Secondary literature sources for MYSc

The following references were automatically generated.

Kelly TR
Progress toward a Rationally Designed Molecular Motor.
Acc Chem Res. 2001; 34: 514-22
Display abstract
A retrospective overview of the work in the author's laboratory leading to a prototype (43a) of a chemically powered molecular motor is provided. Beginning with a molecular brake (23) and then proceeding through a molecular "ratchet" (31), the development of a rationally designed molecular motor is described. The thermodynamic underpinnings of the concept are outlined, the synthetic routes to 23, 31, and 43a, are summarized, and the data documenting the function of 23, 31, and 43a are presented.

Miller RW, Eady RR, Fairhurst SA, Gormal CA, Smith BE
Transition state complexes of the Klebsiella pneumoniae nitrogenase proteins. Spectroscopic properties of aluminium fluoride-stabilized and beryllium fluoride-stabilized MgADP complexes reveal conformational differences of the Fe protein.
Eur J Biochem. 2001; 268: 809-18
Display abstract
Stable inactive 2 : 1 complexes of the Klebsiella pneumoniae nitrogenase components (Kp2/Kp1) were prepared with ADP or the fluorescent ADP analogue, 2'(3')-O-[N-methylanthraniloyl] ADP and AlF(4)(-) or BeF(3)(-) ions. By analogy with published crystallographic data [Schindelin et al. (1997) Nature 387, 370-376)], we suggest that the metal fluoride ions replaced phosphate at the two ATP-binding sites of the iron protein, Kp2. The beryllium (BeF(x)) and aluminium (AlF(4)(-)) containing complexes are proposed to correspond to the ATP-bound state and the hydrolytic transition states, respectively, by analogy with the equivalent complexes of myosin [Fisher et al. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 8960-8972]. (31)P NMR spectroscopy showed that during the initial stages of complex formation, MgADP bound to the complexed Kp2 in a manner similar to that reported for isolated Kp2. This process was followed by a second step that caused broadening of the (31)P NMR signals and, in the case of the AlF4- complex, slow hydrolysis of some of the excess ADP to AMP and inorganic phosphate. The purified BeFx complex contained 3.8 +/- 0.1 MgADP per mol Kp1. With the AlF(4)(-) complex, MgAMP and adenosine (from MgAMP hydrolysis) replaced part of the bound MgADP although four AlF(4)(-) ions were retained, demonstrating that full occupancy by MgADP is not required for the stability of the complex. The fluorescence emission maximum of 2'(3')-O-[N-methylanthraniloyl] ADP was blue-shifted by 6-8 nm in both metal fluoride complexes and polarization was 6-9 times that of the free analogue. The fluorescence yield of bound 2'(3')-O-[N-methylanthraniloyl] ADP was enhanced by 40% in the AlF(4)(-) complex relative to the solvent but no increase in fluorescence was observed in the BeFx complex. Resonance energy transfer from conserved tyrosine residues located in proximity to the Kp2 nucleotide-binding pocket was marked in the AlF(4)(-) complex but minimal in the BeFx fluoride complex, illustrating a clear conformational difference in the Fe protein of the two complexes. Our data indicate that complex formation during the nitrogenase catalytic cycle is a multistep process involving at least four conformational states of Kp2: similar to the free Fe protein; as initially complexed with detectable (31)P NMR; as detected in mature complexes with no detectable (31)P NMR; in the AlF(4)(-) complex in which an altered tyrosine interaction permits resonance energy transfer with 2'(3')-O-[N-methylanthraniloyl] ADP.

Houdusse A, Sweeney HL
Myosin motors: missing structures and hidden springs.
Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2001; 11: 182-94
Display abstract
High-resolution structures of the motor domain of myosin II and lower resolution actin-myosin structures have led to the "swinging lever arm" model for myosin force generation. The available kinetic data are not all easily reconciled with this model and understanding the final details of the myosin motor mechanism must await actin-myosin co-crystals. The observation that myosin can populate multiple states in the absence of actin has nonetheless led to significant insights. The currently known myosin structures correspond to defined kinetic states that bind weakly (K(d)>microM) to actin. It is possible that the myosin lever arm could complete its swing before strong binding to actin and force generation--a process that would correspond, in the absence of load, to a Brownian ratchet. We further suggest that, under load, internal springs within the myosin head could decouple force generation and lever arm movement.

Homma K, Yoshimura M, Saito J, Ikebe R, Ikebe M
The core of the motor domain determines the direction of myosin movement.
Nature. 2001; 412: 831-4
Display abstract
Myosins constitute a superfamily of at least 18 known classes of molecular motors that move along actin filaments. Myosins move towards the plus end of F-actin filaments; however, it was shown recently that a certain class of myosin, class VI myosin, moves towards the opposite end of F-actin, that is, in the minus direction. As there is a large, unique insertion in the myosin VI head domain between the motor domain and the light-chain-binding domain (the lever arm), it was thought that this insertion alters the angle of the lever-arm switch movement, thereby changing the direction of motility. Here we determine the direction of motility of chimaeric myosins that comprise the motor domain and the lever-arm domain (containing an insert) from myosins that have movement in the opposite direction. The results show that the motor core domain, but neither the large insert nor the converter domain, determines the direction of myosin motility.

Mandato CA, Bement WM
Contraction and polymerization cooperate to assemble and close actomyosin rings around Xenopus oocyte wounds.
J Cell Biol. 2001; 154: 785-97
Display abstract
Xenopus oocytes assemble an array of F-actin and myosin 2 around plasma membrane wounds. We analyzed this process in living oocytes using confocal time-lapse (four-dimensional) microscopy. Closure of wounds requires assembly and contraction of a classic "contractile ring" composed of F-actin and myosin 2. However, this ring works in concert with a 5-10-microm wide "zone" of localized actin and myosin 2 assembly. The zone forms before the ring and can be uncoupled from the ring by inhibition of cortical flow and contractility. However, contractility and the contractile ring are required for the stability and forward movement of the zone, as revealed by changes in zone dynamics after disruption of contractility and flow, or experimentally induced breakage of the contractile ring. We conclude that wound-induced contractile arrays are provided with their characteristic flexibility, speed, and strength by the combined input of two distinct components: a highly dynamic zone in which myosin 2 and actin preferentially assemble, and a stable contractile actomyosin ring.

Malnasi-Csizmadia A, Kovacs M, Woolley RJ, Botchway SW, Bagshaw CR
The dynamics of the relay loop tryptophan residue in the Dictyostelium myosin motor domain and the origin of spectroscopic signals.
J Biol Chem. 2001; 276: 19483-90
Display abstract
Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements were performed on a Dictyostelium discoideum myosin II motor domain construct retaining a single tryptophan residue at position 501, located on the relay loop. Other tryptophan residues were mutated to phenylalanine. The Trp-501 residue showed a large enhancement in fluorescence in the presence of ATP and a small quench in the presence of ADP as a result of perturbing both the ground and excited state processes. Fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield measurements indicated that at least three microstates of Trp-501 were present in all nucleotide states examined, and these could not be assigned to a particular gross conformation of the motor domain. Enhancement in emission intensity was associated with a reduction of the contribution from a statically quenched component and an increase in a component with a 5-ns lifetime, with little change in the contribution from a 1-ns lifetime component. Anisotropy measurements indicated that the Trp-501 side chain was relatively immobile in all nucleotide states, and the fluorescence was effectively depolarized by rotation of the whole motor domain with a correlation time on 50-70 ns. Overall these data suggest that the backbone of the relay loop remains structured throughout the myosin ATPase cycle but that the Trp-501 side chain experiences a different weighting in local environments provided by surrounding residues as the adjacent converter domain rolls around the relay loop.

Ito S, Fushinobu S, Yoshioka I, Koga S, Matsuzawa H, Wakagi T
Structural basis for the ADP-specificity of a novel glucokinase from a hyperthermophilic archaeon.
Structure (Camb). 2001; 9: 205-14
Display abstract
BACKGROUND: ATP is the most common phosphoryl group donor for kinases. However, certain hyperthermophilic archaea such as Thermococcus litoralis and Pyrococcus furiosus utilize unusual ADP-dependent glucokinases and phosphofructokinases in their glycolytic pathways. These ADP-dependent kinases are homologous to each other but show no sequence similarity to any of the hitherto known ATP-dependent enzymes. RESULTS: We solved the crystal structure at 2.3 A resolution of an ADP-dependent glucokinase from T. litoralis (tlGK) complexed with ADP. The overall structure can be divided into large and small alpha/beta domains, and the ADP molecule is buried in a shallow pocket in the large domain. Unexpectedly, the structure was similar to those of two ATP-dependent kinases, ribokinase and adenosine kinase. Comparison based on three-dimensional structure revealed that several motifs important both in structure and function are conserved, and the recognition of the alpha- and beta-phosphate of the ADP in the tlGK was almost identical with the recognition of the beta- and gamma-phosphate of ATP in these ATP-dependent kinases. CONCLUSIONS: Noticeable points of our study are the first structure of ADP-dependent kinase, the structural similarity to members of the ATP-dependent ribokinase family, its rare nucleotide specificity caused by a shift in nucleotide binding position by one phosphate unit, and identification of the residues that discriminate ADP- and ATP-dependence. The strict conservation of the binding site for the terminal and adjacent phosphate moieties suggests a common ancestral origin of both the ATP- and ADP-dependent kinases.

Reshetnyak YK, Andreev OA, Borejdo J, Toptygin DD, Brand L, Burstein EA
The identification of tryptophan residues responsible for ATP-induced increase in intrinsic fluorescence of myosin subfragment 1.
J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2000; 18: 113-25
Display abstract
ATP binding to myosin subfragment 1 (S1) induces an increase in tryptophan fluorescence. Chymotryptic rabbit skeletal S1 has 5 tryptophan residues (Trp113, 131, 440, 510 and 595), and therefore the identification of tryptophan residues perturbed by ATP is quite complex. To solve this problem we resolved the complex fluorescence spectra into log-normal and decay-associated components, and carried out the structural analysis of the microenvironment of each tryptophan in S1. The decomposition of fluorescence spectra of S1 and S1-ATP complex revealed 3 components with maxima at ca. 318, 331 and 339-342 nm. The comparison of structural parameters of microenvironment of 5 tryptophan residues with the same parameters of single-tryptophan-containing proteins with well identified fluorescence properties applying statistical method of cluster analysis, enabled us to assign Trp595 to 318 nm, Trp440 to 331 nm, and Trp 13, 131 and 510 to 342 nm spectral components. ATP induced an almost equal increase in the intensities of the intermediate (331 nm) and long-wavelength (342 nm) components, and a small decrease in the short component (318 nm). The increase in the intermediate component fluorescence most likely results from an immobilization of some quenching groups (Met437, Met441 and/or Arg444) in the environment of Trp440. The increase in the intensity and a blue shift of the long component might be associated with conformational changes in the vicinity of Trp510. However, these conclusions can not be extended directly to the other types of myosins due to the diversity in the tryptophan content and their microenvironments.

Tobacman LS, Butters CA
A new model of cooperative myosin-thin filament binding.
J Biol Chem. 2000; 275: 27587-93
Display abstract
Cooperative myosin binding to the thin filament is critical to regulation of cardiac and skeletal muscle contraction. This report delineates and fits to experimental data a new model of this process, in which specific tropomyosin-actin interactions are important, the tropomyosin-tropomyosin polymer is continuous rather than disjointed, and tropomyosin affects myosin-actin binding by shifting among three positions as in recent structural studies. A myosin- and tropomyosin-induced conformational change in actin is proposed, rationalizing the approximately 10,000-fold strengthening effect of myosin on tropomyosin-actin binding. Also, myosin S1 binding to regulated filaments containing mutant tropomyosins with internal deletions exhibited exaggerated cooperativity, implying an allosteric effect of tropomyosin on actin and allowing the effect's measurement. Comparisons among the mutants suggest the change in actin is promoted much more strongly by the middle of tropomyosin than by its ends. Regardless of calcium binding to troponin, this change in actin facilitates the shift in tropomyosin position to the actin inner domain, which is required for tight myosin-actin association. It also increases myosin-actin affinity 7-fold compared with the absence of troponin-tropomyosin. Finally, initiation of a shift in tropomyosin position is 100-fold more difficult than is its extension from one actin to the next, producing the myosin binding cooperativity that underlies cooperative activation of muscle contraction.

Trybus KM
Biochemical studies of myosin.
Methods. 2000; 22: 327-35
Display abstract
This article describes methods for expressing and obtaining purified smooth muscle myosin subfragments using the baculovirus/insect cell expression system, as well as methods for purifying whole myosin from tissue. Protocols for several gel assays that are routinely used with myosin are given, including gels to monitor light chain phosphorylation state and native gels to determine protein homogeneity. Steady-state myosin ATPase and actin-activated ATPase determinations are described, as are some of the more basic transient-state kinetic parameters that can be measured. The in vitro motility assay, in which the rate of actin movement over myosin or its subfragments is quantified, is also presented.

Osherov N, May GS
In vivo function of class I myosins.
Cell Motil Cytoskeleton. 2000; 47: 163-73

Hutter MC, Helms V
Phosphoryl transfer by a concerted reaction mechanism in UMP/CMP-kinase.
Protein Sci. 2000; 9: 2225-31
Display abstract
The reaction mechanism of phosphoryl transfer catalyzed by UMP/CMP-kinase from Dictyostelium discoideum was investigated by semiempirical AM1 molecular orbital computations of an active site model system derived from crystal structures that contain a transition state analog or a bisubstrate inhibitor. The computational results suggest that the nucleoside monophosphate must be protonated for the forward reaction while it is unprotonated in the presence of aluminium fluoride, a popular transition state analog for phosphoryl transfer reactions. Furthermore, a compactification of the active site model system during the reaction and for the corresponding complex containing AlF3 was observed. For the active site residues that are part of the LID domain, conformational flexibility during the reaction proved to be crucial. On the basis of the calculations, a concerted phosphoryl transfer mechanism is suggested that involves the synchronous shift of a proton from the monophosphate to the transferred PO3-group. The proposed mechanism is thus analogous to the phosphoryl transfer mechanism in cAMP-dependent protein kinase that phosphorylates the hydroxyl groups of serine residues.

