Like calponin, caldesmon tonically inhibits the ATPase activity of myosin in smooth muscle.

This gene encodes a calmodulin- and actin-binding protein that plays an essential role in the regulation of smooth muscle and nonmuscle contraction.

This protein is a potent inhibitor of the actin-tropomyosin activated myosin MgATPase, and serves as a mediating factor for

Alternative splicing of this gene results in multiple transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms.

[4] In diagnostic immunochemistry, caldesmon is a marker for smooth muscle differentiation.