Medical Definition of Caldesmon
1.
Protein originally isolated from smooth muscle (h caldesmon, 120-150 kD on gels but 88.7 kD from sequence) also found in nonmuscle cells (l caldesmon, 70-80 kD on gels but 58.8 kD from sequence). Normally dimeric, binds to F actin blocking the myosin binding site. Calcium calmodulin binding to caldesmon causes its release from actin, though phosphorylation of caldesmon may also affect the link with actin. Caldesmon can block the effect of gelsolin on f actin and will dissociate actin gelsolin complexes and actin profilin complexes.
This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
(11 Mar 2008)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Caldesmon
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