Shih WM, Gryczynski Z, Lakowicz JR, Spudich JA
A FRET-based sensor reveals large ATP hydrolysis-induced conformational changes and three distinct states of the molecular motor myosin.
Cell. 2000; 102: 683-94
Display abstract
The molecular motor myosin is proposed to bind to actin and swing its light-chain binding region through a large angle to produce an approximately 10 nm step in motion coupled to changes in the nucleotide state at the active site. To date, however, direct dynamic measurements have largely failed to show changes of that magnitude. Here, we use a cysteine engineering approach to create a high resolution, FRET-based sensor that reports a large, approximately 70 degree nucleotide-dependent angle change of the light-chain binding region. The combination of steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements unexpectedly reveals two distinct prestroke states. The measurements also show that bound Mg.ADP.Pi, and not bound Mg.ATP, induces the myosin to adopt the prestroke states.

Sokac AM, Bement WM
Regulation and expression of metazoan unconventional myosins.
Int Rev Cytol. 2000; 200: 197-304
Display abstract
Unconventional myosins are molecular motors that convert adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis into movement along actin filaments. On the basis of primary structure analysis, these myosins are represented by at least 15 distinct classes (classes 1 and 3-16), each of which is presumed to play a specific cellular role. However, in contrast to the conventional myosins-2, which drive muscle contraction and cytokinesis and have been studied intensively for many years in both uni- and multicellular organisms, unconventional myosins have only been subject to analysis in metazoan systems for a short time. Here we critically review what is known about unconventional myosin regulation, function, and expression. Several points emerge from this analysis. First, in spite of the high relative conservation of motor domains among the myosin classes, significant differences are found in biochemical and enzymatic properties of these motor domains. Second, the idea that characteristic distributions of unconventional myosins are solely dependent on the myosin tail domain is almost certainly an oversimplification. Third, the notion that most unconventional myosins function as transport motors for membranous organelles is challenged by recent data. Finally, we present a scheme that clarifies relationships between various modes of myosin regulation.

Volkmann N, Hanein D, Ouyang G, Trybus KM, DeRosier DJ, Lowey S
Evidence for cleft closure in actomyosin upon ADP release.
Nat Struct Biol. 2000; 7: 1147-55
Display abstract
Structural insights into the interaction of smooth muscle myosin with actin have been provided by computer-based fitting of crystal structures into three-dimensional reconstructions obtained by electron cryomicroscopy, and by mapping of structural and dynamic changes in the actomyosin complex. The actomyosin structures determined in the presence and absence of MgADP differ significantly from each other, and from all crystallographic structures of unbound myosin. Coupled to a complex movement ( approximately 34 A) of the light chain binding domain upon MgADP release, we observed a approximately 9 degrees rotation of the myosin motor domain relative to the actin filament, and a closure of the cleft that divides the actin binding region of the myosin head. Cleft closure is achieved by a movement of the upper 50 kDa region, while parts of the lower 50 kDa region are stabilized through strong interactions with actin. This model supports a mechanism in which binding of MgATP at the active site opens the cleft and disrupts the interface, thereby releasing myosin from actin.

Maruta S, Aihara T, Uyehara Y, Homma K, Sugimoto Y, Wakabayashi K
Solution structure of myosin-ADP-MgFn ternary complex by fluorescent probes and small-angle synchrotron X-ray scattering.
J Biochem (Tokyo). 2000; 128: 687-94
Display abstract
In the presence of excess amounts of fluorine, a physiological divalent cation, magnesium (Mg(2+)), forms a novel phosphate analogue, magnesium fluoride (MgFn). Park et al. [Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1430, 127-140 (1999)] previously demonstrated that MgADP. MgFn forms a complex with myosin subfragment-1 (S-1), and the S-1.ADP. MgFn ternary complex mimics a transient state in the activity cycle of ATPase. In the present study, localized conformations in the regions of highly reactive cysteine and lysine residues, Cys 707 (SH1), Cys 697 (SH2), and Lys 83 (RLR), which change their conformations markedly during ATP hydrolysis, were studied using fluorescent probes and chemical modification. The global shape of the complex was also studied using small angle X-ray solution scattering and compared it with other previously reported myosin.ADP. fluorometal ternary complexes. The results suggest that the overall conformation and localized functional regions of the complex are quite similar to those in the presence of ATP, indicating that the complex mimics the M(**).ADP.P(i) steady state.

Highsmith S, Polosukhina K, Eden D
Myosin motor domain lever arm rotation is coupled to ATP hydrolysis.
Biochemistry. 2000; 39: 12330-5
Display abstract
We have investigated coupling of lever arm rotation to the ATP binding and hydrolysis steps for the myosin motor domain. In several current hypotheses of the mechanism of force production by muscle, the primary mechanical feature is the rotation of a lever arm that is a subdomain of the myosin motor domain. In these models, the lever arm rotates while the myosin motor domain is free, and then reverses the rotation to produce force while it is bound to actin. These mechanical steps are coupled to steps in the ATP hydrolysis cycle. Our hypothesis is that ATP hydrolysis induces lever arm rotation to produce a more compact motor domain that has stored mechanical energy. Our approach is to use transient electric birefringence techniques to measure changes in hydrodynamic size that result from lever arm rotation when various ligands are bound to isolated skeletal muscle myosin motor domain in solution. Results for ATP and CTP, which do support force production by muscle fibers, are compared to those of ATPgammaS and GTP, which do not. Measurements are also made of conformational changes when the motor domain is bound to NDP's and PP(i) in the absence and presence of the phosphate analogue orthovanadate, to determine the roles the nucleoside moieties of the nucleotides have on lever arm rotation. The results indicate that for the substrates investigated, rotation does not occur upon substrate binding, but is coupled to the NTP hydrolysis step. The data are consistent with a model in which only substrates that produce a motor domain-NDP-P(i) complex as the steady-state intermediate make the motor domain more compact, and only those substrates support force production.

Arata T
[Dynamic structure of muscle motor protein actin-myosin complex]
Seikagaku. 2000; 72: 388-92

Bauer CB, Holden HM, Thoden JB, Smith R, Rayment I
X-ray structures of the apo and MgATP-bound states of Dictyostelium discoideum myosin motor domain.
J Biol Chem. 2000; 275: 38494-9
Display abstract
Myosin is the most comprehensively studied molecular motor that converts energy from the hydrolysis of MgATP into directed movement. Its motile cycle consists of a sequential series of interactions between myosin, actin, MgATP, and the products of hydrolysis, where the affinity of myosin for actin is modulated by the nature of the nucleotide bound in the active site. The first step in the contractile cycle occurs when ATP binds to actomyosin and releases myosin from the complex. We report here the structure of the motor domain of Dictyostelium discoideum myosin II both in its nucleotide-free state and complexed with MgATP. The structure with MgATP was obtained by soaking the crystals in substrate. These structures reveal that both the apo form and the MgATP complex are very similar to those previously seen with MgATPgammaS and MgAMP-PNP. Moreover, these structures are similar to that of chicken skeletal myosin subfragment-1. The crystallized protein is enzymatically active in solution, indicating that the conformation of myosin observed in chicken skeletal myosin subfragment-1 is unable to hydrolyze ATP and most likely represents the pre-hydrolysis structure for the myosin head that occurs after release from actin.

Houdusse A, Szent-Gyorgyi AG, Cohen C
Three conformational states of scallop myosin S1.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000; 97: 11238-43
Display abstract
We have determined the structure of the intact scallop myosin head, containing both the motor domain and the lever arm, in the nucleotide-free state and in the presence of MgADP.V04, corresponding to the transition state. These two new structures, together with the previously determined structure of scallop S1 complexed with MgADP (which we interpret as a detached ATP state), reveal three conformations of an intact S1 obtained from a single isoform. These studies, together with new crystallization results, show how the conformation of the motor depends on the nucleotide content of the active site. The resolution of the two new structures ( approximately 4 A) is sufficient to establish the relative positions of the subdomains and the overall conformation of the joints within the motor domain as well as the position of the lever arm. Comparison of available crystal structures from different myosin isoforms and truncated constructs in either the nucleotide-free or transition states indicates that the major features within the motor domain are relatively invariant in both these states. In contrast, the position of the lever arm varies significantly between different isoforms. These results indicate that the heavy-chain helix is pliant at the junction between the converter and the lever arm and that factors other than the precise position of the converter can influence the position of the lever arm. It is possible that this pliant junction in the myosin head contributes to the compliance known to be present in the crossbridge.

Maruta S, Saitoh J, Asakura T
Analysis of conformational changes at the unique loop adjacent to the ATP binding site of smooth muscle myosin using a fluorescent probe.
J Biochem (Tokyo). 2000; 127: 199-204
Display abstract
Recent crystallographic studies have shown that smooth muscle myosin has three highly conserved unique loops, loop B (320-327), loop M (687-699), and loop N (125-134), similar to other myosins, skeletal muscle and dictyostelium myosins. We previously demonstrated that the effect of actin is mediated by a conformational change in one of the loops, loop M comprising amino acids 677 to 689 of skeletal muscle myosin [Maruta and Homma (1998) J. Biochem. 124, 528-533]. In the present study, in order to clarify the role of these smooth muscle myosin loops in energy transduction, we specifically labeled the loops with a fluorescent photoreactive ADP analogue, 3'-O-(N-methylanthraniloyl)-8-azido-ADP (Mant-8-N(3)-ADP), and then measured the fluorescent polarization. When Mant-8-N(3)-ADP was trapped by aluminium fluoride or vanadate into the ATPase site, Mant-8-N(3)-ADP was covalently incorporated into loop N (125-134). In contrast, Mant-8-N(3)-ADP trapped by beryllium fluoride was covalently incorporated into both loop M (687-699) and loop N (125-134) at an almost equimolar ratio. Actin binding to smooth muscle myosin S1 (SMO-S1) labeled at only loop N (125-134) increased the polarization due to the viscosity of actin. In contrast, S1 labeled at both loops N and M showed a much smaller increase in polarization. Our results indicate that the probe at loop M (687-699) of smooth muscle myosin moved to a less hindered region, suggesting that actin binding induces conformational changes at loop M (687-699) similar to those of the corresponding loop (677-689) in skeletal muscle myosin, as previously demonstrated in our laboratory.

Reggiani C, Bottinelli R, Stienen GJ
Sarcomeric Myosin Isoforms: Fine Tuning of a Molecular Motor.
News Physiol Sci. 2000; 15: 26-33
Display abstract
Sarcomeric or striated muscle myosins are the molecular motors whose fine tuning is best known. Sarcomeric myosin isoforms convert chemical into mechanical energy at very different rates without losing efficiency. Availability of the amino acid sequences offers for the first time the chance to understand the molecular basis of the versatility of these molecular motors.

Furch M, Remmel B, Geeves MA, Manstein DJ
Stabilization of the actomyosin complex by negative charges on myosin.
Biochemistry. 2000; 39: 11602-8
Display abstract
Sequence comparisons of members of the myosin superfamily show a high degree of charge conservation in a surface exposed helix (Dictyostelium discoideum myosin II heavy chain residues S510 to K546). Most myosins display a triplet of acidic residues at the equivalent positions to D. discoideummyosin II residues D530, E531, and Q532. The high degree of charge conservation suggests strong evolutionary constrain and that this region is important for myosin function. Mutations at position E531 were shown to strongly affect actin binding [Giese, K. C., and Spudich, J. A. (1997) Biochemistry 36, 8465-8473]. Here, we used steady-state and transient kinetics to characterize the enzymatic competence of mutant constructs E531Q and Q532E, and their properties were compared with those of a loop 2 mutant with a 20 amino acid insertion containing 12 positive charges (20/+12) [Furch et al. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 6317-6326], double mutant Q532E(20/+12), and the native motor domain constructs. Our results confirm that charge changes at residues 531 and 532 primarily affect actin binding with little change being communicated to the nucleotide pocket. Mutation D531Q reduces actin affinity (K(A)) 10-fold, while Q532E leads to a 5-fold increase. The observed changes in K(A)() stem almost exclusively from variations in the dissociation rate constant (k(-A)), with the introduction of a single negative charge at position 532 having the same effect on k(-A) as the introduction of 12 positive charges in the loop 2 region.

