Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
1074248407313737v1
13/2/130    most recent
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Tang, D. D.
Right arrow Articles by Anfinogenova, Y.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Tang, D. D.
Right arrow Articles by Anfinogenova, Y.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
This version was published on June 1, 2008
Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vol. 13, No. 2, 130-140 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1074248407313737

Physiologic Properties and Regulation of the Actin Cytoskeleton in Vascular Smooth Muscle

Dale D. Tang, MD, PhD

Center for Cardiovascular Sciences, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, tangd{at}mail.amc.edu

Yana Anfinogenova, PhD

Center for Cardiovascular Sciences, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York

Vascular smooth muscle tone plays a fundamental role in regulating blood pressure, blood flow, microcirculation, and other cardiovascular functions. The cellular and molecular mechanisms by which vascular smooth muscle contractility is regulated are not completely elucidated. Recent studies show that the actin cytoskeleton in smooth muscle is dynamic, which regulates force development. In this review, evidence for actin polymerization in smooth muscle upon external stimulation is summarized. Protein kinases such as Abelson tyrosine kinase, focal adhesion kinase, Src, and mitogen-activated protein kinase have been documented to coordinate actin polymerization in smooth muscle. Transmembrane integrins have also been reported to link to signaling pathways modulating actin dynamics. The roles of Rho family of the small proteins that bind to guanosine triphosphate (GTP), also known as GTPases, and the actin-regulatory proteins, including Crk-associated substrate, neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein, the Arp2/3 complex, and profilin, and heat shock proteins in regulating actin assembly are discussed. These new findings promote our understanding on how smooth muscle contraction is regulated at cellular and molecular levels.

Key Words: vascular smooth muscle • actin cytoskeleton • contraction


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?