A fundamental function of the intestinal epithelium is to act as a barrier that limits interactions
between luminal contents such as the intestinal microbiota, the underlying immune system …

Signaling pathways regulate contraction of striated (skeletal and cardiac) and smooth
muscle. Although these are similar, there are striking differences in the pathways that can be …

The importance of maintaining contractile function in aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is
evident by the fact that heterozygous mutations in the major structural proteins or kinases …

Mutations in smooth muscle cell (SMC)-specific isoforms of α-actin and β-myosin heavy
chain, two major components of the SMC contractile unit, cause familial thoracic aortic …

Nonmuscle myosin II (NMII) is a multimeric protein complex that generates most mechanical
force in eukaryotic cells. NMII function is controlled at three main levels. The first level …

Myosin light chain phosphatase with its regulatory subunit, myosin phosphatase target
subunit 1 (MYPT1) modulates Ca 2+-dependent phosphorylation of myosin light chain by …

A majority (~ 95%) of the gas-exchange surface area is generated through septa formation
during alveologenesis. Disruption of this process leads to alveolar simplification and …

The smooth muscle isoform of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) is a Ca 2+-calmodulin-
activated kinase that is found in many tissues. It is particularly important for regulating …

In contrast to studies on skeletal and smooth muscles, the identity of kinases in the heart that
are important physiologically for direct phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chain …

Myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) phosphorylation in skeletal and cardiac muscles
modulates Ca 2+-dependent troponin regulation of contraction. RLC is phosphorylated by a …