H. Watanabe et al., AN ESSENTIAL ROLE OF MYOSIN LIGHT-CHAIN KINASE IN THE REGULATION OF AGONIST-STIMULATED AND FLUID FLOW-STIMULATED CA2-CELLS( INFLUX IN ENDOTHELIAL), The FASEB journal, 12(3), 1998, pp. 341-348
Cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+](i)) plays an important role in endothelial cell
signaling. Although it has been suggested that the influx of Ca2+ can
be triggered by depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores, the mechanism
(or mechanisms) underlying this phenomenon needs further elaboration.
In the present study, involvement of myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK)
in the regulation of Ca2+ signaling was investigated in agonist-and f
luid flow-stimulated endothelial cells loaded with Ca2+-sensitive dyes
. Bradykinin (BK) and thapsigargin caused an increase in [Ca2+](i) fol
lowed by a sustained rise due to Ca2+ influx from extracellular space
and shifted total myosin light-chain (MLC) from the unphosphorylated t
o the diphosphorylated form. ML-9 (100 mu M), an inhibitor of MLCK, ab
olished Ca2+ influx and prevented MLC diphosphorylation in BK-and thap
sigargin-treated cells, but did not affect Ca2+ mobilization from inte
rnal stores. Fluid flow stimulation (shear stress=5 dynes/cm(2)) incre
ased [Ca2+](i) and enhanced MLC phosphorylation. ML-9 also inhibited C
a2+ response and MLC phosphorylation in fluid flow-stimulated cells. T
he Ca2+ influx in response to BK was linearly correlated with the diph
osphorylation of MLC in ML-9 treated cells. Effects of ML-5 and ML-7,
analogs of ML-9, to inhibit Ca2+ influx paralleled their potencies to
inhibit MLCK activity. These findings demonstrate that MLCK plays an e
ssential role in regulating the plasmalemmal Ca2+ influx in agonist-an
d fluid flow-stimulated endothelial cells. This study is the first to
report the close relationship between Ca2+ influx and MLC diphosphoryl
ation.