Functional assembly of fragrments from bisected smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase

Roanna C. Padre, James T. Stull

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

The C-terminal regulatory segment of smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase folds back on its catalytic core to inhibit kinase activity. This regulatory segment consists of autoinhibitory residues linking the catalytic core to the calmodulin-binding sequence and perhaps additional C-terminal residues including an immunoglobulin-like motif. However, mutational and biochemical analyses showed no specific involvement of residues C-terminal to the calmodulin-binding sequence. To obtain additional insights on the proposed mechanisms for autoinhibition and Ca2+/calmodulin activation of the kinase, the polypeptide backbone chain of myosin light chain kinase was cleaved by genetic means to produce N- and C-terminal protein fragments. The N-terminal fragment containing the catalytic core was catalytically inactive when expressed alone. Co-expression of the N-terminal fragment with the C-terminal fragment containing the regulatory segment restored kinase activity. Deletion of the autoinhibitory linker residues without or with the calmodulin-binding sequence prevented restoration of kinase activity. In the presence or absence of Ca2+[calmodulin, regulatory segment binding occurred through the linker region connecting the catalytic core to the calmodulin-binding sequence. Collectively, these results indicate that residues C-terminal to the calmodulin-binding sequence (including the immunoglobulin-like motif) are not functional components of the regulatory segment. Furthermore, the principal autoinhibitory motif is contained in the sequence linking the catalytic core of myosin light chain kinase to the calmodulin-binding sequence.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)26665-26673
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume275
Issue number35
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2000

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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