Malnasi-Csizmadia A, Woolley RJ, Bagshaw CR
Resolution of conformational states of Dictyostelium myosin II motor domain using tryptophan (W501) mutants: implications for the open-closed transition identified by crystallography.
Biochemistry. 2000; 39: 16135-46
Display abstract
When myosin interacts with ATP there is a characteristic enhancement in tryptophan fluorescence which has been widely exploited in kinetic studies. Using Dictyostelium motor domain mutants, we show that W501, located at the end of the relay helix close to the converter region, responds to two independent conformational events on nucleotide binding. First, a rapid isomerization gives a small fluorescence quench and then a slower reversible step which controls the hydrolysis rate (and corresponds to the open-closed transition identified by crystallography) gives a large enhancement. A mutant lacking W501 shows no ATP-induced enhancement in the fluorescence, yet quenched-flow measurements demonstrate that ATP is rapidly hydrolyzed to give a products complex as in the wild-type. The nucleotide-free, open and closed states of a single tryptophan-containing construct, W501+, show distinct fluorescence spectra and susceptibilities to acrylamide quenching which indicate that W501 becomes internalized in the closed state. The open-closed transition does not require hydrolysis per se and can be induced by a nonhydrolyzable analogue. At 20 degrees C, the equilibrium may favor the open state, but with ATP as substrate, the subsequent hydrolysis step pulls the equilibrium toward the closed state such that a tryptophan mutant containing only W501 yields an overall 80% enhancement. These studies allow solution-based assays to be rationalized with the crystal structures of the myosin motor domain and show that three different states can be distinguished at the interface of the relay and converter regions.

Polosukhina K, Eden D, Chinn M, Highsmith S
CaATP as a substrate to investigate the myosin lever arm hypothesis of force generation.
Biophys J. 2000; 78: 1474-81
Display abstract
In an effort to test the lever arm model of force generation, the effects of replacing magnesium with calcium as the ATP-chelated divalent cation were determined for several myosin and actomyosin reactions. The isometric force produced by glycerinated muscle fibers when CaATP is the substrate is 20% of the value obtained with MgATP. For myosin subfragment 1 (S1), the degree of lever arm rotation, determined using transient electric birefringence to measure rates of rotational Brownian motion in solution, is not significantly changed when calcium replaces magnesium in an S1-ADP-vanadate complex. Actin activates S1 CaATPase activity, although less than it does MgATPase activity. The increase in actin affinity when S1. CaADP. P(i) is converted to S1. CaADP is somewhat greater than it is for the magnesium case. The ionic strength dependence of actin binding indicates that the change in apparent electrostatic charge at the acto-S1 interface for the S1. CaADP. P(i) to S1. CaADP step is similar to the change when magnesium is bound. In general, CaATP is an inferior substrate compared to MgATP, but all the data are consistent with force production by a lever arm mechanism for both substrates. Possible reasons for the reduced magnitude of force when CaATP is the substrate are discussed.

Gulick AM, Bauer CB, Thoden JB, Pate E, Yount RG, Rayment I
X-ray structures of the Dictyostelium discoideum myosin motor domain with six non-nucleotide analogs.
J Biol Chem. 2000; 275: 398-408
Display abstract
The three-dimensional structures of the truncated myosin head from Dictyostelium discoideum myosin II complexed with dinitrophenylaminoethyl-, dinitrophenylaminopropyl-, o-nitrophenylaminoethyl-, m-nitrophenylaminoethyl-, p-nitrophenylaminoethyl-, and o-nitrophenyl-N-methyl-aminoethyl-diphosphate.beryllium fluoride have been determined to better than 2.3-A resolution. The structure of the protein and nucleotide binding pocket in these complexes is very similar to that of S1dC.ADP.BeF(x) (Fisher, A. J., Smith, C. A., Thoden, J., Smith, R., Sutoh, K., Holden, H. M., and Rayment, I. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 8960-8972). The position of the triphosphate-like moiety is essentially identical in all complexes. Furthermore, the alkyl-amino group plays the same role as the ribose by linking the triphosphate to the adenine binding pocket; however, none of the phenyl groups lie in the same position as adenine in S1dC.MgADP.BeF(x), even though several of these nucleotide analogs are functionally equivalent to ATP. Rather the former location of adenine is occupied by water in the nanolog complexes, and the phenyl groups are organized in a manner that attempts to optimize their hydrogen bonding interactions with this constellation of solvent molecules. A comparison of the kinetic and structural properties of the nanologs relative to ATP suggests that the ability of a substrate to sustain tension and to generate movement correlates with a well defined interaction with the active site water structure observed in S1dC.MgADP.BeF(x).

Sasaki N, Sutoh K
[Conformational changes of myosin motor domain during force generation]
Seikagaku. 2000; 72: 1145-55

Nitao LK, Reisler E
Actin and temperature effects on the cross-linking of the SH1-SH2 helix in myosin subfragment 1.
Biophys J. 2000; 78: 3072-80
Display abstract
Past biochemical work on myosin subfragment 1 (S1) has shown that the bent alpha-helix containing the reactive thiols SH1 (Cys(707)) and SH2 (Cys(697)) changes upon nucleotide and actin binding. In this study, we investigated the conformational dynamics of the SH1-SH2 helix in two actin-bound states of myosin and examined the effect of temperature on this helix, using five cross-linking reagents that are 5-15 A in length. Actin inhibited the cross-linking of SH1 to SH2 on both S1 and S1.MgADP for all of the reagents. Because the rate of SH2 modification was not altered by actin, the inhibition of cross-linking must result from a strong stabilization of the SH1-SH2 helix in the actin-bound states of S1. The dynamics of the helix is also influenced by temperature. At 25 degrees C, the rate constants for cross-linking in S1 alone are low, with values of approximately 0.010 min(-1) for all of the reagents. At 4 degrees C, the rate constants, except for the shortest reagent, range between 0.030 and 0.070 min(-1). The rate constants for SH2 modification in SH1-modified S1 show the opposite trend; they increase with the increases in temperature. The greater cross-linking at the lower temperature indicates destabilization of the SH1-SH2 helix at 4 degrees C. These results are discussed in terms of conformational dynamics of the SH1-SH2 helix.

Xu J, Root DD
Conformational selection during weak binding at the actin and myosin interface.
Biophys J. 2000; 79: 1498-510
Display abstract
The molecular mechanism of the powerstroke in muscle is examined by resonance energy transfer techniques. Recent models suggesting a pre-cocking of the myosin head involving an enormous rotation between the lever arm and the catalytic domain were tested by measuring separation distances among myosin subfragment-2, the nucleotide site, and the regulatory light chain in the presence of nucleotide transition state analogs. Only small changes (<0.5 nm) were detected that are consistent with internal conformational changes of the myosin molecule, but not with extreme differences in the average lever arm position suggested by some atomic models. These results were confirmed by stopped-flow resonance energy transfer measurements during single ATP turnovers on myosin. To examine the participation of actin in the powerstroke process, resonance energy transfer between the regulatory light chain on myosin subfragment-1 and the C-terminus of actin was measured in the presence of nucleotide transition state analogs. The efficiency of energy transfer was much greater in the presence of ADP-AlF(4), ADP-BeF(x), and ADP-vanadate than in the presence of ADP or no nucleotide. These data detect profound differences in the conformations of the weakly and strongly attached cross-bridges that appear to result from a conformational selection that occurs during the weak binding of the myosin head to actin.

Rodriguez OC, Cheney RE
A new direction for myosin.
Trends Cell Biol. 2000; 10: 307-11
Display abstract
Members of the myosin superfamily of actin-based motor proteins were previously thought to move only towards the barbed end of the actin filament. In an extraordinary reversal of this dogma, an abundant and widespread unconventional myosin known as myosin VI has recently been shown to move towards the pointed end of the actin filament - the opposite direction of all other characterized myosins. This discovery raises novel and intriguing questions about the molecular mechanisms of reversal and the biological roles of this 'backwards' myosin.

Duke TA
Molecular model of muscle contraction.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999; 96: 2770-5
Display abstract
A quantitative stochastic model of the mechanochemical cycle of myosin, the protein that drives muscle contraction, is proposed. It is based on three premises: (i) the myosin head incorporates a lever arm, whose equilibrium position adjusts as each of the products of ATP hydrolysis dissociates from the nucleotide pocket; (ii) the chemical reaction rates are modified according to the work done in moving the arm; and (iii) the compliance of myosin's elastic element is designed to permit many molecules to work together efficiently. The model has a minimal number of parameters and provides an explanation, at the molecular level, of many of the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of steadily shortening muscle. In particular, the inflexion in the force-velocity curve at a force approaching the isometric load is reproduced. Moreover, the model indicates that when large numbers of myosin molecules act collectively, their chemical cycles can be synchronized, and that this leads to stepwise motion of the thin filament. The oscillatory transient response of muscle to abrupt changes of load is interpreted in this light.

Maruta S, Uyehara Y, Homma K, Sugimoto Y, Wakabayashi K
Formation of the myosin.ADP.gallium fluoride complex and its solution structure by small-angle synchrotron X-ray scattering.
J Biochem (Tokyo). 1999; 125: 177-85
Display abstract
In the presence of MgADP, a novel phosphate analogue of gallium fluoride (GaFn) forms a ternary complex with the myosin subfragment-1 (S-1), in the same way that has been previously reported with aluminum fluoride (AlF4-), beryllium fluoride (BeFn), scandium fluoride (ScFn), and vanadate (Vi), and this complex formation may mimic different states along the ATPase kinetic pathway. This novel complex has been characterized and compared with other complexes to ascertain whether it forms a transition-state analogue of myosin ATPase. The complex formed quickly, although several times slower than the BeFn complex. The half-life of the myosin.ADP.GaFn complex was about 50 h at 4 degreesC. The formation of the myosin.ADP.GaFn complex was accompanied by an increase in tryptophane fluorescence, similar to that observed upon the addition of ATP, but slightly lower than that of the M**.ADP.Pi complex. Upon addition of GaFn to acto-myosin.ADP, acto-myosin did not dissociate, and the S-1.ADP.GaFn complex was scarcely decomposed by actin, like the AlF4- and ScFn complexes but unlike the BeFn and Vi complexes. The conformations at the localized region of SH1, SH2, and RLR, which are very accessible to the binding of ATP, were studied by fluorescent labeling and chemical modification, and the results suggested that these conformations are very similar to that of the M**.ADP.Pi state. Small-angle X-ray solution scattering showed that the radius of gyration value decreases by about 3 A when S-1 forms an S-1.ADP.GaFn complex, suggesting that the shape of the complex becomes compact or rounded in shape, similar to that in the presence of ATP or complexes with other phosphate analogues, and thus mimics the myosin**.ADP.Pi state closely. The overall results may indicate that the complex mimics a somewhat different transient state from that of other complexes but has a similar global conformation along the ATPase kinetic pathway.

Kambara T, Rhodes TE, Ikebe R, Yamada M, White HD, Ikebe M
Functional significance of the conserved residues in the flexible hinge region of the myosin motor domain.
J Biol Chem. 1999; 274: 16400-6
Display abstract
Analysis of the three-dimensional crystal structure of the Dictyostelium myosin motor domain revealed that the myosin head is required to bend at residues Ile-455 and Gly-457 to produce the conformation changes observed in the ternary complexes that resemble the pre- and post-hydrolysis states (Fisher, A. J., Smith, C. A., Thoden, J. B., Smith, R., Sutoh, K., Holden, H. M., and Rayment, I. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 8960-8972). Asp-454, Ile-455, and Gly-457 of smooth muscle myosin were substituted by Ala, Met, and Ala, respectively, and the mechano-enzymatic activities were determined to study the role of these residues in myosin motor function. Whereas the basal steady-state Mg2+-ATPase activity of D454A was higher than that of the wild type, the rate of the hydrolytic step is reduced approximately 2,000-fold and becomes rate-limiting. M-ATP rather than M-ADP-P is the predominant steady-state intermediate, and the initial Pi burst and the ATP-induced enhancement of intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence are absent in D454A. D454A binds actin in the absence of ATP but is not dissociated from actin by ATP. Moreover, actin inhibits rather than activates the ATPase activity; consequently, D454A does not support actin translocating activity. I455M has normal actin-activated ATPase activity, Pi burst, and ATP-induced enhancement of intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, suggesting that the enzymatic properties are normal. However, the actin translocating activity was completely inhibited. This suggests that the side chain at Ile-455 is critical for myosin motor activity but not for relatively normal enzymatic function, which indicates an apparent uncoupling between enzymatic activity and motile function. Although G457A has normal ATP-dependent actin dissociation, ATP hydrolytic step is reduced by approximately 10(5)-fold in the presence or absence of actin; consequently, G457A does not have actin translocating activity. These results indicate the importance of these conserved residues at the hinge region for normal myosin motor function.

Robinson RC, Mejillano M, Le VP, Burtnick LD, Yin HL, Choe S
Domain movement in gelsolin: a calcium-activated switch.
Science. 1999; 286: 1939-42
Display abstract
The actin-binding protein gelsolin is involved in remodeling the actin cytoskeleton during growth-factor signaling, apoptosis, cytokinesis, and cell movement. Calcium-activated gelsolin severs and caps actin filaments. The 3.4 angstrom x-ray structure of the carboxyl-terminal half of gelsolin (G4-G6) in complex with actin reveals the basis for gelsolin activation. Calcium binding induces a conformational rearrangement in which domain G6 is flipped over and translated by about 40 angstroms relative to G4 and G5. The structural reorganization tears apart the continuous beta sheet core of G4 and G6. This exposes the actin-binding site on G4, enabling severing and capping of actin filaments to proceed.

Kirshenbaum K, Young M, Highsmith S
Predicting allosteric switches in myosins.
Protein Sci. 1999; 8: 1806-15
Display abstract
The sequences of several members of the myosin family of molecular motors are evaluated using ASP (Ambivalent Structure Predictor), a new computational method. ASP predicts structurally ambivalent sequence elements by analyzing the output from a secondary structure prediction algorithm. These ambivalent sequence elements form secondary structures that are hypothesized to function as switches by undergoing conformational rearrangement. For chicken skeletal muscle myosin, 13 discrete structurally ambivalent sequence elements are identified. All 13 are located in the heavy chain motor domain. When these sequence elements are mapped into the myosin tertiary structure, they form two compact regions that connect the actin binding site to the adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) site, and the ATP site to the fulcrum site for the force-producing bending of the motor domain. These regions, predicted by the new algorithm to undergo conformational rearrangements, include the published known and putative switches of the myosin motor domain, and they form plausible allosteric connections between the three main functional sites of myosin. The sequences of several other members of the myosin I and II families are also analyzed.

