Myosin in Cultured Human Endothelial Cells

Abstract

Myosin was isolated from cultured human endothelial cells by extraction with 0.6 M KCl and chromatography on Sepharose 4B. The extracted endothelial cell protein was identified as myosin by the characteristic ATPase profile, that is, the ATPase was activated by Ca²⁺ and EDTA and inhibited by Mg²⁺. On sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the endothelial cell myosin heavy chain migrated with a molecular weight of 200 000 as did rabbit uterine and human platelet myosin heavy chains. A crude preparation of the endothelial cell myosin reacted immunologically with an antiserum to platelet myosin, a smooth muscle type of myosin. In indirect immunofluorescence studies, antiserum to the purified endothelial cell myosin stained cultured endothelial cells in a fibrillar pattern. The fibrillar pattern was more intense when the endothelial cells were stained with antiserum to platelet myosin. The presence of myosin in the endothelial cell provides a basis for the contractility of these cells. This contractile property may plan an important role in the physiologic function of these cells.