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1997 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Molecular approach to the structure and function of myosin light chain kinase

Research Project

Project/Area Number 08457633
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field 応用薬理学・医療系薬学
Research InstitutionGunma University School of Medicine

Principal Investigator

KOHAMA Kazuhiro  Gunma University, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (30101116)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) 中村 彰男  群馬大学, 医学部, 助手
ISHIKAWA Ryoki  Gunma University, Department of Pharmacology, Assistant Professor, 医学部, 助手 (20212863)
OKAGAKI Tsuyoshi  Gunma University, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Lecturer, 医学部, 講師 (80185412)
Project Period (FY) 1996 – 1997
Keywordssmooth muscle / myosin light chain kinase / calcium / regulation / recombinant protein / calmodulin / actin / myosin
Research Abstract

Myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) plays a central role in regulating the actin-myosin interaction of smooth muscle. MLCK phosphorylates the light chain of myosin in the presence of Ca^<2+> and calmodulin (CaM) thereby activating myosin so that it can interact with actin. Besides this kinase activity, MLCK shows i) actin-binding activity that can assemble actin filaments into their bundles and ii) myosin-binding activity that can form myosin filaments. To localize the actin- and myosin-binding activities in the MLCK molecule and to examine their possible role in regulating the actin myosin interaction, we expressed various fragments of cDNA encoding MLCK in Escherichia coli as recombinant proteins. We found that MLCK consists of an N-terminal actin-binging domain, a central kinase domain, and a C-terminal myosin-binding domain. The Met^1-Pro^<41> sequence is responsible for Ca^<2+>/CaM-sensitive binding to actin. This binding site exerts an inhibitory effect on the actin-myosin interaction only when myosin is phosphorylated. MLCK binds to myosin at the C-terminal domain, the sequence of which is identical to telokin, an abundant myosin-binding protein in smooth muscle cells. This domain itself has no regulatory role in the interaction. However, the interaction was stimulated when this domain was extended to include the sequence known to regulate the activity of the kinase domain. The stimulation was observed only when myosin was unphosphorylated.

  • Research Products

    (11 results)

All Other

All Publications (11 results)

  • [Publications] Kohama, K.: "Myosin light chain kinase:an actin-binding proctin that regulates an ATP-dependent interactionwith myosin." Trends Pharmacol.Sei.17. 284-287 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Sasaki, Y.: "Inhibition by drebrin of the actin-bundlingactivity of brain fascin,a protein localized in filopodia of growth cones." J.Neurochem. 66. 980-988 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Hayashi, K.: "Modulatory role of drebrin on the cytoskeleton within dendritic spines in the rat cerebral cortex." J.Neurosci.16. 7161-7170 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Ye, L.-H.: "The structure and function of the actin-binding domain of myosin light chain kinase of smooth muscle." J.Biol.Chem.272. 32182-32189 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Kohama, K: "Large scale culture of Physarum(分担)" Celis,J.E.(ed) Cell Biology:A laboratory handbook (Academic Press), 9 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Ishikawa, R.: "Myosi II(分担)" Kohama,K & Maruta,H.(eds)G proteins,Cytoskeleton and Cancer (Springer)(印刷中), (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Kohama, K., Ye, L.-H., Hayakawa, K.and Okagaki, T.: "Myosin light chain kinase : an actin-binding protein that regulates an ATP-dependent interaction with myosin." Trends Pharmacol.Scl.17. 284-287 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Sasaki, Y., Hayashi, K., Shirao, T., Ishikawa, R.and Kohama, K.: "Inhibition by drebrin of the actin-bundling activity of brain fascin, a protein localized in filopodia of growth cones." J.Neurochem. 66. 980-988 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Hayashi, K., Ishikawa, R., Ye, L.-H., He, X.-L., Takata, K., Kohama, K.and Shirao, T.: "Modulatory role of drebrin on the cytoskeleton within dendritic spines in the rat cerebral cortex." J.Neurosci.16. 7161-7170 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Ye, L.-H., Hayakawa, K., Kishi, H., Imamura, M., Nakamura, A., Okagaki, T., Takagi, T., Iwata, A., Tanaka, T.and Kohama, K.: "The structure and function of the actin-binding domain of myosin light chain kinase of smooth muscle." J.Biol.Chem.272. 32182-32189 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Kohama, K., Ishikawa, R.and Ishigami, M.: Large-scale culture of Physarum : a simple way of growing plasmodia to purify actomyosin and myosin.Cell biology : a labolatory handbook, second edition (Celis, J.E.ed) vol.1 Academic press, New York, 466-471 (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 1999-03-16  

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