Some properties of glycerinated skeletal muscle fibers containing phosphorylated myosin

The structural changes of phalloidin-rhodamin labelled F-actin at relaxed and contracted skeletal muscle fibre containing phosphorylated myosin and at contracted state after dephosphorylation were investigated by measuring of polarized fluorescence of the fluorophore. The mechanical properties (isometric tension development) of fibre were studied in parallel. At submaximal concentration of Ca ions (0.6 mumol/l) the isometric tension was decreased after dephosphorylation of fibre myosin. The changes in polarization of fluorophore bound to actin filament were correlated with isometric tension developed by the muscle fibre. The angles between the actin filament long axis and the absorption and emission dipoles for contracted and relaxed fibre were different, suggesting changes in the organization of the actin monomers in thin filament, dependent on the physiological state of the fibre. The flexibility of the thin filaments during transition of the fibre from relaxed to "contracted" state increases as indicated by greater average angle between the F-actin long axis and the fibre axis.

[Effect of Ca2+ on the motility of myosin head in the F-actin-HMM complex]

Using polarization microfluorimetry, the effect of Ca2+ on the mode of interaction between heavy meromyosin labeled with 1.5-IAEDANS and F-actin was studied. The results obtained suggest that both the orientation and motility of myosin heads in the F-actin-heavy meromyosin complex depend on Ca2+ concentration. The experimental results are suggestive of the existence of a myosin-coupled regulatory system in skeletal muscles.

Influence of Mg2+ and Ca2+ bound to 1,5-IAEDANS-labeled phosphorylated and dephosphorylated heavy meromyosin complexed with F-actin on polarized fluorescence of the fluorophore

Dephosphorylated and phosphorylated heavy meromyosin, fluorescently labeled with 1,5-IAEDANS attached at the SH1 group, was introduced into myosin-free ghost fibres and the polarized fluorescence of the bound label was measured. The results depended on whether the divalent cation binding sites on heavy meromyosin were saturated with Mg2+ or Ca2+. The calculated angles of absorption and emission dipoles and the amount of random fluorophores were significantly changed, indicating that the random mobility and orientation of the fluorophores of phosphorylated and dephosphorylated heavy meromyosin heads complexed with F-actin in the ghost fibre depend on saturation of heavy meromyosin with Ca2+ or Mg2+. The presence of bound Ca2+ has an opposite effect on the polarized fluorescence of phosphorylated and dephosphorylated 1,5-IAEDANS-heavy meromyosin.

[Production of glycerinated models of muscle fibers with phosphorylated myosin light chains]

A simple method for obtaining glycerinated muscle fibres of m. psoas of rabbit containing regulatory myosin light chains (LC2) of different levels of phosphorylation. The glycerination conditions stimulated endogenic kinase LC2 or phosphatase LC2. Glycerinated muscle fibres contained phosphorylated and dephosphorylated (levels of phosphorylation are 95 +/- 5%, and 5 +/- 5%, respectively) LC2 of myosin. To determine the level of phosphorylation the method of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in 8 M urea was modified.

Factors influencing interaction of phosphorylated and dephosphorylated myosin with actin

The influence of various factors on the interaction of phosphorylated and dephosphorylated myosin with actin was examined. It was found that the difference between the values of specific activity of the two myosin forms of actin-stimulated Mg2+-ATPase is affected by changes in KCl, MgATP and actin concentration. The effect of increased pH on the differences in the rate of ATP hydrolysis by actomyosin containing phosphorylated myosin as compared with that of the dephosphorylated one, observed in the presence of EGTA, is abolished by addition of Ca2+. Tropomyosin strongly inhibits the actin-stimulated Mg2+-ATPase of phosphorylated myosin (by about 60%). The tropomyosin-troponin complex and native tropomyosin lowered the rate of ATP hydrolysis by actomyosin containing both phosphorylated and dephosphorylated myosin by about of 60% of the value obtained in the absence of those proteins. These results indicate that the change of negative charge on the myosin head due to phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of myosin light chains modulates the actin-myosin interaction at different steps of the ATP hydrolysis cycle. Phosphorylation of myosin seems to be a factor decreasing the rate of ATP hydrolysis by actomyosin under physiological conditions.

Decoration of actin filaments with skeletal muscle heavy meromyosin containing either phosphorylated or dephosphorylated regulatory light chains

Heavy meromyosin containing almost intact regulatory light chains (LC2) was obtained from monomeric phosphorylated and dephosphorylated rabbit fast skeletal muscle myosin by brief chymotryptic digestion in the presence of CaCl2. Actin filaments, complexed with heavy meromyosin, display two different forms of arrowhead, depending on the form of LC2.