MYLK2
Encyclopedia
Myosin light chain kinase 2 also known as MYLK2 is an enzyme
which in humans is encoded by the MYLK2 gene
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/ calmodulin
dependent enzyme, that is exclusively expressed in adult skeletal muscle.. The MYLK2 gene expresses skMLCK more prevalently in fast twitch muscle fibers as compared to slow twitch muscle fibers. Calmodulin is composed of two terminal domains (N,C) each containing two E-F hand motifs that bind to Ca2+. Upon saturation of Ca2+, Calmodulin undergoes a conformation change allowing it to bind with a target protein such as skMLCK. An image depicting a similar complex (sdCen/skMLCK2) is shown under myosin light chain kinase. This binding to skMLCK increases the affinity of Ca2+ and ultimately leads to a sustained muscle action.
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Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
which in humans is encoded by the MYLK2 gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
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Function
This gene encodes a myosin light chain kinase, a calciumCalcium in biology
Calcium plays a pivotal role in the physiology and biochemistry of organisms and the cell. It plays an important role in signal transduction pathways, where it acts as a second messenger, in neurotransmitter release from neurons, contraction of all muscle cell types, and fertilization...
/ calmodulin
Calmodulin
Calmodulin is a calcium-binding protein expressed in all eukaryotic cells...
dependent enzyme, that is exclusively expressed in adult skeletal muscle.. The MYLK2 gene expresses skMLCK more prevalently in fast twitch muscle fibers as compared to slow twitch muscle fibers. Calmodulin is composed of two terminal domains (N,C) each containing two E-F hand motifs that bind to Ca2+. Upon saturation of Ca2+, Calmodulin undergoes a conformation change allowing it to bind with a target protein such as skMLCK. An image depicting a similar complex (sdCen/skMLCK2) is shown under myosin light chain kinase. This binding to skMLCK increases the affinity of Ca2+ and ultimately leads to a sustained muscle action.
Clinical significance
Mutations in the MYLK2 gene have been linked to midventricular hypertrophic cardiomyopathyHypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease of the myocardium in which a portion of the myocardium is hypertrophied without any obvious cause...
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