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Alterations in the expression of the β-cytoplasmic and the γ-smooth muscle actins in hypertrophied urinary bladder smooth muscle

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Abstract

The obstruction of the bladder outlet induces a marked increase in bladder mass, and this is accompanied by reduced contractility of bladder smooth muscle and alteration in the cellular architecture. In this study, we show that the composition of various isoforms of actin, a major component of the contractile apparatus and the cytoskeletal structure of smooth muscle, is altered in response to the obstruction-induced bladder hypertrophy. Northern blot analysis of the total RNA isolated from hypertrophied urinary bladder muscle, using a cDNA probe specific for smooth muscle γ-actin, shows over 200% increase in the γ-actin mRNA. However, the estimate of the amount of actin from the 2D gel reveals only a 16% increase in γ-actin, since the 2D gel electrophoresis does not distinguish γ-smooth muscle actin from γ-cytoplasmic actin. The bladder smooth muscle α-actin and the smooth muscle α-actin mRNA are not altered in response to the hypertrophy. The obstructed bladder also reveals a decrease in the β-cytoplasmic actin (37%) and a concomitant diminution in the β-cytoplasmic actin mRNA (29%). Hence, the composition of the actin isoforms in bladder smooth muscle is altered in response to the obstruction-induced hypertrophy. This alteration of the actin isoforms is observed at both the protein and mRNA levels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3800 Spruce Street, 19104, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Young S. Kim, Ze Wang & Samuel Chacko

  2. Division of Urology, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 19104, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Robert M. Levin

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  1. Young S. Kim
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  2. Ze Wang
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  3. Robert M. Levin
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  4. Samuel Chacko
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Kim, Y.S., Wang, Z., Levin, R.M. et al. Alterations in the expression of the β-cytoplasmic and the γ-smooth muscle actins in hypertrophied urinary bladder smooth muscle. Mol Cell Biochem 131, 115–124 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00925947

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00925947

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