Up-Regulation of rho A and rho-Kinase mRNAs in the Rat Myometrium during Pregnancy

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications 1997-01, Vol.230 (2), p.356-359
• Main Authors: Niiro, Naohisa, Nishimura, Junji, Sakihara, Chie, Nakano, Hitoo, Kanaide, Hideo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; DNA Primers; Female; Gene Expression Regulation; GTP-Binding Proteins - biosynthesis; GTP-Binding Proteins - chemistry; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Molecular Sequence Data; Myometrium - metabolism; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal - metabolism; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - biosynthesis; Rats; Rats, Inbred WKY; Reference Values; rho-Associated Kinases; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; Transcription, Genetic
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.1996.5960

It has recently been suggested that rho A and rho kinase (ROK) play a role in the increase in the Ca2+sensitivity of the smooth muscle myofilaments. In the present study, we investigated the mRNA expressions of rho A and two types of ROK (α and β) in the myometrium obtained from both non-pregnant and pregnant rats. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) experiments using total RNA from these tissue specimens and the specific primers revealed rho A and both types of ROK mRNAs to be expressed in the rat myometrium. The mRNA expressions of rho A, ROK α and ROK β in the pregnant myometrium were found to increase in comparison to those in the non-pregnant myometrium. These results thus support the idea that the up-regulation of these proteins might be involved in the mechanism underlying the increased contractility of the pregnant myometrium.