CHARACTERIZATION OF MYOSIN HEAVY AND LIGHT-CHAINS IN CULTURED MESANGIAL CELLS

Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) demonstrated that postconfluent mesangial cells in primary culture expressed three myosin heavy chains (MHCs), 204 kD, 200 kD and 196 kD, in a manner similar to that of smooth muscle cells. The MHCs of 204 kD and 200 kD in mesangial cells reacted positively with antibodies raised against bovine aorta smooth muscle myosin while the 1% kD MHC reacted positively with antibodies against platelet myosin. Moreover, the combined content of the MHCs in cultured mesangial cells was remarkably similar in amount to that in cultured aortic smooth muscle cells. After three passages, cultured mesangial cells expressed only the 196 kD MHC as has been reported for cultured smooth muscle cells. Two phosphorylated proteins were found in the immunoprecipitate after incubation of the cell extract with antibodies against platelet myosin: a MHC of approximately 200 kD and myosin light chain (MLC) of 20 kD. The level of MLC phosphorylation was quantitated by scanning densitometry of autoradiograms. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) at 100 nm induced MLC phosphorylation with a maximum effect at 10 minutes. AVP enhanced MLC phosphorylation in a dose dependent manner: maximum response was observed with 100 nM and half maximum, at 3.5 nM. Similarly, angiotensin II (100 nM), endothelin-1 (10 nM) and the calcium ionophore, A23187 (1-mu-M), significantly enhanced MLC phosphorylation. Thus, although the expression of MHC was altered in quality after mesangial cells were placed in culture, the cells remained rich in myosin content and had an intact regulatory system for contraction which responded to a variety of vasoconstrictive agents. These findings support the notion that mesangial cells have contractile capability comparable to that of smooth muscle cells.