Consequences of placing an intramolecular crosslink in myosin S1.

This paper describes the placement of a crosslinking agent (dibromobimane) between two thiols (Cys-522 and Cys-707) of a fragment, "S1," of the motor protein, myosin. It turns out that fastening the first anchor of the crosslinker is easy and rapid, but fastening the second anchor (Cys-522) is very temperature dependent, taking 30 min at room temperature but about a week on ice. Moreover, crystallography taken at 4 degrees C would seem to predict that the linkage is impossible, because the span of the crosslinking agent is much less than the interthiol distance. The simplest resolution of this seeming paradox is that structural fluctuations of the protein render the linkage increasingly likely as the temperature increases. Also, measurements of the affinity of MgADP for the protein, as well as the magnetic resonance of the P-atoms of the ADP once emplaced, suggest that binding the first reagent anchor to Cys-707 initiates an influence that travels to the rather distant ADP-binding site, and it is speculated what this "path of influence" might be.

Effect of lysine methylation and other ATPase modulators on the active site of myosin subfragment 1.

Many and diverse modifications of the myosin subfragment 1 (S-1) increase (modulate) its ATPase activity, including interaction of this particle with actin; a recent addition to these modifications is the extensive lysine modification of S-1 that seems prerequisite to crystallizing it for structure analysis. In this study we first established kinetically the ATPase modulations induced by various treatments of the myosin S-1 enzyme, and we also measured two properties of the S-1 active site--the affinity with which the site binds (a fluorescent analog of) the enzymatic nucleotide product and the access that a fluorescence quencher has to the bound ADP product--in an effort to get at the mechanism of modulation. Modulations achieved by substituting Ca2+ for the normal Mg2+ cocatalyst or by substituting Cl- for the normal carboxylate anion seem due to the product being held more loosely by the modulated enzyme. In other illustrative modulations (lysine methylation, or alkylation of Cys-707, or transition from neutral pH to pH 9.2) nucleotide product affinity and access to quencher do change, but not in a pattern explained simply by a lifting of product inhibition. Lysine methylation results in weaker binding of nucleotide product.

The region in myosin S-1 that may be involved in energy transduction.

Newly-reported structural information about certain proximities between points on bound nucleotide and points on the heavy chain of myosin S-1 are incorporated into a previously-reported [Botts, J. Thomason, J.F. & Morales, M.F. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, 86, 2204-2208 (1989)] structure of S-1. The resulting, enhanced structure is then used to identify some functionalities (e.g., the ATP-perturbable tryptophans), and to explain certain observations (e.g., some concerning the role of bound Mg2+ in the spectral response of TNBS-labelled Lys-83, and some concerning the response of the S-1 CD signal to nucleotide binding and to temperature change). These considerations lead to the suggestion that a strand of the 50 kDa "domain" (residues 510 to 540), and a strand of the 20 kDa 'domain' (residues 697-719) are involved in transmitting the effects of nucleotide binding and hydrolysis to the loop (constituted from the same "domain") that reaches a major (S-1)-actin interface.

The sequence location of the actin metal.

We have incorporated Fe2+ into the high-affinity metal-ion-binding site of actin. By supplying the system with oxygen from air and a reductant (dithiothreitol or ascorbate), we have induced free-radical generation, with the intent of causing peptide cleavage at the metal-ion-binding site. By analysis of the resulting fragments from actin in the F-form, we have deduced that cuts occurred at positions 159-160 and 301-302 (at the latter location we could not be sure if more than one cut occurred). We considered that these two cuts occurred in the chain strand coursing from the outer to the inner domain and vice-versa. Our results harmonize very well with the recently reported atomic structure of actin [Kabsch, W., Mannherz, H.G., Suck, D., Pai, E.F. & Holmes, K.C. (1990) Nature 347, 37-44] and remove ambiguities that had remained in the structure. The results partly bear out the homology-based prediction of Strzelecka-Golaszewska et al. [Strzelecka-Golaszewska, H., Boguta, G., Zmorzynshi, S. & Moraczcwska, J. (1989) Eur. J. Biochem. 182, 299-305].

A search for protein structural changes accompanying the contractile interaction.