Park S, Ajtai K, Burghardt TP
Inhibition of myosin ATPase by metal fluoride complexes.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 1999; 1430: 127-40
Display abstract
Magnesium (Mg2+) is the physiological divalent cation stabilizing nucleotide or nucleotide analog in the active site of myosin subfragment 1 (S1). In the presence of fluoride, Mg2+ and MgADP form a complex that traps the active site of S1 and inhibits myosin ATPase. The ATPase inactivation rate of the magnesium trapped S1 is comparable but smaller than the other known gamma-phosphate analogs at 1.2 M-1 s-1 with 1 mM MgCl2. The observed molar ratio of Mg/S1 in this complex of 1.58 suggests that magnesium occupies the gamma-phosphate position in the ATP binding site of S1 (S1-MgADP-MgFx). The stability of S1-MgADP-MgFx at 4 degrees C was studied by EDTA chase experiments but decomposition was not observed. However, removal of excess fluoride causes full recovery of the K+-EDTA ATPase activity indicating that free fluoride is necessary for maintaining a stable trap and suggesting that the magnesium fluoride complex is bonded to the bridging oxygen of beta-phosphate more loosely than the other known phosphate analogs. The structure of S1 in S1-MgADP-MgFx was studied with near ultraviolet circular dichroism, total tryptophan fluorescence, and tryptophan residue 510 quenching measurements. These data suggest that S1-MgADP-MgFx resembles the M**.ADP.Pi steady-state intermediate of myosin ATPase. Gallium fluoride was found to compete with MgFx for the gamma-phosphate site in S1-MgADP-MgFx. The ionic radius and coordination geometry of magnesium, gallium and other known gamma-phosphate analogs were compared and identified as important in determining which myosin ATPase intermediate the analog mimics.

Furch M, Fujita-Becker S, Geeves MA, Holmes KC, Manstein DJ
Role of the salt-bridge between switch-1 and switch-2 of Dictyostelium myosin.
J Mol Biol. 1999; 290: 797-809
Display abstract
Motifs N2 and N3, also referred to as switch-1 and switch-2, form part of the active site of molecular motors such as myosins and kinesins. In the case of myosin, N3 is thought to act as a gamma-phosphate sensor and moves almost 6 A relative to N2 during the catalysed turnover of ATP, opening and closing the active site surrounding the gamma-phosphate. The closed form seems to be necessary for hydrolysis and is stabilised by the formation of a salt-bridge between an arginine residue in N2 and a glutamate residue in N3. We examined the role of this salt-bridge in Dictyostelium discoideum myosin. Myosin motor domains with mutations E459R or R238E, that block salt-bridge formation, show defects in nucleotide-binding, reduced rates of ATP hydrolysis and a tenfold reduction in actin affinity. Inversion of the salt-bridge in double-mutant M765-IS eliminates most of the defects observed for the single mutants. With the exception of a 2,500-fold higher KMvalue for ATP, the double-mutant displayed enzymatic and functional properties very similar to those of the wild-type protein. Our results reveal that, independent of its orientation, the salt-bridge is required to support efficient ATP hydrolysis, normal communication between different functional regions of the myosin head, and motor function.

Lutz GJ, Lieber RL
Skeletal muscle myosin II structure and function.
Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 1999; 27: 63-77
Display abstract
Recent experimental advances in structural biology, biophysics, and molecular biology have dramatically increased our understanding of the molecular mechanism of muscle contraction, as well as the assembly of myosin filaments. Future studies are required to detail, for example, the molecular cause of the conformational change during the power stroke and ATP hydrolysis, as well as the nature of the communication between nucleotide and actin binding sites. Based on the structural and functional homology between myosin and other molecular motors, these findings have implications not only for understanding muscle contraction, but for understanding numerous aspects of motility in all cellular systems as well.

Highsmith S
Lever arm model of force generation by actin-myosin-ATP.
Biochemistry. 1999; 38: 9791-7

Goodson HV, Warrick HM, Spudich JA
Specialized conservation of surface loops of myosin: evidence that loops are involved in determining functional characteristics.
J Mol Biol. 1999; 287: 173-85
Display abstract
The molecular motor myosin has been the focus of considerable structure-function analysis. Of key interest are the portions of the protein that control the rate of ATP hydrolysis, the affinity for actin, and the velocity at which myosin moves actin. Two regions that have been implicated in determining these parameters are the "loop" regions at the junctions of the 25 kDa and 50 kDa domains and the 50 kDa and 20 kDa domains of the protein. However, the sequences of these regions are poorly conserved between different myosin families, suggesting that they are not constrained evolutionarily, and thus are relatively unimportant for myosin function. In order to address this apparent incongruity, we have performed an analysis of relative rates of observed evolutionary change. We found that the sequences of these loop regions appear to be actually more constrained than the sequences of the rest of the myosin molecule, when myosins are compared that are known to be kinetically or developmentally similar. This suggests that these loop regions could play an important role in myosin function and supports the idea that they are involved in modulating the specific kinetic characteristics that functionally differentiate one myosin isoform from another. Apparently "unconserved" loops may generally play a role in determining kinetic properties of enzymes, and similar analyses of relative rates of evolution may prove useful for the study of structure-function relationships in other protein families.

Geeves MA, Holmes KC
Structural mechanism of muscle contraction.
Annu Rev Biochem. 1999; 68: 687-728
Display abstract
X-ray crystallography shows the myosin cross-bridge to exist in two conformations, the beginning and end of the "power stroke." A long lever-arm undergoes a 60 degrees to 70 degrees rotation between the two states. This rotation is coupled with changes in the active site (OPEN to CLOSED) and phosphate release. Actin binding mediates the transition from CLOSED to OPEN. Kinetics shows that the binding of myosin to actin is a two-step process which affects ATP and ADP affinity. The structural basis of these effects is not explained by the presently known conformers of myosin. Therefore, other states of the myosin cross-bridge must exist. Moreover, cryoelectronmicroscopy has revealed other angles of the cross-bridge lever arm induced by ADP binding. These structural states are presently being characterized by site-directed mutagenesis coupled with kinetic analysis.

Cooke R
Myosin structure: does the tail wag the dog?
Curr Biol. 1999; 9: 7735-7735
Display abstract
Previous crystal structures of the myosin head have shown two different conformations, postulated to be the beginning and the end of the actomyosin power stroke. A new crystal structure reveals a dramatically different conformation; but how does this conformation fit into the force-generating cycle of actomyosin interactions?

Karthikeyan S, Paramasivam M, Yadav S, Srinivasan A, Singh TP
Structure of buffalo lactoferrin at 2.5 A resolution using crystals grown at 303 K shows different orientations of the N and C lobes.
Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 1999; 55: 1805-13
Display abstract
The structure of buffalo lactoferrin has been determined at 303 K. The crystals belong to orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 77.5, b = 91.0, c = 131.5 A and Z = 4. The structure has been refined to an R factor of 0.187. The overall structure of the protein is similar to its structure determined at 277 K in a different crystal form. However, the lobe orientations in the two structures differ by 9.0 degrees, suggesting significant inter-lobe flexibility in this family of proteins. The inter-lobe interactions are predominantly hydrophobic and could act as a cushion for a change in orientation under the influence of external conditions. On the other hand, the domain arrangements are found to be similar in 277 and 303 K crystal structures, with orientations differing by 1.5 and 1.0 degrees in the N and C lobes, respectively. The results of these investigations suggest that the increase in temperature helps in the production of better quality crystals.

Veigel C, Coluccio LM, Jontes JD, Sparrow JC, Milligan RA, Molloy JE
The motor protein myosin-I produces its working stroke in two steps.
Nature. 1999; 398: 530-3
Display abstract
Many types of cellular motility, including muscle contraction, are driven by the cyclical interaction of the motor protein myosin with actin filaments, coupled to the breakdown of ATP. It is thought that myosin binds to actin and then produces force and movement as it 'tilts' or 'rocks' into one or more subsequent, stable conformations. Here we use an optical-tweezers transducer to measure the mechanical transitions made by a single myosin head while it is attached to actin. We find that two members of the myosin-I family, rat liver myosin-I of relative molecular mass 130,000 (M(r) 130K) and chick intestinal brush-border myosin-I, produce movement in two distinct steps. The initial movement (of roughly 6 nanometres) is produced within 10 milliseconds of actomyosin binding, and the second step (of roughly 5.5 nanometres) occurs after a variable time delay. The duration of the period following the second step is also variable and depends on the concentration of ATP. At the highest time resolution possible (about 1 millisecond), we cannot detect this second step when studying the single-headed subfragment-1 of fast skeletal muscle myosin II. The slower kinetics of myosin-I have allowed us to observe the separate mechanical states that contribute to its working stroke.

Moschcovich L, Peyser YM, Salomon C, Burghardt TP, Muhlrad A
Interaction of myosin subfragment 1 with two non-nucleotide ATP analogues.
Biochemistry. 1998; 37: 15137-43
Display abstract
2-[(2-Nitrophenyl)amino]ethyl triphosphate (NPhAETP) is the smallest ATP analogue that serves as a substrate for the actin-activated ATPase of myosin subfragment 1 (S1) and supports the development of active tension in skinned fibers. 2-(Phenylamino)ethyl triphosphate (PhAETP), in which the nitro group on the phenyl ring of NPhAETP is substituted by a H atom, is also a substrate of the actin-activated ATPase but does not support active tension [Wang, D., Pate, E., Cooke, R., and Yount, R. (1993) J. Muscle Res. Cell Motil. 14, 484-497]. We compared the S1-catalyzed hydrolysis of these analogues, their ability to support the formation of stable complexes with S1 and phosphate analogues, and their effect on S1 conformation. The analogues were hydrolyzed by S1 under various conditions both in the presence and in the absence of actin. In some cases, the effects of the two analogues are similar to each other and to those of ATP; they protect S1 from heat denaturation at 40 degreesC and inhibit the formation of the N-terminal 29 kDa fragment during the tryptic digestion of S1 and the modification of Lys-83 with trinitrobenzene sulfonate. However, in other cases, the effect of the two analogues is different; the effect of NPhAETP resembles that of ATP. NPhAETP and ATP decrease while PhAETP increases the rate of reaction of the SH1 thiol (Cys-707) with coumarin maleimide. The diphosphate forms of the two analogues induce a much smaller change in the near-UV CD spectrum of S1 than ADP. NPhAEDP forms stable complexes with S1 in the presence of beryllium fluoride (BeFx), aluminum fluoride (AlF4-), or vanadate (Vi) phosphate analogues, while the S1.PhAEDP complex is stable in the presence BeFx but much less stable with AlF4- and Vi. These results indicate that the S1.PhAEDP.Pi state is poorly populated during the PhAETP hydrolysis. The models of the atomic structure of S1 complexed by the two analogues show that PhAETP, unlike NPhAETP or ATP, does not form a H bond with Tyr-134 in S1, which is the probable structural reason of the lack of tension development, with PhAETP as the substrate.

Goldman YE
Wag the tail: structural dynamics of actomyosin.
Cell. 1998; 93: 1-4

Dominguez R, Freyzon Y, Trybus KM, Cohen C
Crystal structure of a vertebrate smooth muscle myosin motor domain and its complex with the essential light chain: visualization of the pre-power stroke state.
Cell. 1998; 94: 559-71
Display abstract
The crystal structures of an expressed vertebrate smooth muscle myosin motor domain (MD) and a motor domain-essential light chain (ELC) complex (MDE), both with a transition state analog (MgADP x AIF4-) in the active site, have been determined to 2.9 A and 3.5 A resolution, respectively. The MDE structure with an ATP analog (MgADP x BeFx) was also determined to 3.6 A resolution. In all three structures, a domain of the C-terminal region, the "converter," is rotated approximately 70 degrees from that in nucleotide-free skeletal subfragment 1 (S1). We have found that the MDE-BeFx and MDE-AIF4- structures are almost identical, consistent with the fact that they both bind weakly to actin. A comparison of the lever arm positions in MDE-AIF4- and in nucleotide-free skeletal S1 shows that a potential displacement of approximately 10 nm can be achieved during the power stroke.

Winegrad S
How actin-myosin interactions differ with different isoforms of myosin.
Circ Res. 1998; 82: 1109-10

Levitsky DI, Ponomarev MA, Geeves MA, Shnyrov VL, Manstein DJ
Differential scanning calorimetric study of the thermal unfolding of the motor domain fragments of Dictyostelium discoideum myosin II.
Eur J Biochem. 1998; 251: 275-80
Display abstract
The thermal unfolding of two recombinant fragments of the head of Dictyostelium discoideum myosin II was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. These fragments M754 and M761 correspond to the globular motor portion of the myosin head that contains ATP- and actin-binding sites but lacks the light chain binding domain. Our results show that M754 is less thermostable than M761: the maximum of the thermal transition occurred at 41.7 degrees C for M754 and at 45.6 degrees C for M761, and the calorimetric enthalpy value determined for M754 (677 kJ/mol) was about half of that for M761 (1417 kJ/mol). This indicates that the region containing residues 755-761 plays a very important role in the structural stabilization of the entire globular motor part of the myosin head. ADP binding induces structural changes in both myosin fragments which are reflected in a 2-3.5 degrees C shift of the thermal transitions to higher temperature. The formation of stable ternary complexes of these myosin fragments with ADP and phosphate analogues such as orthovanadate, beryllium fluoride or aluminium fluoride causes additional structural changes which are reflected in a pronounced increase of thermal stability. The effect of beryllium fluoride was less distinct than that of aluminium fluoride or orthovanadate. In general, the changes caused by various phosphate analogues were similar to those observed with skeletal myosin subfragment 1. Thus, structural changes revealed by differential scanning calorimetry in the myosin head, that are due to the formation of stable ternary complexes with ADP and Pi analogues, occur mainly in the globular motor portion of the head.

Katayama E, Ohmori G, Baba N
Three-dimensional image analysis of myosin head in function as captured by quick-freeze deep-etch replica electron microscopy.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 1998; 453: 37-45
Display abstract
Quick-freeze deep-etch replica electron microscopy combined with mica-flake technique provides high contrast, high time- and spatial-resolution images of protein molecules in solution, whose three-dimensional structure is well preserved. Thus, it might be quite useful to obtain structural information of individual functioning molecules, such as myosin crossbridges under in vitro motility assay conditions. With that method, we could actually show that both heads of heavy meromyosin (HMM) crossbridges are mostly straight and bound to actin filaments with about 45 degree tilt-angle under rigor conditions, whereas they attached to actin through only one head with a wide variety of angles under in vitro sliding conditions. We also demonstrated that free HMM heads are strongly kinked in the presence of ATP or ADP/inorganic vanadate (Vi) in contrast to almost straight configuration in the absence of nucleotide. To examine more detailed structure of individual crossbridges, we tried to reconstruct the three-dimensional architecture of intramolecular subdomains of single HMM molecule. We took a series of tilted images of single HMM-ADP/Vi particle and successfully obtained its 3-D image by filtered back-projection, even with restricted range of tilt-angles. By comparison of the reconstruction with the atomic model of subfragment-1 (S1) without nucleotide, we found some great structural difference, which partly might be attributable to the conformational change by nucleotide binding.

Li WX, Schoenberg M
Behavior of N-phenylmaleimide- and p-phenylenedimaleimide-reacted muscle crossbridge heads.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 1998; 1367: 127-33
Display abstract
The finding of Barnett et al. (Biophys. J. 61 (1992) 358) that NPM-reacted crossbridge heads do not bind strongly to actin in rigor solution is not easily interpreted in terms of the solution studies of Xie and Schoenberg (Biochemistry 37 (1998) 8048) who found strong binding of NPM-reacted myosin subfragment-1 to actin in solutions devoid of MgATP. For this reason, the current work uses stiffness measurement to re-investigate the binding of rabbit skeletal muscle crossbridges to actin in rigor solution. It is found that NPM-reacted crossbridge heads bind strongly to actin in rigor solution providing one is extremely careful to reduce MgATP contamination to levels well below those that would have a detectable effect on unmodified fibers. The reason for this is that NPM-reacted crossbridge heads, which hydrolyze MgATP extremely slowly, are especially susceptible to contaminant MgATP. The new fiber results show a strong correlation with the solution results. A further manifestation of this correlation is that pPDM-reacted crossbridge heads are different from NPM-reacted ones in that, like in solution, they remain weakly binding to actin even at extremely low MgATP levels. The findings suggest that the covalent crosslinking of SH1 and SH2 by pPDM is likely playing a significant role in locking pPDM-reacted crossbridge heads in a weakly binding conformation.

Furch M, Geeves MA, Manstein DJ
Modulation of actin affinity and actomyosin adenosine triphosphatase by charge changes in the myosin motor domain.
Biochemistry. 1998; 37: 6317-26
Display abstract
The effects of mutations in an actin-binding surface loop of myosin (loop 2) are described. Part of loop 2, the segment between myosin residues 618 and 622, was replaced with sequences enlarged by the introduction of positively charged GKK or neutral GNN motifs. Constructs with loops carrying up to 20 additional amino acids and charge variations from -1 to +12 were produced. Steady-state and transient kinetics were used to characterize the enzymatic behavior of the mutant motor domains. Binding of nucleotide was not affected by any of the alterations in loop 2. In regard to their interaction with actin, constructs with moderate charge changes (-1 to +2) displayed wild-type-like behavior. Introduction of more than one GKK motif led to stronger coupling between the actin- and nucleotide-binding sites of myosin and an up to 1000-fold increased affinity for actin in the absence of ATP and at zero ionic strength. In comparison to the wild-type construct M765, constructs with 4-12 extra charges displayed an increased dependence on ionic strength in their interaction with actin, a 2-3-fold increase in kcat, a more than 10-fold reduction in Kapp for actin, and a 34-70-fold increase in catalytic efficiency.

Alliegro MC
Myosin-carbohydrate interactions.
Cell Motil Cytoskeleton. 1998; 39: 191-4

Conibear PB, Geeves MA
Cooperativity between the two heads of rabbit skeletal muscle heavy meromyosin in binding to actin.
Biophys J. 1998; 75: 926-37
Display abstract
An extensive series of experiments in this laboratory has shown that the binding of actin to rabbit skeletal muscle myosin subfragment-1 (a single-headed subfragment) can be described by a two-step model, with formation of a weakly bound complex, the A-state, followed by an isomerization to a more tightly bound complex, the R-state. In this paper, we report on additional experiments comparing the subfragment-1 with heavy meromyosin (a two-headed subfragment). Using a modeling approach, we have quantitated the two-step binding for each of the two heads. This indicates that the binding is cooperative and leads to a more complex view of the acto-myosin interaction than has previously been acknowledged. Implications for the dynamic behavior of the two heads during muscle contraction are discussed.

Huxley AF
Biological motors: energy storage in myosin molecules.
Curr Biol. 1998; 8: 4858-4858
Display abstract
A recent experiment of exceptional complexity has shown that a myosin may lose its ATP but store the energy from it and attach to actin and perform a working stroke several hundred milliseconds later.

Smyczynski C, Kasprzak AA
Effect of nucleotides and actin on the orientation of the light chain-binding domain in myosin subfragment 1.
Biochemistry. 1997; 36: 13201-7
Display abstract
The X-ray structure of myosin head (S1) reveals the presence of a long alpha-helical structure that supports both the essential and the regulatory light chains. It has been proposed that small structural changes in the catalytic domain of S1 are amplified by swinging the long alpha-helix (the "lever arm") to produce approximately 11 nm steps. To probe the spatial position of the putative lever in various S1 states, we have measured, by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), the effect of nucleotides and actin on the distances between Cys-177 of the essential light chain A1 (which is attached to the alpha-helix) and three loci in the catalytic domain. Cys-177 (donor) was labeled with 1,5-IAEDANS. The trinitrophenylated ADP analog (TNP-ADP, acceptor) was used to measure the distance to the active site. Lys-553 at the actin-binding site, labeled with a fluorescein derivative, and Lys-83 modified with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid served as two other acceptors. FRET measurements were performed for S1 alone, for its complexes with MgADP and MgATP, for the analogs of the transition state of the ATPase reaction, S1.ADP.BeFx, S1.ADP.AlF4, and S1.ADP.VO4, and for acto-S1 in the absence and in the presence of ADP. When the transition state and acto-S1 complexes were formed, the change in the Cys-177 --> Lys-83 distance was <1.1 A, for the distance Cys-177 --> Lys-553, the change was +/-2.5 A. These distance changes correspond to rotations by <10 degrees and approximately 25 degrees, respectively. For the Cys-177 --> TNP-ADP the interprobe separation decreased by approximately 6 A in the presence of BeFx and AlF4- but only 1.9 A in the presence of vanadate; we do not interpret the 6 A change as resulting from the lever rotation. Using the coordinates of the acto-S1 complex, we have computed the expected changes in these distances resulting from rotation of the lever. These changes were much greater than the ones observed. The above results are inconsistent with models of force generation by S1 in which the head assumes two distinct conformations characterized by large differences in the angle between the motor and the light chain-binding domain. Several alternative mechanisms are proposed.

Kurzawa SE, Manstein DJ, Geeves MA
Dictyostelium discoideum myosin II: characterization of functional myosin motor fragments.
Biochemistry. 1997; 36: 317-23
Display abstract
The transient kinetic properties of the recombinant myosin head fragments M761 and M781, which both lack the light chain binding domain (LCBD) and correspond to the first 761 and 781 residues of Dictyostelium discoideum myosin II, were compared with those of the subfragment 1-like fragment M864 and a shorter catalytic domain fragment M754. The properties of M761, M781, and M864 are almost identical in regard to nucleotide binding, nucleotide hydrolysis, actin binding, and the interactions between actin and nucleotide binding sites. Only the rate of the hydrolysis step was significantly faster for M761 and the affinity of M781 for actin significantly weaker than for M864. This indicates that the LCBD plays no major role in the biochemical behavior of the myosin head. In contrast, loss of the peptide between 754 and 761 produced several major changes in the property of M754 as documented previously [Woodward, S. K. A., Geeves, M. A., & Manstein, D. J. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 16056-16064]. We further show that C-terminal extension of M761 with one or two alpha-actinin repeats has very little effect on the behavior of the protein. The recombinant nature of M761 and the fact that it can be produced and purified in large amounts make it an ideal construct for systematic studies of the structure, kinetics, and function of the myosin motor.

Bobkov AA, Sutoh K, Reisler E
Nucleotide and actin binding properties of the isolated motor domain from Dictyostelium discoideum myosin.
J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 1997; 18: 563-71
Display abstract
Nucleotide and actin binding properties of the truncated myosin head (S1dC) from Dictyostelium myosin II were studied in solution using rabbit skeletal myosin subfragment 1 as a reference material. S1dC and subfragment 1 had similar affinities for ADP analogues, epsilon ADP and TNP-ADP. The complexes of epsilon ADP and BeFx or AIF4- were less stable with S1dC than with subfragment 1. Stern-Volmer constants for acrylamide quenching of S1dC complexes with epsilon ADP, epsilon ADP.AIF4- and epsilon ADP.BeFx were 2.6, 2.9 and 2.2 M-1, respectively. The corresponding values for subfragment 1 were 2.6, 1.5 and 1.1 M-1. The environment of the nucleotide binding site was probed by using a hydrophobic fluorescent probe, PPBA. PPBA was a competitive inhibitor of S1dC Ca(2+)-ATPase (Ki = 1.6 microM). The binding of nucleotides to subfragment 1 enhanced PPBA fluorescence and caused blue shifts in the wavelength of its maximum emission in the order: ATP approximately ADP.AIF4- approximately ADP.BeFx > ATP gamma S > ADP > PPi. In the case of S1dC, the effects of different nucleotides were smaller and indistinguishable from each other. S1dC bound actin tighter than S1 (Kd = 7 nM and 60 nM, respectively). The actin activated MgATPase activity of S1dC varied between preparations, and the Vmax and K(m) values ranged between 3 and 7 s-1 and 60 and 190 microM, respectively. S1dC showed lower structural stability than S1 as revealed by their thermal inactivations at 35 degrees C. These results show that the nucleotide and actin binding of S1dC and subfragment 1 are similar but there are some differences in nucleotide and phosphate analogue-induced changes and the communication between the nucleotide and actin binding sites in these proteins.

Phan BC, Peyser YM, Reisler E, Muhlrad A
Effect of complexes of ADP and phosphate analogs on the conformation of the Cys707-Cys697 region of myosin subfragment 1.
Eur J Biochem. 1997; 243: 636-42
Display abstract
Recent crystallographic studies have suggested structural differences between the complexes of S1.Mg.ADP with the phosphate analogs aluminium fluoride (AlF4-), vanadate (VO(4)3-) and beryllium fluoride (BeFx) [Fisher, A. J., Smith, C. A., Thoden, J. B., Smith, R., Sutoh, K., Holden, H. M. & Rayment, I. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 8960-8972; Smith, R. & Rayment, I. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 5404-5417]. In this work, chemical modifications, namely labeling of Cys707 (the reactive SH1 thiol) and Cys707-Cys697 (SH1-SH2) cross-linking, were used to compare the S1.ADP.BeFx, S1.ADP. AlF4- and S1.ADP-VO(4)3- complexes with specific states of the myosin-ATPase pathway. Modification of Cys707 with the fluorescent monofunctional reagents 7-diethylamino-3-(4'-maleimidylphenyl)-4-methylcoumarin and N-iodoacetyl-N'-(5-sulfo-1-naphtyl)ethylenediamine has shown that the reactivity of the SH1 group depends on the nucleotide bound to S1. The observed rates of Cys707 modification at 20 degrees C lead to the conclusion that S1.ADP.BeFx is similar to S1*.ATP, while S1.ADP.AlF4- and S1.ADP.VO(4)3- are more similar to S1**.ADP.Pi. The conformations of the analog states were also compared by monitoring the dissociation of the fluorescent nucleotide analog 1-N6-ethenoadenosine diphosphate (ADP[C2H2]) from the active site of Cys707-modified (by N-ethylmaleimide) and Cys707-Cys697-cross-linked (by N,N'-p-phenylene dimaleimide) S1.ADP[C2H2].AlF4- and S1.ADP[C2H2]. BeFx. Our results suggest that the conformations of the S1.ADP.AlF4-, S1.ADP.VO(4)3- and S1.ADP.BeFx complexes in the Cys707-Cys697 region are distinct from each other, with the former two at least partially resembling the S1**.ADP.Pi state, while the latter is similar to the prehydrolyzed S1*.ATP state.

