for mediating vasoconstriction in the penis. RhoA/Rho-kinase increases MLC (myosin light chain) phosphorylation through inhibition of MLCP (MLC phosphatase) thereby increasing Ca2+ sensitivity. This review will outline the RhoA/Rho-kinase signalling pathway, including the upstream regulators, guanine nucleotide exchange factors, GDP dissociation inhibitors and GTPase-activating proteins. We also summarize the current knowledge about the physiological roles of RhoA/Rho-kinase in both male and female erectile tissues and its aberrations contributing to erectile dysfunction in several disease states. Understanding the RhoA/Rho-kinase signalling pathway in the regulation of erection is important for the development of therapeutic interventions for erectile dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. ljin8@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Liming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Arthur L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Burnett
mesh_terms: D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000201:enzymology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein