EXPRESSION OF RHO-A AND RHO-KINASE MESSENGER-RNAS IN PORCINE VASCULARSMOOTH-MUSCLE

It has recently been indicated that rho A and rho kinase may be involv ed in the mechanism for the increase in Ca2+ sensitivity in smooth mus cle myofilaments. In the present study, we investigated the mRNA expre ssion of rho A and rho kinase in porcine vascular smooth muscle cells (aorta, coronary artery, pulmonary artery, and pulmonary vein). In rev erse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) experiments, usi ng total RNA from these tissue specimens and the primers designed in t he conserved regions of each mRNA in human and bovine, rho A and rho k inase mRNAs were detected in all of these smooth muscle cells. An anal ysis of these PCR products by direct sequencing indicated that they we re derived from each mRNA. The finding that both rho A and rho kinase mRNAs were expressed in the various porcine vascular smooth muscle cel ls strongly supports the idea that these proteins are involved in the mechanism dealing with the increase in Ca2+ sensitivity in the myofila ments of vascular smooth muscle cells. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.