Smooth muscles has slower contraction and relaxation. An undeveloped sarcoplasmic reticulum means that smooth muscle depends on the plasmalemma release of Ca. Smooth muscle lacks troponin. The control of smooth muscle contraction involves thin and thick filament regulation. Thin filament regulation is carried out by the actin binding protein, '''Caldesmon''', which binds the thin filament and blocks myosin access. '''Calmodulin''' (activated by binding Ca) binds caldesmon and causes its dissociation from actin, enabling contraction. Thick filament regulation occurs by the '''phosphorylation''' of the '''regulatory light chain (RLC)'''. Calmodulin-Ca binds and activates myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), MLCK then phosphorylates RLC, turning myosin on. Myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP) switches myosin off. | Smooth muscles has slower contraction and relaxation. An undeveloped sarcoplasmic reticulum means that smooth muscle depends on the plasmalemma release of Ca. Smooth muscle lacks troponin. The control of smooth muscle contraction involves thin and thick filament regulation. Thin filament regulation is carried out by the actin binding protein, '''Caldesmon''', which binds the thin filament and blocks myosin access. '''Calmodulin''' (activated by binding Ca) binds caldesmon and causes its dissociation from actin, enabling contraction. Thick filament regulation occurs by the '''phosphorylation''' of the '''regulatory light chain (RLC)'''. Calmodulin-Ca binds and activates myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), MLCK then phosphorylates RLC, turning myosin on. Myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP) switches myosin off. |