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Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Murine Precision-Cut Liver Slices as an Ex Vivo Model of Liver Biology
Published on: March 14, 2020
Human biliary epithelial cell line Mz-ChA-1 expresses new isoforms of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II
1Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA.
Background & Aims:
Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II is a family of closely related multimeric enzymes that regulate a wide variety of cellular processes. In biliary epithelial cells, this kinase seems to regulate Ca(2+)-dependent CI- currents. The aim of this study was to identify isoforms of this kinase expressed in biliary cells.
Methods:
Sequencing of reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction products identified multiple isoforms in Mz-ChA-1 cells.
Results:
Two previously identified isoforms (gamma B and gamma C) and three new isoforms (gamma D, gamma E, and gamma F) of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II were identified. Each of the novel isoforms contains a unique insert of 114 base pairs in the association region. This insert lies outside the previously identified variable region. In addition, gamma D and gamma F contained other deletions (42 and 69 base pairs, respectively) in the variable region. These isoforms are expressed in a variety of tissues, including biliary epithelial and gallbladder cells, but only gamma C is expressed in rat hepatocytes.
Conclusions:
Identification of these biliary kinase isoforms paves the way for future studies that will elucidate the role of individual isozymes in agonist-stimulated biliary Cl- and fluid secretion.

