Activation of actin-activated MgATPase activity of myosin II by phosphorylation with MAPK-activated protein kinase-1b (RSK-2)

Regulatory LIGHT chain of Myosin II (MRLC) was identified as a novel substrate of p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK)-2, a Ser/Thr protein kinase which is phosphorylated and activated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in vitro and in vivo. Phosphopeptide map of MRLC phosphorylated by RSK-2 was identical to that by Myosin light chain kinase (MLCK). Phosphoserine was recovered by the phosphoamino acid analysis of MRLC phosphorylated by RSK-2. Further, phosphorylation using recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins of HeLa MRLC2 revealed that RSK-2 phosphorylated wild-type MRLC2 (GST-wtMRLC2) but not its mutants GST-MRLC2(S19A) or GST-MRLC2(T18AS19A) (alanine substituted for Ser19 or both Ser19 and Thr18). These results revealed that RSK-2 phosphorylates MRLC at Ser19 as did MLCK. Phosphorylation of Myosin II by RSK-2 resulted in activation of actin-activated MgATPase activity of Myosin II. Interestingly, RSK-2 activity to phosphorylate MRLC was suppressed by phosphorylation with MAPK. RSK-2 might be a mediator that regulates Myosin II activity through the MAPK cascade.