Title of report: "Heart Disease Discovery: New Mechanism Links Activation Of Key Heart Enzyme And Oxidative Stress."
QUOTE: A study, led by University of Iowa researchers, reveals a new dimension for a key heart enzyme and sheds light on an important biological pathway involved in cell death in heart disease...
The UI researchers and colleagues from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., focused on calmodulin kinase II, or CaM kinase II, a well-studied enzyme critical to many fundamental processes including heartbeat and thought.
Scientists know that CaM kinase's activity is sustained by adding a phosphate group -- a process known as phosphorylation. The new study proves that oxidation -- adding oxygen -- also can sustain the enzyme's activity, and like phosphorylation, the mechanism can be reversed to inactivate the kinase.
"Our results suggest that oxidation of CaM kinase is a dynamic and reversible process that may direct cell signaling in health and disease," said Mark Anderson, M.D., Ph.D... UNQUOTE.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501125455.htm |
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