Continuous changes in the length of smooth muscles require a highly organized
sarcolemmal structure. Yet, smooth muscle cells also adapt rapidly to altered environmental
cues. Their sarcolemmal plasticity must lead to profound changes which affect
transmembrane signal transduction as well as contractility. We have established porcine
vascular and human visceral smooth muscle cultures of epithelioid and spindle-shaped
morphology and determined their plasma membrane properties. Epithelioid cells from both …