Date of Award
2001
Degree Name
Chemistry
College
College of Science
Type of Degree
M.S.
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Dr. W.D. Price
Second Advisor
Leonard Deutsch
Abstract
Increases in intracellular cyclic AMP levels have been shown to affect vascular smooth muscle morphology. In the present study, effects of elevated cyclic AMP levels on actin polymerization were assessed to determine whether cyclic AMP induces specific changes in cytoskeletal proteins of vascular smooth muscle cells. Forskolin was used to increase intracellular cyclic AMP levels through direct activation of adenylate cyclase. Light and Electron microscopy was employed to appraise changes in the shape of vascular smooth muscle cells. Confocal microscopy was used to reveal cytoskeletal changes after exposure to M forskolin for increasing intervals of time. Differences in the expression of actin were evident in forskolin treated and untreated cells through one and two-dimensional electrophoresis. In order to assess the phosphorylation of actin in response to protein kinase, VSM cells were radiolabeled with phosphorus-33 and subsequently immunoprecipitated with alpha-actin.
Subject(s)
Forskolin.
Hypertension – Research.
Polymerization.
Recommended Citation
Bailey, Mary Janay, "Effect of forskolin on actin polymerization in cultured vascular smooth muscle" (2001). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 1554.
https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/1554