Giese KC, Spudich JA
Phenotypically selected mutations in myosin's actin binding domain demonstrate intermolecular contacts important for motor function.
Biochemistry. 1997; 36: 8465-73
Display abstract
Here, we biochemically characterize Dictyostelium myosin II mutants that were previously phenotypically selected following random mutagenesis and shown to lie in the actin binding domain [Patterson, B., & Spudich, J. A. (1996) Genetics 143, 801-810]. We show that the conditional loss of myosin-dependent activity in vivo, which results from the mutations E531Q, P536R, and R562L, is likely due to the loss of important contacts with actin. Purified wild-type and mutant myosin subfragments 1 (S1), expressed in Dictyostelium, are alike in binding to actin and releasing it in an ATP-dependent manner. Furthermore, the rates of ATP hydrolysis without actin are similar for the mutant and wild-type S1s. Thus, the mutations in the actin binding site have little effect on ATP binding or product release in the absence of actin. All three mutants, however, have impaired actin-activated ATPase activity, with apparent second-order rate constants for actin interactions that are 4-25-fold smaller than that of wild-type S1 at 30 degrees C. The mutations also cause defects in the ability to move actin, as measured by in vitro motility assays of full-length myosins. On the basis of motility of a mixture of wild-type and mutant myosins, there appears to be at least two classes of mutations, with the primary defect in either a weak or a strong actin binding state. In summary, the activities in vitro of myosins with mutations in the actin binding site suggest losses of important contacts with actin.

Wriggers W, Schulten K
Stability and dynamics of G-actin: back-door water diffusion and behavior of a subdomain 3/4 loop.
Biophys J. 1997; 73: 624-39
Display abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on solvated G-actin bound to ADP and ATP, starting with the crystal structure of the actin-DNase 1 complex, including a Ca2+ or Mg2+ ion at the high-affinity divalent cation-binding site. Water molecules have been found to enter the nucleotide-binding site (phosphate vicinity) along two pathways, from the side where the nucleotide base is exposed to water, as well as from the opposite side. The water channels suggest a "back-door" mechanism for ATP hydrolysis in which the phosphate is released to a side opposite that of nucleotide binding and unbinding. The simulations also reveal a propensity of G-actin to alter its crystallographic structure toward the filamentous structure. Domain movement closes the nucleotide cleft, the movement being more pronounced for bound Mg2+. The conformational change is interpreted as a response of the system to missing water molecules in the crystal structure. The structures arising in the simulations, classified according to nucleotide cleft separation and radius of gyration of the protein, fall into two distinct clusters: a cluster of states that are similar to the G-actin crystal structure, and a cluster of states with small cleft separation and with the subdomain 3/4 loop 264-273 detached from the protein. The latter states resemble the putative filamentous structure of actin, in which the loop connects the two strands of the actin filament.

Peyser YM, Ajtai K, Werber MM, Burghardt TP, Muhlrad A
Effect of metal cations on the conformation of myosin subfragment-1-ADP-phosphate analog complexes: a near-UV circular dichroism study.
Biochemistry. 1997; 36: 5170-8
Display abstract
The interaction of myosin with actin, coupled with hydrolysis of ATP, is the molecular basis of muscle contraction. The head segment of myosin, called S1, contains the distinct binding sites for ATP and actin and is responsible for the ATPase activity. The myosin-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis consists of several intermediate steps and each step is accompanied by conformational changes in the S1 segment. The rate-limiting step of the ATP hydrolysis is the dissociation of the S1 x ADP x Pi complex which is accelerated by actin. The substitution of Pi with phosphate analogs (PA), such as vanadate, beryllium fluoride (BeFx) or aluminum fluoride (AlF4-), yields stable complexes which mimic the intermediates of the ATP hydrolysis. In this work, tertiary structure changes in S1 in the vicinity of aromatic residues was studied by comparing near-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectra from S1-nucleotide-phosphate analog complexes in the presence of Mg2+ and other cations. A significant difference between the MgATP and MgADP spectra indicated notable tertiary structural changes accompanying the M**ADP x Pi --> M*ADP transition. The spectra of the S1 x MgADP x BeFx and S1 x MgADP x AlF4- complexes resemble to those obtained upon addition of MgATPgammaS and MgATP to S1, and correspond to the M* x ATP and M** x ADP x Pi intermediates, respectively. We have found recently that the presence of divalent metal cations (Me2+) is essential for the formation of stable S1 x MeADP x PA complexes. Moreover, the nature of the metal cations strongly influences the stability of these complexes [Peyser, Y. M., et al. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 4409-4416]. In the present work we studied the effect of Mg2+, Mn2+, Ca2+, Ni2+, Co2+, and Fe2+ on the near-UV CD spectrum of the ATP, ADP, ADP x BeFx, and ADP x AlF4- containing S complexes. The CD spectra obtained with ADP, ATP ADP x BeFx and ADP x AlF4- were essentially identical in the presence of Co2+ and rather similar in the case of Ca2+, while they were partially different in other cases. An interesting correlation was found between actin activation and ATP versus ADP difference spectra in the presence of various metal ions. The distribution of the fractional concentration of the intermediates of ATP hydrolysis was estimated in the presence of each cation from the CD spectra with phosphate analogs. In the presence of Mg2+ the predominant intermediate is the M** x ADP x Pi state, which is in accordance with the kinetic studies. On the other hand with non-native cations the predominant intermediate is the M* x ADP state and the release of ADP is the rate limiting step in the myosin-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis. According to the results, the near-UV CD spectrum originating from aromatic residues in S1 not only can distinguish identifiable states in the ATP hydrolysis cycle but can also pinpoint to changes in the tertiary structure caused by complex formation with nucleotide or nucleotide analog and various divalent metal cations. These findings, that are correlative with actin activation, and thus with the power stroke, suggest new strategies for perturbing S1 structure in the continuous efforts directed toward the elucidation of the mechanism of muscle contraction.

Schindelin H, Kisker C, Schlessman JL, Howard JB, Rees DC
Structure of ADP x AIF4(-)-stabilized nitrogenase complex and its implications for signal transduction.
Nature. 1997; 387: 370-6
Display abstract
The coupling of ATP hydrolysis to electron transfer by the enzyme nitrogenase during biological nitrogen fixation is an important example of a nucleotide-dependent transduction mechanism. The crystal structure has been determined for the complex between the Fe-protein and MoFe-protein components of nitrogenase stabilized by ADP x AIF4-, previously used as a nucleoside triphosphate analogue in nucleotide-switch proteins. The structure reveals that the dimeric Fe-protein has undergone substantial conformational changes. The beta-phosphate and AIF4- groups are stabilized through intersubunit contacts that are critical for catalysis and the redox centre is repositioned to facilitate electron transfer. Interactions in the nitrogenase complex have broad implications for signal and energy transduction mechanisms in multiprotein complexes.

Cooke R
Actomyosin interaction in striated muscle.
Physiol Rev. 1997; 77: 671-97
Display abstract
The mechanics of the actomyosin interaction have been extensively studied using the organized filament array of striated muscle. However, the extrapolation of these data to the events occurring at the level of a single actomyosin interaction has not been simple. Problems arise in part because an active fiber has an ensemble of myosin heads that are spread out through the various steps of the active cycle, and it is likely that only a small fraction of the heads are generating tension at any given time. More recently, two new approaches have greatly extended our knowledge of the actomyosin interaction. First, the three-dimensional crystal structures of both the actin monomer and the myosin head have been determined, and these structures have been fit to lower resolution images to give atomic models of the actin filament and of the actin filament decorated by myosin heads. Second, the technology to measure picoNewton forces and nanometer distances has provided direct determinations of the force and step length generated by a single myosin molecule interacting with a single actin filament. This review synthesizes the existing mechanical data obtained from the more-organized array of the muscle filament with the results obtained by these two technologies.

Suzuki M, Shigematsu J, Fukunishi Y, Harada Y, Yanagida T, Kodama T
Coupling of protein surface hydrophobicity change to ATP hydrolysis by myosin motor domain.
Biophys J. 1997; 72: 18-23
Display abstract
Dielectric spectroscopy with microwaves in the frequency range between 0.2 and 20 GHz was used to study the hydration of myosin subfragment 1 (S1). The data were analyzed by a method recently devised, which can resolve the total amount of water restrained by proteins into two components, one with a rotational relaxation frequency (fc) in the gigahertz region (weakly restrained water) and the other with lower fc (strongly restrained water). The weight ratio of total restrained water to S1 protein thus obtained (0.35), equivalent to 2100 water molecules per S1 molecule, is not much different from the values (0.3-0.4) for other proteins. The weakly restrained component accounts for about two-thirds of the total restrained water, which is in accord with the number of water molecules estimated from the solvent-accessible surface area of alkyl groups on the surface of the atomic model of S1. The number of strongly restrained water molecules coincides with the number of solvent-accessible charged or polar atoms. The dynamic behavior of the S1-restrained water during the ATP hydrolysis was also examined in a time-resolved mode. The result indicates that when S1 changes from the S1.ADP state into the S1.ADP.P1 state (ADP release followed by ATP binding and cleavage), about 9% of the weakly restrained waters are released, which are restrained again on slow P1 release. By contrast, there is no net mobilization of strongly restrained component. The observed changes in S1 hydration are quantitatively consistent with the accompanying large entropy and heat capacity changes estimated by calorimetry (Kodama, 1985), indicating that the protein surface hydrophobicity change plays a crucial role in the enthalpy-entropy compensation effects observed in the steps of S1 ATP hydrolysis.

Mendelson R, Morris EP
The structure of the acto-myosin subfragment 1 complex: results of searches using data from electron microscopy and x-ray crystallography.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997; 94: 8533-8
Display abstract
Surmises of how myosin subfragment 1 (S1) interacts with actin filaments in muscle contraction rest upon knowing the relative arrangement of the two proteins. Although there exist crystallographic structures for both S1 and actin, as well as electron microscopy data for the acto-S1 complex (AS1), modeling of this arrangement has so far only been done "by eye." Here we report fitted AS1 structures obtained using a quantitative method that is both more objective and makes more complete use of the data. Using undistorted crystallographic results, the best-fit AS1 structure shows significant differences from that obtained by visual fitting. The best fit is produced using the F-actin model of Holmes et al. [Holmes, K. C., Popp, D., Gebhard, W. & Kabsch, W. (1990) Nature (London) 347, 44-49]. S1 residues at the AS1 interface are now found at a higher radius as well as being translated axially and rotated azimuthally. Fits using S1 plus loops missing from the crystal structure were achieved using a homology search method to predict loop structures. These improved fits favor an arrangement in which the loop at the 50- to 20-kDa domain junction of S1 is located near the N terminus of actin. Rigid-body movements of the lower 50-kDa domain, which further improve the fit, produce closure of the large 50-kDa domain cleft and bring conserved residues in the lower 50-kDa domain into an apparently appropriate orientation for close interaction with actin. This finding supports the idea that binding of ATP to AS1 at the end of the ATPase cycle disrupts the actin binding site by changing the conformation of the 50-kDa cleft of S1.

Moore SA, Anderson BF, Groom CR, Haridas M, Baker EN
Three-dimensional structure of diferric bovine lactoferrin at 2.8 A resolution.
J Mol Biol. 1997; 274: 222-36
Display abstract
The three-dimensional structure of diferric bovine lactoferrin (bLf) has been determined by X-ray crystallography in order to investigate the factors that influence iron binding and release by transferrins. The structure was solved by molecular replacement, using the coordinates of diferric human lactoferrin (hLf) as a search model, and was refined with data to 2.8 A resolution by simulated annealing (X-PLOR) and restrained least squares (TNT). The final model comprises 5310 protein atoms (residues 5 to 689), 124 carbohydrate atoms (from ten monosaccharide units, in three glycan chains), 2 Fe3+, 2 CO32- and 50 water molecules. This model gives an R-factor of 0.232 for 21440 reflections in the resolution range 30.0 to 2.8 A. The folding of the bLf molecule is essentially the same as that of hLf, but bLf differs in the extent of closure of the two domains of each lobe, and in the relative orientations of the two lobes. Differences in domain closure are attributed to amino acid changes in the interface, and differences in lobe orientations to slightly altered packing of two hydrophobic patches between the lobes. Changed interdomain interactions may explain the lesser iron affinity of bLf, compared with hLf, and two lysine residues behind the N-lobe iron site of bLf offer new insights into the "dilysine trigger" mechanism proposed for iron release by transferrins. The bLf structure is also notable for several well-defined oligosaccharide units which demonstrate the structural factors that stabilise carbohydrate structure. One glycan chain, attached to Asn545, appears to contribute to interdomain interactions and may modulate iron release from the C-lobe.

Prochniewicz E, Thomas DD
Perturbations of functional interactions with myosin induce long-range allosteric and cooperative structural changes in actin.
Biochemistry. 1997; 36: 12845-53
Display abstract
The role of the rotational dynamics of actin filaments in their interaction with myosin was studied by comparing the effect of myosin subfragment 1 (S1) with two other structural perturbations, which have substantial inhibitory effects on activation of myosin ATPase and in vitro motility of F-actin: (1) binding of the antibody fragment Fab(1-7) against the first seven N-terminal residues and (2) copolymerization with monomers treated with the zero-length cross-linker 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide (EDC), referred to as EDC-actin. The rotational motion of actin was measured by time-resolved phosphorescence anisotropy (TPA) of erythrosin iodoacetamide (ErIA) attached to Cys 374 on actin. The binding of S1 in a rigor complex (no nucleotide) induced intramonomer (allosteric) and intermonomer (cooperative) structural changes that increased the residual anisotropy of labeled F-actin, indicating a conformational change in the region of the C terminus. Similar allosteric and cooperative changes were induced by binding of Fab(1-7) and by copolymerization of the ErIA-labeled actin monomers with EDC-actin. This suggests that the functional perturbations transform actin to a form resembling the rigor actomyosin complex. The correlation of the perturbation-induced changes in TPA of actin with the functional effects suggests that the actomyosin interaction can be inhibited by stabilization of actin in one of its structural intermediates.

Burgess SA, Walker ML, White HD, Trinick J
Flexibility within myosin heads revealed by negative stain and single-particle analysis.
J Cell Biol. 1997; 139: 675-81
Display abstract
Electron microscopy of negatively stained myosin has previously revealed three discrete regions within the heads of the molecule. However, despite a probable resolution of approximately 2 nm, it is difficult to discern directly consistent details within these regions. This is due to variability in both head conformation and in staining. In this study, we applied single-particle image processing and classified heads into homogeneous groups. The improved signal-to-noise ratio after averaging these groups reveals substantially improved detail. The image averages were compared to a model simulating negative staining of the atomic structure of subfragment-1 (S1). This shows that the three head regions correspond to the motor domain and the essential and regulatory light chains. The image averages were very similar to particular views of the S1 model. They also revealed considerable flexibility between the motor and regulatory domains, despite the molecules having been prepared in the absence of nucleotide. This flexibility probably results from rotation of the regulatory domain about the motor domain, where the relative movement of the regulatory light chain is up to 12 nm, and is most clearly illustrated in animated sequences (available at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/chb/muscle/myosinhead.htm l). The sharply curved conformation of the atomic model of S1 is seen only rarely in our data, with straighter heads being more typical.

Park S, Ajtai K, Burghardt TP
Mechanism for coupling free energy in ATPase to the myosin active site.
Biochemistry. 1997; 36: 3368-72
Display abstract
Acrylamide quenching of tryptophan 510 (Trp510) fluorescence in rabbit skeletal myosin subfragment 1 (S1) indicates the conformation of the probe binding cleft, containing the highly reactive thiol (SH1) and Trp510, in the presence of nucleotides or nucleotide analogs trapped in the active site of S1 [Park et al. (1996) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1296, 1-4]. The Trp510 quenching efficiency shows that the probe binding cleft closes slightly in the presence of beryllium fluoride trapped MgADP (MgADPBeFx-S1) and most tightly in the presence of vanadate trapped MgADP (MgADPVi-S1) with aluminum fluoride and scandium fluoride trapped MgADP (MgADPA1F4-S1 and MgADPScFx-S1) falling in between in the order MgADPBeFx > MgADPA1F4 > MgADPScFx > MgADPVi. These nucleotide analogs are identified with sequential structural changes in MgATP during hydrolysis in the same order with beryllium fluoride occurring earliest in the ATPase cycle. Correlation of the separation distance of the gamma-phosphate analog metal from the oxygen connecting it to the beta-phosphate in ADP, to the extent of cleft closure, suggests that this distance in the nucleotide transition state determines the conformation of the probe binding cleft. Trp510 quenching efficiency was also measured as a function of the base moiety of the vanadate trapped Mg-nucleotide diphosphate (MgNDPVi-S1). The extent of cleft closure is largest in the presence of the natural substrate NDP and follows the order MgADPVi > MgCDPVi > MgUDPVi > MgIDPVi > MgGDPVi with very little difference between MgADPVi and MgCDPVi. These data follow the order of the effectiveness of the corresponding nucleotide triphosphates to support force production in muscle fibers [Pate et al. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 10046-10053]. In both the fiber and S1, it appears that the 6-position amino group of the bases of ADP and CDP is required to properly anchor the nucleotide in the active site, possibly at tyrosine 135 as suggested by X-ray crystallographic studies [Fisher et al. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 8960-8972]. Finally, the Trp510 quenching efficiency was measured as a function of the size of the divalent cation trapped in the active site of S1 with ADPVi. These data failed to show a correlation suggesting that the divalent cation is not involved with the propagation of influence from the active site to the probe binding cleft. The forgoing experiments suggest that the changing conformation of ATP during hydrolysis, parameterized by the increasing distance between the beta- and the gamma-phosphate, stresses the active site of S1 through protein-nucleotide contacts at the gamma-phosphate and nucleotide base. The stress-induced strain in the cross-bridge may be the mechanism by which energy in ATP is transferred to the myosin structure.

Lobau S, Weber J, Wilke-Mounts S, Senior AE
F1-ATPase, roles of three catalytic site residues.
J Biol Chem. 1997; 272: 3648-56
Display abstract
Three critical residues, beta-Lys-155, beta-Asp-242, and beta-Glu-181, situated close to the gamma-phosphate of MgATP in F1-ATPase catalytic sites, were investigated. The mutations betaK155Q, betaD242N, and betaE181Q were each combined with the betaY331W mutation; the fluorescence signal of beta-Trp-331 was used to determine MgATP, MgADP, ATP, and ADP binding parameters for the three catalytic sites of the enzyme. The quantitative contribution of side chains to binding energy at all three catalytic sites was calculated. The following conclusions were made. The major functional interaction of beta-Lys-155 is with the gamma-phosphate of MgATP and is of primary importance at site 1 (the site of highest affinity) and site 2. Release of MgATP during oxidative phosphorylation requires conformational re-positioning of this residue. The major functional interaction of beta-Asp-242 is with the magnesium of the magnesium nucleotide at site 1; it has little or no influence at site 2 or 3. In steady-state turnover, the MgATP hydrolysis reaction occurs at site 1. beta-Glu-181 contributes little to nucleotide binding; its major catalytic effect derives apparently from a role in reaction chemistry per se. This work also emphasizes that nucleotide binding cooperativity shown by the three catalytic sites toward MgATP and MgADP is absolutely dependent on the presence of magnesium.

Bauer CB, Kuhlman PA, Bagshaw CR, Rayment I
X-ray crystal structure and solution fluorescence characterization of Mg.2'(3')-O-(N-methylanthraniloyl) nucleotides bound to the Dictyostelium discoideum myosin motor domain.
J Mol Biol. 1997; 274: 394-407
Display abstract
Mant (2'(3')-O-(N-methylanthraniloyl)) labeled nucleotides have proven to be useful tools in the study of the kinetic mechanism of the myosin ATPase by fluorescence spectroscopy. The sensitivity of the mant fluorophore to its local environment also makes it suitable to investigate the exposure of bound nucleotides to solvent from collisional quenching measurements. Here we present the crystal structure of mant-ADP and beryllium fluoride complexed with Dictyostelium discoideum myosin motor domain (S1dC) at 1.9 A resolution. We complement the structural approach with an investigation of the accessibility of the mant moiety to solvent using acrylamide quenching of fluorescence emission. In contrast to rabbit skeletal myosin subfragment 1, where the mant group is protected from acrylamide (Ksv=0.2 M-1), the fluorophore is relatively exposed when bound to Dictyostelium myosin motor domain (Ksv= 1.4 M-1). Differences between the Dictyostelium structure and that of vertebrate skeletal subfragment 1, in the region of the nucleotide binding pocket, are proposed as an explanation for the differences observed in the solvent accessibility of complexed mant-nucleotides. We conclude that protection of the mant group from acrylamide quenching does not report on overall closure of the nucleotide binding pocket but reflects more local structural changes.

Gulick AM, Bauer CB, Thoden JB, Rayment I
X-ray structures of the MgADP, MgATPgammaS, and MgAMPPNP complexes of the Dictyostelium discoideum myosin motor domain.
Biochemistry. 1997; 36: 11619-28
Display abstract
The three-dimensional structures of the truncated myosin head from Dictyostelium discoideum myosin II (S1dC) complexed with MgAMPPNP, MgATPgammaS, and MgADP are reported at 2.1, 1.9, and 2.1 A resolution, respectively. Crystals were obtained by cocrystallization and were isomorphous with respect to those of S1dC. MgADP.BeFx [Fisher, A. J., et al. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 8960-8972]. In all three structures, the electron density for the entire nucleotide was clearly discernible. The overall structures of all three complexes are very similar to that of the beryllium fluoride complex which suggests that the differences in the physiological effects of ATPgammaS and AMPPNP are due to the changes in the equilibrium between the actin-bound and actin-free states of myosin caused by the lower affinity of AMPPNP for myosin. In S1dC.MgAMPPNP, the presence of the bridging nitrogen prompts the side chain of Asn233 to rotate which disrupts the hydrogen bonding pattern in the nucleotide binding pocket and alters the water structure surrounding the ribose hydroxyl groups. It appears that this change is responsible for the reduced affinity of AMPPNP for myosin relative to ATPgammaS. In contrast to the G-proteins, there is no major change in the conformation of the ligands that coordinate the nucleotide in S1dC.MgADP. This is due to three water molecules that adopt the approximate positions of the three oxygens on the gamma-phosphate and maintain the interactions with the Mg2+ ion and protein molecule. Interestingly, the thiophosphate group is evident in S1dC.MgATPgammaS even though it is slowly hydrolyzed by myosin. This suggests that the conformation observed here and in chicken skeletal myosin subfragment-1 [Rayment, I., et al. (1993) Science 261, 50-58] is unable to hydrolyze ATP and represents the structure of the prehydrolysis weak binding state of myosin.

Gulick AM, Rayment I
Structural studies on myosin II: communication between distant protein domains.
Bioessays. 1997; 19: 561-9
Display abstract
Understanding how chemical energy is converted into directed movement is a fundamental problem in biology. In higher organisms this is accomplished through the hydrolysis of ATP by three families of motor proteins: myosin, dynein and kinesin. The most abundant of these is myosin, which operates against actin and plays a central role in muscle contraction. As summarized here, great progress has been made towards understanding the molecular basis of movement through the determination of the three-dimensional structures of myosin and actin and through the establishment of systems for site-directed mutagenesis of this motor protein. It now appears that the generation of movement is coupled to ATP hydrolysis by a series of domain movements within myosin.

Orlova A, Egelman EH
Cooperative rigor binding of myosin to actin is a function of F-actin structure.
J Mol Biol. 1997; 265: 469-74
Display abstract
Many aspects of cooperative behavior within pure F-actin filaments have now been described. We have used two myosin fragments, heavy meromyosin (HMM) and Subfragment 1 (S1), to look at the rigor binding to different forms of F-actin. With Ca2+ bound at the high-affinity metal binding site in actin, there is a very large cooperativity in the binding of HMM, but no cooperativity for S1. With Mg2+ bound at the high affinity site, or with conditions that stabilize the conformation of subdomain-2 of actin, there is no cooperativity seen with either HMM or S1. These results show that the two heads of HMM can induce structural changes in F-actin that are not observed with the single head of S1. They also support the notion that the binding of myosin to F-actin induces a conformational change in subdomain-2 of actin, and that under certain conditions this conformational change can be cooperatively propagated through an actin filament.

Highsmith S, Duignan K, Cooke R, Cohen J
Osmotic pressure probe of actin-myosin hydration changes during ATP hydrolysis.
Biophys J. 1996; 70: 2830-7
Display abstract
Osmotic stress in the 0.5-5 x 10(6) dyne/cm2 range was used to perturb the hydration of actin-myosin-ATP intermediates during steady-state hydrolysis. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) (1000 to 4000 Da), in the 1 to 10 wt% range, which does not cause protein precipitation, did not significantly affect the apparent KM or the Vmax for MgATP hydrolysis by myosin subfragment 1 (S1) alone, nor did it affect the value for the phosphate burst. Consistent with the kinetic data, osmotic stress did not affect nucleotide-induced changes in the fluorescence intensities of S1 tryptophans or of fluorescein attached to Cys-707. The accessibility of the fluorescent ATP analog, epsilon ADP, to acrylamide quenching was also unchanged. These data suggest that none of the steps in the ATP hydrolysis cycle involve substantial hydration changes, which might occur for the opening or closing of the ATP site or of other crevices in the S1 structure. In contrast, KM for the interaction of S1.MgADP.Pi with actin decreased tenfold in this range of osmotic pressure, suggesting that formation of actin.S1.MgADP.Pi involves net dehydration of the proteins. The dehydration volume increases as the size of the PEG is increased, as expected for a surface-excluded osmolyte. The measured dehydration volume for the formation of actin.S1.MgADP.Pi was used to estimate the surface area of the binding interface. This estimate was consistent with the area determined from the atomic structures of actin and myosin, indicating that osmotic stress is a reliable probe of actin.myosin.ATP interactions. The approach developed here should be useful for determining osmotic stress and excluded volume effects in situ, which are much larger than those of typical in vitro conditions.

Smith CA, Rayment I
Active site comparisons highlight structural similarities between myosin and other P-loop proteins.
Biophys J. 1996; 70: 1590-602
Display abstract
The phosphate binding loop (P-loop) is a common feature of a large number of enzymes that bind nucleotide whose consensus sequence is often used as a fingerprint for identifying new members of this group. We review here the binding sites of nine purine nucleotide binding proteins, with a focus on their relationship to the active site of myosin. This demonstrates that there is considerable conversation in the distribution and nature of the ligands that coordinate the triphosphate moiety. This comparison further suggests that at least myosin and the G-proteins utilize a similar mechanism for nucleotide hydrolysis.