It appears that small movements (detected hitherto only by fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements and crosslinking studies) in a region of the myosin S-1 particle may mediate chemomechanical energy transduction in the contractile system. Here we find under conditions of high precision at 10 degrees C and 20 degrees C that ATP binding to S-1 causes small (0.4%) changes in CD signal, delta epsilon 222, as do temperature changes in the regime below 16 degrees C. ATP binding perturbs tryptophan residues that we now think are in the mobile region, and we find here that temperature affects tryptophan fluorescence in much the same way that it affects the CD signal, so we believe that the CD signal reports transduction-related movements in S-1. If S-1 is exposed to the range 16-30 degrees C, CD signal falls with temperature; ATP counteracts this fall. Analysis of vacuum-UV CD spectra yields 42% alpha-helix, 9% antiparallel beta-sheet, 7% parallel beta-sheet, 14% beta-turns, and 29% other structures.

Intramolecular cross-linking of myosin subfragment 1 with bimane.

We previously showed that the fluorescent inter-thiol cross-linker dibromobimane (DBB) [Kosower, N. S., Kosower, E. M., Newton, G. L., & Ranney, H. M. (1979) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76, 3382-3386] cross-links two [50 and 20 kilodaltons (kDa)] of the three major fragments of myosin subfragment 1 (S-1); on intact S-1, DBB quenches tryptophans and inhibits all ATPases [Mornet, D., Ue, K., & Morales, M. F. (1985) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 1658-1662]. Here we characterize the modification chemically: DBB cross-links Cys-522 (50 kDa) with Cys-707 (20 kDa), thereby sealing a large preexisting heavy-chain loop containing important functionalities. Cross-linking rate is insensitive to nucleotides, but apparently sterically, either monobromobimane or DBB reduces Ca2+-ATPase to low, nonzero levels.

Modification of the actin interface of skeletal myosin subfragment-1 by treatment with dibromobimane.

Recently, by treating the head portion of skeletal myosin subfragment-1 (S1) with the bifunctional agent dibromobimane, we introduced an intramolecular covalent cross-link which resulted in the stabilisation of an internal loop in the heavy chain structure of the head [Mornet et al. (1984) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 82, 1658-1662]. In order to define the functional properties of this new S1 conformational state, we have first determined the experimental conditions for the optimum modification of S1 by dibromobimane. We finally settled on a 60% yield of cross-linked S1. Because the modification occurs between the 50-kDa and the 20-kDa tryptic heavy chain fragments which have been postulated to be involved in the interaction of native S1 with actin, we have investigated the association of dibromobimane-treated S1 with actin, using chemical cross-linking of their rigor complex with 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl] carbodiimide. The cross-linked species obtained were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and compared with those known for unmodified S1. The carbodiimide-catalyzed linkage between actin and dibromobimane-modified S1 led to a singlet protein band migrating with an apparent molecular mass of 155 kDa, in contrast to the usual doublet bands of 175 kDa and 185 kDa produced with native S1. This result suggests that a change has occurred at the actin interface on the dibromobimane-treated S1 heavy chain. The covalent complex generated by carbodiimide cross-linking between actin and dibromobimane-modified S1 (27-kDa + 50-kDa + 20-kDa fragments) was submitted to chemical hydrolysis with hydroxylamine. The nature of the products identified is consistent with the conclusion that the internal freezing of the heavy chain structure by dibromobimane induces the loss of the ability to cross-linkage of the actin site on the 20-kDa domain but does not affect the conformation of the second site on the 50-kDa segment, which becomes the unique actin region cross-linkable by actin.

Characterization of the isolated 20 kDa and 50 kDa fragments of the myosin head.

We have isolated two proteolytic fragments of subfragment 1 (S-1) of myosin from rabbit skeletal muscle. These fragments, identified by their molecular weights of 20 and 50 kDa, may be functional domains that, when isolated, retain their specific function. We have studied several structural and functional features of the 20 and 50 kDa fragments. Considerable secondary structure in both fragments has been observed in CD spectrum studies. Previously CD spectra showed 64% ordered structure for the 20 kDa fragment (Muhlrad and Morales, M.F. (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 81, 1003) and here we show 71% ordered structures for the 50 kDa fragment. Fluorescence lifetime studies of tryptophan residues in the 50 kDa fragment and 1,5-IAEDANS-labeled SH-1 in the 20 kDa fragment are used to investigate the tertiary structure of the fragments. We find the tertiary structure relating to this measurement of both fragments to be intact; however, the reaction of 1,5-IAEDANS with SH-1 on the isolated 20 kDa fragment is less specific than with S-1. Furthermore, the fragments showed a tendency to aggregate. The domain concept of S-1 was supported by the characteristic biochemical function of the isolated fragments. Both of the fragments were effective in competing with S-1 for binding to actin in acto-S-1 ATPase measurements. From these studies and in direct binding measurement the 20 kDa fragment proved to bind with higher affinity to actin than did the 50 kDa fragment.

Stabilization of a primary loop in myosin subfragment 1 with a fluorescent crosslinker.

A bifunctional fluorescent alkylating agent, dibromobimane, has been used to stabilize a preexisting primary loop in myosin subfragment 1 (S-1). The crosslink achieved joins Cys-707 (called sulfhydryl group "SH1") of the 20-kDa domain (formerly called "20K" domain) with a thiol of the 50-kDa domain and seems to place the dibromobimane near the ATP-perturbable tryptophan.

Incorporation of 6-carboxyfluorescein into myosin subfragment 1.

We describe for the first time the introduction of a label into the "50K" domain of myosin subfragment 1 (S-1), and we investigate the properties of this fluorescent modification in relation to the ATPase and actin-binding activities, both residing in the myosin head. The labeling consists of a major incorporation of 6-carboxyfluorescein into the "50K" domain of S-1. Using different conditions for tryptic digestion that allowed a fragmentation of the "50K" domain with a loss of 5 kilodaltons (kDa) leading to a final product of 45 kDa, we have shown that the fluorescent dye remains in the 45-kDa final product. By studying cross-linking as a function of time, we have demonstrated that the "50K" domain and the 45-kDa fluorescent peptide are equally cross-linkable to actin. We have also investigated the K+EDTA-, Ca2+-, Mg2+-, and actin-activated ATPase activities of this modified S-1 and after purification observed no enzymatic changes.

Proteolysis and structure of skeletal muscle actin.

Under standard conditions, G-actin has been submitted to nine proteases of varying specificity, and in each case the pattern of fragments produced has been studied by NaDodSO4 gel electrophoresis. The results suggest that the actin monomer consists of a large region (ca. 33 kilodaltons) and a small, easily degraded region (ca. 9 kilodaltons). The COOH terminus is in the large region. Consideration of primary sequence homologies, medium resolution maps of actin crystals, and certain reactions of actin suggests that the NH2 terminus is in the small region, as is the negative sequence to which a divalent metal cation is normally chelated, but that the nucleotide-binding site is on the large region near the junction between the regions. From analysis of these results, numerous properties of actin are understandable.

Proteolysis and the domain organization of myosin subfragment 1.

Because the proteolytic cleavage of a folded polypeptide depends not only on the specificity of the protease but on the nature of the folding, we investigated the cleavage of (chymotryptically produced) subfragment 1 (designated "S-1") or "head" segment of myosin by seven proteases with different specificities. All seven produced approximately the same three fragments of S-1--namely, fragments (from the NH2 terminus) of 27, 50, and 20 kilodaltons, suggesting that in intact S-1 these fragments are distinct domains. The same proteases were used to hydrolyze the MgADP complex of S-1. All failed to do so except trypsin, which, as found earlier [Hozumi, T. (1983) Biochemistry 22, 799-804], makes two additional cleavages. This result suggests that the conformational change induced by MgADP opens up only a small stretch of polypeptide chain, which stretch happens to be vulnerable to trypsin.

Reciprocal reactivities of specific thiols when actin binds to myosin.

We report measurements of the reactivity (degree of labeling, as mole of ligand per mole of protein, at constant exposure time) of the reactive thiol, "SH1", of a subfragment of myosin (S-1), and of Cys-10 of F-actin under various conditions, using N-iodo-[3H]acetyl-N-(1-sulfo-5-naphthyl)ethylenediamine, a fluorescent radioactive iodoacetamide analog. When either ADP or adenyloyl imidodiphosphate (simulating unhydrolyzed ATP) is bound to the enzymatic site of S-1, the reactivity of "SH1" is slightly enhanced, but when active ATPase is going on, reactivity is reduced by about a third, presumably due to the species, (S-1) ADP,Pi. The reactivity of Cys-10 alone is very low. When the complex, (S-1)-F-actin, is formed, the reactivity of SH1 is strongly decreased, and the reactivity of Cys-10 is strongly increased. The foregoing results explain our further observation (on glycerol-treated rabbit psoas fibers) that when fibers labeled in relaxation solution are compared with fibers labeled in rigor solution, myosin is more reactive and actin is less reactive, in the former case; alpha-actinin and C-protein are also less reactive in the former case.