Inhibition of myosin light chain phosphatase during Ca(2+)-independent vasocontraction

Phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDB) induced a sustained contraction of rat thoracic aorta strip in Ca(2+)-free buffer without significant change in intracellular free Ca2+ concentration. NKH477, a water-soluble forskolin derivative, markedly relaxed the PDB-induced contraction. The PDB-induced contraction was associated with the phosphorylation of 20-kDa myosin light chain (MLC). Two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping of 20-kDa MLC revealed that approximately 90% of the phosphopeptides was derived from an MLC kinase-catalyzed reaction and approximately 10% was due to phosphorylation by protein kinase C. NKH477 inhibited the PDB-induced phosphorylation of 20-kDa MLC. MLC phosphatase activity of intact aorta strips was inhibited by the treatment with PDB, and the inhibition was recovered by the application of NKH477. These results suggest that the regulation of MLC phosphatase in vascular smooth muscle may play important roles in the PDB-induced contraction and the NKH477-induced relaxation in Ca(2+)-free buffer.