A STUDY OF THE ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY OF MYOSIN AND ACTOMYOSIN

Histochemical demonstration of myosin Ca2+-ATPase accumulation in primary cultures of skeletal and heart muscle cells

A modified histochemical technique is described for the improved detection of myosin Ca2+-ATPase activity in single muscle cells in culture. The method was used to demonstrate the increase in myosin Ca2+-ATPase activity in differentiating chick skeletal muscle cells. Functional muscle cells were also positively identified in the heterogeneous cell population of primary hamster heart cell cultures. An age-dependent increase in the number of cells with high levels of myosin ATPase activity in mitotically arrested heart cell cultures was shown. Maturation of individual muscle cells could thus be evaluated.

Enzymatic properties of native and N-ethylmaleimide-modified cardiac myosin from normal and thyrotoxic rabbits

Cardiac myosin from thyrotoxic animals (myosin-T) exhibits elevated Ca2+ -ATPase activity which is resistant to further stimulation by sulfhydryl modification. In the present study, we have compared the enzymatic properties of myosin-T with those of myosin from euthyroid rabbits (myosin-N) and the derivatives of myosin-T and myosin-N formed by blocking the most rapidly reacting class of thiols (SH1) with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). Vmax for Ca2+ -ATPase of myosin-T was about 250% greater than myosin-N and was nearly the same as NEM-modified myosin-N. Values for the apparent Km of myosin-T and NEM-modified myosin-N were 200% greater than the value for unmodified myosin-N. Vmax and Km for K+ (EDTA)-ATPase activity of NEM-modified myosin-T and myosin-N were identical. The Ca2+ saturation, pH, and salt-dependency curves for the ATPase activity of myosin-T were parallel to the curves for myosin-N and differed from those for the NEM-modified myosins. Myosin-T exhibited an increased rate of hydrolysis of ATP, CTP, and UTP in both low (0.05m) and high (0.5m) KCl medium. NEM-modified myosin-N showed increased hydrolysis of ATP and CTP in low KCl medium and increased hydrolysis of ATP, CTP, and UTP in high KCl medium. These results support the hypothesis that the enzymatic behavior of myosin-T may be caused by an alteration in the active site near the SH, thiols. The unique enzymatic properties of myosin-T did not seem to be the result of a major change in structure. The electrophoretic pattern of light chains from myosin-T and myosin-N was the same in polyacrylamide gels containing either 8 M urea at pH 8.6 or sodium dodecyl sulfate. Also, myosin-T had a normal amino acid composition and lacked 3-methyl-histidine and hot acid-stable phosphate.

Heart preservation with metabolic inhibitor, hypothermia, and hyperbaric oxygenation

The effect of metabolic inhibitor, hypothermia (4 degrees C) and hyperbaric oxygenation (3 atm) on prolonging survival of the canine anoxic heart has been evaluated. Donor hearts were obtained from small mongrel dogs by giving the pre-cooled perfusate of 2 per cent magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), 5 per cent low molecular weight dextran (LMWD) and 2 per cent glucose into the right atrium. Excised hearts were kept at 4 degrees C in a hyperbaric chamber pressurized to 3 atm. After 18 to 48 hours the preserved hearts were transplanted to the neck of recipients by the methods of Marcus. The viability of the preserved hearts were evaluated with functional, biochemical and histologic parameters. Of 29 hearts preserved for 18 to 36 hours, 27 hearts returned to a strong coordinated beat and could maintain function for over 4 hours. Of 5 hearts preserved for 48 hours, 4 showed a coordinated ventricular beat, however, failed to maintain cardiac work over 4 hours. The hearts with 18 to 36 hours storage showed no significant abnormalities on myocardial metabolism and morphology as compared to the control group of the immediately transplanted hearts. The protective action of magnesium is probably related to a number of factors, including metabolic depression and stabilizing effect on membrane permeability of cells to potassium, which would tend to maintain a more normal membrane potential and sub-cellular particles. These studies indicate that viability of the mammalian anoxic hearts can be extended to 36 hours by the combined use of metabolic blockade, hypothermia and hyperbaria suggesting a practical approach to procurement and preservation of cadaver organs.

Enzymic properties of myosin in fast and slow twitch muscles of the cat following cross-innervation

1. Following cross-innervation of the cat flexor digitorum longus muscle (F.D.L., fast-twitch) and soleus muscle (slow-twitch) the isometric twitch speed of the F.D.L. muscle decreases while the contraction time of soleus increases. The tetanus-twitch ratio of soleus is also increased.2. Myosin or myofibrils from normal or self-reinnervated fast-twitch muscles of the cat split adenosine triphosphate (ATP) more rapidly than myosin or myofibrils from slow twitch muscles.3. Following cross-innervation the myosin and myofibrillar ATPase activity of flexor digitorum longus muscle falls, to become nearly equal to that of normal or self-reinnervated soleus muscle. The ATPase activity of cross-innervated soleus muscle increases only slightly.

INFLUENCE OF pH AND TEMPERATURE ON MYOSIN INACTIVATION

The inactivation of myosin adenosine triphosphatase activity was studied in 0.6 M potassium chloride solution at pH ranging from 7.0 to 10.8 and for 5 °C to 40 °C. The inactivation is a first-order process with respect to time and 0.6th order with respect to the concentration of protein. The rate of inactivation is independent of the pH for pH 7.0 to pH 8.5 at 35 °C and increases rapidly with pH at higher pH. At 12 °C, close to pH 10.4, the rate is inversely proportional to the 4.5th power of the hydrogen ion concentration. The energies of activation are 56 kcal mole−1at pH 8.0 and 58 kcal mole−1at pH 10.5. A discussion of the data stresses the importance of structural changes and indicates a possible role for the electrostatic charge in the inactivation process.