Calcium/Calmodulin‐Stimulated Protein Kinase II Is Present in Primary Cultures of Cerebral Endothelial Cells

Abstract: Calcium/calmodulin‐stimulated protein kinase II (CaMPK II). a major kinase in brain, has been established to play an important role in neurotransmitter release and organization of postsynaptic receptors, and it is known to be involved in long‐term potentiation and memory. Less is known about the function of this enzyme in nonneural cells. Here we report on the production, presence, and phosphorylation of the α‐subunit of CaM‐PK II in primary cultures of cerebral endothelial cells. These results raise the possibility that α‐CaM‐PK II can act as one of the key enzymes of calcium‐mediated intracellular signaling in the cerebral endothelial cells and suggest that α‐CaM‐PK II may participate in such basic cellular processes as permeability in physiological and pathological conditions.