The isolated 21 kDa N-terminal fragment of myosin binds to actin in an ATP and ionic strength-dependent manner

Decavanadate binding to a high affinity site near the myosin catalytic centre inhibits F-actin-stimulated myosin ATPase activity

Decameric vanadate (V(10)) inhibits the actin-stimulated myosin ATPase activity, noncompetitively with actin or with ATP upon interaction with a high-affinity binding site (K(i) = 0.27 +/- 0.05 microM) in myosin subfragment-1 (S1). The binding of V(10) to S1 can be monitored from titration with V(10) of the fluorescence of S1 labeled at Cys-707 and Cys-697 with N-iodo-acetyl-N'-(5-sulfo-1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine (IAEDANS) or 5-(iodoacetamido) fluorescein, which showed the presence of only one V(10) binding site per monomer with a dissociation constant of 0.16-0.7 microM, indicating that S1 labeling with these dyes produced only a small distortion of the V(10) binding site. The large quenching of AEDANS-labeled S1 fluorescence produced by V(10) indicated that the V(10) binding site is close to Cys-697 and 707. Fluorescence studies demonstrated the following: (i) the binding of V(10) to S1 is not competitive either with actin or with ADP.V(1) or ADP.AlF(4); (ii) the affinity of V(10) for the complex S1/ADP.V(1) and S1/ADP.AlF(4) is 2- and 3-fold lower than for S1; and (iii) it is competitive with the S1 "back door" ligand P(1)P(5)-diadenosine pentaphosphate. A local conformational change in S1 upon binding of V(10) is supported by (i) a decrease of the efficiency of fluorescence energy transfer between eosin-labeled F-actin and fluorescein-labeled S1, and (ii) slower reassociation between S1 and F-actin after ATP hydrolysis. The results are consistent with binding of V(10) to the Walker A motif of ABC ATPases, which in S1 corresponds to conserved regions of the P-loop which form part of the phosphate tube.

Uncoupling of actomyosin adenosinetriphosphatase by heparin and its fragments

Heparin and its enzymatic fragments, prepared by degradation of heparin with heparinase from Flavobacterium heparinum, were capable of inhibiting the actomyosin-ATPase activity obtained from striated and smooth vascular muscles. Heparin did not inhibit the myosin-ATPase activity in absence of actin. The results show that heparin changes the step of ATP hydrolysis of the complex actomyosin-ATPase by uncoupling the conformational transition on the myosin-head induced by actin upon the nucleotide-binding site. This mechanism is cooperative and dependent on conformational states of actomyosin complex which in turn is regulated by ATP and calcium levels. It was observed that in the presence of ATP, actin does not compete with heparin for binding to myosin showing that heparin and actin have different binding sites on myosin. The binding of heparin and ATP is cooperative suggesting that the nucleotide binding leads to an exposition of a second heparin-binding site. However, in the absence of ATP, actin competes with heparin for a binding site on the myosin. These results strongly suggest that in the weakly binding state of actin to myosin, the binding of heparin is powerful and in the rigor state its binding is decreased.

Cloning and sequencing of cDNAs encoding the actin cross-linking protein transgelin defines a new family of actin-associated proteins

We have used degenerate oligonucleotides, derived from the amino acid sequence of transgelin peptides [Shapland et al., 1993: J. Cell Biol. 121:1065-1073], to isolate and sequence overlapping cDNA clones encoding this actin gelling protein. Primers with 5' restriction enzyme sites directed against the N and C terminal amino acids present in these clones were then used to amplify and clone the entire transgelin coding region from reverse transcribed rat small intestine cDNA (RT-PCR). These studies have shown that transgelin is the product of a single gene which is conserved between yeast, Drosophila, molluscs, and humans. Transgelin is expressed as a single message that is regulated at the level of transcription in SV40 transformed 3T3 cells. Our data have shown that transgelin and several other proteins of unknown function, SM22 alpha [Pearlstone et al., 1987: J. Biol. Chem. 262:5985-5991], mouse p27 [Almendral et al., 1989: Exp. Cell Res. 181:518-530], and human WS3-10 [Thweatt et al., 1992: Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 187:1-7], share extensive homology. More limited regions of homology shared between transgelin and other proteins such as rat NP25 (unpublished), chicken calponins alpha and beta [Takahashi and Nadal-Ginard, 1991: J. Biol. Chem. 266:13284-13288], and Drosophila mp20 [Ayme-Southgate et al., 1989: J. Cell Biol. 108:521-531] suggest that all of these proteins may be classified as members of a new transgelin multigene family.

Purification and properties of transgelin: a transformation and shape change sensitive actin-gelling protein

We have purified the transformation and shape change sensitive isoform of an actin associated polypeptide doublet previously described by us (Shapland, C., P. Lowings, and D. Lawson. 1988. J. Cell Biol. 107:153-161) and have shown that it is evolutionarily conserved as far back as yeast. The purified protein: (a) binds directly to actin filaments at a ratio of 1:6 actin monomers, with a binding constant (Ka) of approximately 7.5 x 10(5) M-1; and (b) causes actin filament gelation within 2 min. Although these activities are controlled by ionic strength (and may be mediated by positively charged amino acid residues) the molecule remains as a monomer irrespective of ionic conditions. EM reveals that the addition of this protein to actin filaments converts them from a loose, random distribution into a tangled, cross-linked meshwork within 1 min, and discrete tightly aggregated foci after 10 min. By use of an "add-back" cell permeabilization system we can rebind this molecule specifically to actin filaments in cells from which it has previously been removed. Since the protein is transformation sensitive and gels actin, we have named it transgelin.