title: Non-receptor tyrosine kinases and the actin cytoskeleton in contractile vascular smooth muscle.
abstract: The contractility of vascular smooth muscle cells within the walls of arteries is regulated by mechanical stresses and vasoactive signals. Transduction of these diverse stimuli into a cellular response occurs through many different mechanisms, one being reorganisation of the actin cytoskeleton. In addition to a structural role in maintaining cellular architecture it is now clear that the actin cytoskeleton of contractile vascular smooth muscle cells is a dynamic structure reacting to changes in the cellular environment. Equally clear is that disrupting the cytoskeleton or interfering with its rearrangement, has profound effects on artery contractility. The actin cytoskeleton associates with dense plaques, also called focal adhesions, at the plasma membrane of smooth muscle cells. Vasoconstrictors and mechanical stress induce remodelling of the focal adhesions, concomitant with cytoskeletal reorganisation. Recent work has shown that non-receptor tyrosine kinases and tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion proteins such as paxillin and Hic-5 are important for actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesion remodelling and contraction.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Services Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ohanian
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Services Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pieri
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Services Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Vasken
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ohanian
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; C490352:Tgfb1i1 protein, rat; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases