Interaction of tropomyosin with myelin basic protein and its effect on the ATPase activity of actomyosin.

Myelin basic protein (MBP) binds to both skeletal muscle and brain tropomyosin resulting in the formation of paracrystalline tactoids in the absence of divalent cations and at neutral pH. Both types of tropomyosin reduce the inhibition of the ATPase activity of actomyosin caused by MBP. On the other hand, MBP alters the effect of both brain and skeletal muscle tropomyosins on the actomyosin ATPase, even though MBP and tropomyosin bind independently to actin. We conclude that MBP cannot substitute for troponin I in the regulation of the action of tropomyosin on actin.

Solution conformation of the C-terminal domain of skeletal troponin C. Cation, trifluoperazine and troponin I binding effects.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy has been used to study the cation (Mg2+, Ca2+)-dependent conformational states of the C-terminal domain of rabbit skeletal troponin C under a variety of solution conditions. Nuclear Overhauser data and paramagnetic probe observations provide definition of the configuration of this region of troponin C. Comparative study of homologous proteins identify common features of the tertiary structure relevant to the cation binding reaction. Complex formation with troponin I and the drug trifluoperazine is observed to adjust the solution conformation of the C-terminal domain of troponin C. The interactive conformational response to cation coordination and the binding of the drug and troponin I are discussed.

The nature of the trifluoperazine binding sites on calmodulin and troponin-C.

We have employed 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study the interaction of the drug trifluoperazine with calmodulin and troponin-C. Distinct trifluoperazine-binding sites exist in the N- and C-terminal halves of both proteins. Each site consists of a group of hydrophobic side-chains brought into proximity by the Ca2+-dependent juxtaposition of two alpha-helical segments of the protein, each, in turn, belonging to a different Ca2+-binding site in the protein half. The trifluoperazine-induced inhibition of the biological activating ability of calmodulin appears to result from conformational restrictions conferred upon the protein by the bound drug.

1H NMR studies of calmodulin. Resonance assignments by use of tryptic fragments.

Two tryptic fragments of the Ca2+ -binding protein calmodulin have been studied by high-resolution 1H NMR. TR1C (residues 1 - 77) spans the first two domains of the protein and TR2C (residues 78 - 148) spans the second two domains. The spectra indicate that each of the two-domain peptides assumes a conformation which is very close to that in the native protein. This characteristic holds both in the presence and in the absence of Ca2+ ions. Therefore, the resonance assignments obtained for the relatively simpler fragment spectra can be used to assign the spectrum of whole calmodulin. Analysis of the chemical shift patterns and nuclear Overhauser enhancement effects of several assigned resonances indicates that each half of calmodulin can be modelled after the two EF-hand Ca2+-binding proteins for which crystal structures are available, namely parvalbumin and intestinal Ca2+-binding protein.

Localization of hydrophobic sites in calmodulin and skeletal muscle troponin C studied using tryptic fragments: a simple method of their preparation.

The exposure of hydrophobic sites on calmodulin, skeletal muscle troponin C and their tryptic fragments was investigated using Phenyl-Sepharose chromatography. A strong binding of both proteins and their fragments corresponding to the NH2-terminal halves of polypeptide chain of respective proteins in the presence of calcium ions was observed. Only a weak interaction with Phenyl-Sepharose or its lack was observed under these conditions for fragments corresponding to the COOH-terminal halves of calmodulin and troponin C, respectively. The elution of the samples from Phenyl-Sepharose column with ethylene glycol gradient allowed to compare relative hydrophobicity of both proteins and their fragments. The results show that hydrophobic properties of calmodulin and troponin C are virtually preserved in their fragments obtained as a result of their cleavage by trypsin in half. They also indicated that the exposure of hydrophobic residues caused by the binding of calcium ions takes place mainly in the NH2-terminal halves of polypeptide chains of both proteins. A simple method of purification of tryptic fragments of both proteins based on the difference in the strength of their interactions with Phenyl-Sepharose is described.

Some functional properties of nonpolymerizable and polymerizable tropomyosin.

The binding of 125I-labelled nonpolymerizable (brain or carboxypeptidase A-treated skeletal muscle) and polymerizable (intact skeletal muscle) tropomyosin to muscle F-actin was studied by ultracentrifugation under various conditions. The amount of nonpolymerizable tropomyosin bound to F-actin both in 0.1 M KCl and in 7 mM MgCl2 was much lower than that of the polymerizable one. In the presence of MgCl2 the amount of nonpolymerizable tropomyosin bound to F-actin approached saturation level. Under these conditions, however, the amount of skeletal muscle tropomyosin bound exceeded saturation, suggesting formation of both head-to-tail polymers and side-to-side aggregates. The latter seems to be responsible for the inhibition of acto-heavy meromyosin ATPase activity which is caused by skeletal muscle tropomyosin but not by nonpolymerizable tropomyosin. Nonpolymerizable tropomyosin can substitute for the rabbit skeletal muscle tropomyosin in the regulatory system operating in skeletal muscle. Inhibition of ATPase activity of acto-heavy meromyosin by nonpolymerizable tropomyosin in the presence of troponin and the absence of calcium ions is less than that obtained with polymerizable tropomyosin. The inhibition of ATPase activity is directly correlated with the extent of binding of nonpolymerizable tropomyosin to F-actin under the conditions of the ATPase assay.

Dimerization of the polypeptide chains of skeletal muscle tropomyosin.

The composition of alpha and beta chains in tropomyosin dimers present in fetal and adult skeletal muscle of cow has been analysed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after cross-linking of the chains by disulphide bridges. The results indicate that in vivo alpha beta heterodimers of tropomyosin are assembled preferentially and only the excess of particular chains forms homodimers, i.e., alpha alpha dimers in adult and beta beta ones in fetal muscle. The original dimers of tropomyosin were dissociated with urea in the presence of dithiothreitol. Subsequent reassembly of the tropomyosin dimers from the mixture of alpha and beta chains approaches the random model.

The effect of cytochalasin and glutaraldehyde on F-actin filaments containing muscle and non-muscle tropomyosin.

F-actin filaments are disrupted by the action of cytochalasin and glutaraldehyde. Muscle tropomyosin which is able to polymerize can protect F-actin against fragmentation caused by these two agents. This protective effect does not occur with nonpolymerizable, brain or carboxy-peptidase A-treated skeletal muscle tropomyosins. The protection of F-actin against the action of cytochalasin and glutaraldehyde takes place under conditions where the F-actin filaments are saturated with tropomyosin, that is, at a molar ratio of tropomyosin to actin of 1:7. It is suggested that nonpolymerizable tropomyosin lacks the protective ability because its binding to F-actin is considerably weaker than the polymerizable tropomyosin and does not saturate all of the binding sites on F-actin.

Digestion of troponin C with trypsin in the presence and absence of Ca2+. Identification of cleavage points.

The rate of tryptic digestion of troponin C has been shown to be dependent on Ca2+ (Drabikowski et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 490, 216-224). We have characterized the tryptic peptides produced both in the presence and absence of Ca2+ using amino acid composition and end-group analyses. In the presence of Ca2+ trypsin cleaves TnC at Arg-8, Lys-84 and Lys-88, leading to the formation of two large peptides, one containing the two low-affinity sites (TR1C), the other, the two high-affinity Ca2+-binding sites (TR2C). In the absence of Ca2+ (1 mM EDTA), digestion proceeds much more rapidly and takes place first at Arg-100, followed by Arg-104, Arg-120, Lys-153, Arg-8 and others. The data suggest that the points of cleavage are determined by the Ca2+-dependent conformational states of TnC, particularly in the C-terminal half of the protein where the cation is known to induce secondary structure.

Proteolytic fragments of troponin C. Interactions with the other troponin subunits and biological activity.

Fragments of rabbit skeletal muscle Ca2+-binding subunit of troponin (TnC), obtained by cleavage with trypsin, thrombin, and CNBr, were tested for their ability to form binary and ternary complexes with ATPase inhibitory subunit (TnI) and tropomyosin-binding subunit (TnT) and their ability to replace TnC in reversing TnI inhibition of actomyosin ATPase activity. Three regions of TnC were found to be involved in interaction with TnI. Regions near Ca2+-binding sites II and III require Ca2+ for the interaction, while a third region near Ca2+-binding site IV binds TnI whether or not Ca2+ is present. The TnT binding site has been localized in the NH2-terminal half of TnC. Several of the TnC fragments form soluble ternary complexes with TnI and TnT. Fragments that contain amino acid residues 89-100 and at least one pair of Ca2+-binding sites are able to reverse the TnI inhibition of actomyosin ATPase activity, which exhibits the same [Ca2+]1/2 regardless of which of the Ca2+-binding sites are present in the fragment.

Sodium-23 nuclear magnetic resonance as an indicator of sodium binding to calmodulin and tryptic fragments, in relation to calcium content.

The relaxation rate enhancements of the 23Na nuclei for NaHCO3 solutions of calmodulin and its tryptic peptides TR-1 and TR-2 indicate true binding of Na+ ions to these biomolecules. With both TR-1 and TR-2, Na+ binding occurs in competition with Ca2+ and Mg2+ binding: log KNa approximately equal to 2, log KMg apoproximately equal to 4, log KCa approximately equal to 6 for TR-1; and log KNa approximately equal to 2, log KMg approximately equal to 3, log KCa approximately equal to 5 for TR-2. All the binding constants are systemically greater for binding to TR-1, as compared to TR-2. There is also an increase in KNa for TR-1 of calmodulin as compared to the homologous tryptic fragment of troponin C. The increased binding is identified tentatively with site I of calmodulin. The binding constants KNa, KCa and KMg of calmodulin appear to be finely tuned to the intracellular concentrations of these cations.

Proton magnetic resonance studies on proteolytic fragments of troponin-C. Structural homology with the native molecule.

Comparison of proton magnetic resonance spectra of a tryptic and a thrombin fragment of troponin-C with that of the native protein has identified the domain of the molecule influenced by Ca2+ binding to the lower affinity regions I and II of troponin-C. The binding of Ca2+ to these sites results in a subtle alteration of the tertiary fold of the N-terminal half of troponin-C involving weakened contacts between several hydrophobic groups. The role and kinetics of the movements within the troponin-C molecule associated with binding at the regulatory sites are discussed.

Sodium-23 nuclear magnetic resonance as an indicator of sodium binding to troponin C and tryptic fragments, in relation to calcium content and attendant conformational changes.

The relaxation rate enhancements of the 23Na nuclei for NaHCO3 solutions of troponin C and its tryptic peptides TR-1 and TR-2 indicate true binding of Na+ ions to these biomolecules. The low-affinity sites I and II of TR-1 and troponin C are the sites of competitive Na+/Ca2+ binding, below one calcium ion per molecule, with log KNa approximately 2. At low calcium content Na+ ions bind to TR-2 and to troponin C non-competitively with Ca2+ ions; binding of Ca2+ ions to the high-affinity sites III and IV allosterically affects the binding of the Na+ ions: even when sites I and II, located on TR-1 or sites I, II, III, IV of troponin C, are saturated with Ca2+ ions, Na+ ions continue to bind weakly at secondary binding sites.

Chicken-gizzard actin: polymerization and stability.

Preparations of chicken gizzard actin obtained from acetone-dried muscle powders prepared with various methods developed for skeletal muscle contain variable amounts of a beta-actinin-like protein. This contamination is minimized if the procedure of muscle powder preparation includes washing with EDTA solution, and can be completely removed by gel filtration of G-actin on Sephadex G-100. The presence of beta-actinin activity manifests itself in an increased rate of actin polymerization, low filament lengths resulting in low reduced viscosity and enhanced ATP-splitting activity of actin polymer, and instability of the polymer in the absence of free ATP. Gizzard actin purified on a Sephadex G-100 column does not differ from rabbit skeletal muscle actin in its polymerization properties. The distinct property of gizzard actin is the instability of its G form in the absence of added Ca2+, indicating that the affinity of this cation for the single high-affinity site in gizzard actin is lower than in skeletal muscle actin.

Ca2+-binding modulator protein in protozoa and myxomycete.

Ca2+-binding protein with the properties of brain modulator protein of 3,5-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase was identified in Physarum polycephalum plasmodia and in Euglena gracilis and Amoeba proteus cells by urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and activation of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase and of myosin light chain kinase.