Howard J, Spudich JA
Is the lever arm of myosin a molecular elastic element?
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996; 93: 4462-4

Mendelson RA, Schneider DK, Stone DB
Conformations of myosin subfragment 1 ATPase intermediates from neutron and X-ray scattering.
J Mol Biol. 1996; 256: 1-7
Display abstract
In order to elucidate the structural changes that occur during the hydrolysis of ATP by myosin, low-angle neutron and X-ray scattering have been used to investigate the shape of the myosin head (S1) with various bound nucleotides and nucleotide analogs. It was found that the radius of gyration (Rg) of S1.MgADP.AlF4 and of S1MgADP.Vi were similar and significantly smaller (approximately 3%) than the similar Rg values of nucleotide-free S1, S1.MgADP and S1.MgADP.BeFx. In addition, S1 in the presence of MgATP, which is predominantly in the S1.MgADP.Pi state under the experimental conditions employed, showed a change in Rg comparable with that of S1.MgADP.AlF4 and S1.MgADP.Vi. The results obtained here with BeFx and AlF4 are in close harmony with crystallographic results on truncated S1 bearing MgADP.BeFx and MgADP.AlF4. A. Fisher and co-workers have postulated that these two systems, which exhibit some structural differences, represent the pre-hydrolysis state and the transition state of ATP hydrolysis, respectively. It was postulated that this structural difference might alter the orientation of the light-chain-binding domain (tail) of intact S1 relative to the remainder of the molecule. Since this orientation is the major determinant of the Rg of S1, the current data support the hypothesis that a unitary large-scale conformational cocking of S1 for subsequent force production occurs just before or during ATP hydrolysis. Modeling changes in Rg by rigid-body rotations indicates that the longitudinal component of the force-producing throw is likely to be less than 6 nm.

Wright AF, Jackson I
Myosin diversity and disease.
Trends Genet. 1996; 12: 206-9

Miller CJ, Doyle TC, Bobkova E, Botstein D, Reisler E
Mutational analysis of the role of hydrophobic residues in the 338-348 helix on actin in actomyosin interactions.
Biochemistry. 1996; 35: 3670-6
Display abstract
Yeast actin mutants with alanines replacing I341 and I345 were studied to assess the role of hydrophobic residues in the alpha-helix 338-348 in interactions with myosin. In structural models of the actomyosin complex, this helix on actin was assigned a prominent role in the strong binding of myosin to actin. Substitution of I341 with alanine reduced the strong binding of actin to myosin subfragment-1 (S1) 9-fold compared to wild-type actin. In addition, the Vmax of the actin-activated S1 ATPase was reduced 4-fold with no change in the Km. In contrast, substitution of I345 with alanine had no significant effect on either the strong binding to S1 or the actin activation of S1 ATPase. The I341A actin filaments were found to slide in the in vitro motility assays at a lower mean velocity (1.6 +/- 0.4 microns/s) than wild-type actin filaments (2.6 +/- 0.3 microns/s). Only 65% of the mutant actin filaments moved in such assays in comparison to 95% of the wild-type filaments. However, addition of 2.0 mM MgADP to the motility assay buffer induced movement of all the I341A filaments at a velocity (1.6 +/- 0.1 microns/s) similar to that of wild-type actin (1.7 +/- 0.1 microns/s). The decrease in motility of the I341A actin filaments in the absence of ADP was attributed to a negative load slowing the mutant filaments and the smaller force produced by the heavy meromyosin and I341A actin system. The latter conclusion was confirmed by showing that a greater percentage of NEM-modified heavy meromyosin (external load) was required for arresting the motion of wild-type actin in the in vitro motility assay than that needed for stopping the I341A filaments.

Milligan RA
Protein-protein interactions in the rigor actomyosin complex.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996; 93: 21-6
Display abstract
Since it has not been possible to crystallize the actomyosin complex, the x-ray structures of the individual proteins together with data obtained by fiber diffraction and electron microscopy have been used to build detailed models of filamentous actin (f-actin) and the actomyosin rigor complex. In the f-actin model, a single monomer uses 10 surface loops and two alpha-helices to make sometimes complicated interactions with its four neighbors. In the myosin molecule, both the essential and regulatory light chains show considerable structural homology to calmodulin. General principles are evident in their mode of attachment to the target alpha-helix of the myosin heavy chain. The essential light chain also makes contacts with other parts of the heavy chain and with the regulatory light chain. The actomyosin rigor interface is extensive, involving interaction of a single myosin head with regions on two adjacent actin monomers. A number of hydrophobic residues on the apposing faces of actin and myosin contribute to the main binding site. This site is flanked on three sides by charged myosin surface loops that form predominantly ionic interactions with adjacent regions of actin. Hydrogen bonding is likely to play a significant role in actin-actin and actin-myosin interactions since many of the contacts involve loops. The model building approach used with actomyosin is applicable to other multicomponent assemblies of biological interest and is a powerful method for revealing molecular interactions and providing insights into the mode of action of the assemblies.

Rayment I
The structural basis of the myosin ATPase activity.
J Biol Chem. 1996; 271: 15850-3

Kurinov IV, Harrison RW
Two crystal structures of the leupeptin-trypsin complex.
Protein Sci. 1996; 5: 752-8
Display abstract
Three-dimensional structures of trypsin with the reversible inhibitor leupeptin have been determined in two different crystal forms. The first structure was determined at 1.7 A resolution with R-factor = 17.7% in the trigonal crystal space group P3(1)21, with unit cell dimensions of a = b = 55.62 A, c = 110.51 A. The second structure was determined at a resolution of 1.8 A with R-factor = 17.5% in the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit cell dimensions of a = 63.69 A, b = 69.37 A, c = 63.01 A. The overall protein structure is very similar in both crystal forms, with RMS difference for main-chain atoms of 0.27 A. The leupeptin backbone forms four hydrogen bonds with trypsin and a fifth hydrogen bond interaction is mediated by a water molecule. The aldehyde carbonyl of leupeptin forms a covalent bond of 1.42 A length with side-chain oxygen of Ser-195 in the active site. The reaction of trypsin with leupeptin proceeds through the formation of stable tetrahedral complex in which the hemiacetal oxygen atom is pointing out of the oxyanion hole and forming a hydrogen bond with His-57.

Golitsina NL et al.
Differential scanning calorimetric study of the complexes of modified myosin subfragment 1 with ADP and vanadate or beryllium fluoride.
J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 1996; 17: 475-85
Display abstract
The effects of various modifications of rabbit skeletal myosin subfragment 1 on the thermal denaturation of subfragment 1 in ternary complexes with Mg-ADP and orthovanadate (V1) or beryllium fluoride (BeFx) have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry. It has been shown that specific modifications of SH1 group of Cys-707 by different sulfhydryl reagents, trinitrophenylation of Lys-83, and reductive methylation of lysine residues promote the decomposition of the S1.ADP.Vi complex and change the character of structural transitions of the subfragment 1 molecule induced by the formation of this complex, but they have much less or no influence on subfragment 1 thermal stability in the S1.ADP.BeFx complex. Thus, the differential scanning calorimetric studies on modified subfragment 1 preparations reveal a significant difference between S1.ADP.Vi and S1.ADP.BeFx complexes. It is suggested that S1.ADP.Vi and S1.ADP.BeFx complexes represent structural analogues of different transition states of the ATPase cycle, namely the intermediate states S1**.ADP.Pi and S1*.ATP, respectively. It is also proposed that during formation of the S1.ADP.Vi complex the region containing both Cys-707 and Lys-83 plays an important role in the spread of conformational changes from the active site of subfragment 1 ATPase throughout the structure of the entire subfragment 1 molecule. In such a case, the effects of reductive methylation of lysine residues on the subfragment 1 structure in the S1.ADP.Vi complex are related to the modification of Lys-83.

Gopal D, Burke M
Myosin subfragment 1 hydrophobicity changes associated with different nucleotide-induced conformations.
Biochemistry. 1996; 35: 506-12
Display abstract
Myosin subfragment 1 hydrophobicity was found to be sensitive to the occupancy and nature of bound nucleotide at its active site, as shown by changes in elution behavior of unmodified and chemically modified S1 during phenyl hydrophobic chromatography. The elution properties of S1 were unaltered by alkylation of SH1 (Cys-707) with N-ethylmaleimide or by covalent bridging between SH1 and SH2 (Cys-697) with p-phenylenedimaleimide with trapping of MgADP. Although addition of MgADP or MgATP to the elution buffers had minimal effect on the elution properties of these modified S1 species, the presence of these nucleotides was found to produce differential effects with unmodified S1. With MgADP, where S1 is in the S1** MgADP state, the elution times were decreased slightly, whereas with MgATP, where S1 is primarily in the S1** MgADP.Pi state, the elution times were significantly lowered, indicating reduced accessibility for the immobilized phenyl ligand. Stable S1 ternary complexes, formed with MgADP and various Pi analogues, showed elution times similar to that for S1 in the buffers containing MgATP. Thus, two main classes of nucleotide-induced S1 conformations can be defined according to their interaction with immobilized phenyl. These nucleotide-induced changes in S1 hydrophobicity correlate well with reported changes in radius of gyration of S1 associated with different states of the bound nucleotide [Wakabayashi, K., Tokunga, M., Kohno, I., Sugimoto, Y.; Hamanaka, T., Takezawa, Y., Wakabayashi, T., & Amemiya, Y. (1992) Science 258, 443-447], suggesting that the observed hydrophobicity interaction may be measuring accessibility of the immobilized phenyl ligand into a hydrophobic crevice, and that this crevice is closed or tightened when S1 is in the S1** MgADP.Pi state.

Park S, Ajtai K, Burghardt TP
Optical activity of a nucleotide-sensitive tryptophan in myosin subfragment 1 during ATP hydrolysis.
Biophys Chem. 1996; 63: 67-80
Display abstract
The xanthene probes 5'-iodoacetamido-fluorescein and -tetramethylrhodamine specifically modify skeletal muscle myosin subfragment 1 (S1) at the reactive thiol residue (SH1) and fully quench the fluorescence emission from tryptophan residue 510 (Trp510) in S1 (T.P. Burghardt and K. Ajtai, Biophys. Chem., 60 (1996) 119; K. Ajtai and T.P. Burghardt, Biochemistry, 34 (1995) 15943). The difference between the fluorescence intensity obtained from S1 and probe-modified S1 comes solely from Trp510 in chymotryptic S1, a protein fragment that contains five tryptophan residues. The rotary strength and quantum efficiency of Trp510 were measured using difference signals from fluorescence detected circular dichroism (FDCD) and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. These structure-sensitive signals indicate that the binding of nucleotide or nucleotide analogs to the active site of S1 causes structural changes in S1 at Trp510 and that a one-to-one correspondence exists between Trp510 conformation and transient states of myosin during contraction. The Trp510 rotary strength and quantum efficiency were interpreted structurally in terms of the indole side-chain conformation using model structures and established computational methods.

Gopal D, Pavlov DI, Levitsky DI, Ikebe M, Burke M
Chemomechanical transduction in the actomyosin molecular motor by 2',3'-dideoxydidehydro-ATP and characterization of its interaction with myosin subfragment 1 in the presence and absence of actin.
Biochemistry. 1996; 35: 10149-57
Display abstract
The effect of torsional freedom about the N-glycoside bond of ATP in the ability of the nucleoside triphosphate to support chemomechanical transduction (Takenaka et al., 1978) has been investigated by examining the ability of the nucleotide analogue 2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-didehydro-ATP (1b, enf-ATP) to act as a substrate for myosin subfragment 1 in the presence and absence of actin and to support actin sliding in the standard in vitro motility assay. By converting the ribosyl ring of the natural substrate to the rigid and almost planar enofuranosyl ring, effects on torsional freedom about the N-glycoside bond due to changes in ribosyl ring pucker and/or by steric interferences of the protons attached to the 2' and 3' carbons are eliminated allowing for increased torsional freedom about the N-glycoside bond. The data indicate that this enofuranosyl analogue is an excellent substrate for subfragment 1 and actosubfragment 1 and produces actin sliding velocities which are twice as fast as those observed with ATP in the standard in vitro motility assay. The analogue diphosphate is trapped in S1 by the common P(i) analogues, but the rate of formation of the ternary complex formed with Vi is very slow compared to that observed with MgADP. Similar conformations of S1 are formed with Mg.enf-ATP and MgATP under steady-state conditions, but S1 with bound Mg.enf-ADP differs significantly from that observed with MgADP.

Ruppel KM, Spudich JA
Structure-function studies of the myosin motor domain: importance of the 50-kDa cleft.
Mol Biol Cell. 1996; 7: 1123-36
Display abstract
We used random mutagenesis to create 21 point mutations in a highly conserved region of the motor domain of Dictyostelium myosin and classified them into three distinct groups based on the ability to complement myosin null cell phenotypes: wild type, intermediate, and null. Biochemical analysis of the mutated myosins also revealed three classes of mutants that correlated well with the phenotypic classification. The mutated myosins that were not fully functional showed defects ranging from ATP nonhydrolyzers to myosins whose enzymatic and mechanical properties are uncoupled. Placement of the mutations onto the three-dimensional structure of myosin showed that the mutated region lay along the cleft that separates the active site from the actin-binding domain and that has been shown to move in response to changes at the active site. These results demonstrate that this region of myosin plays a key role in transduction of chemical energy to mechanical displacement.

Miller CJ, Wong WW, Bobkova E, Rubenstein PA, Reisler E
Mutational analysis of the role of the N terminus of actin in actomyosin interactions. Comparison with other mutant actins and implications for the cross-bridge cycle.
Biochemistry. 1996; 35: 16557-65
Display abstract
Yeast actin mutants with acidic residues at the N terminus either neutralized (DNEQ) or deleted (delta-DSE) were used to assess the role of N-terminal acidic residues in the interactions of actin with myosin in the contractile cycle. Cosedimentation experiments revealed an approximately 3-fold decrease in the binding constant for DNEQ and delta-DSE actins to myosin subfragment-1 (S1) relative to that of wild type actin both in the presence of MgATP and in the absence of nucleotides (strong binding). DNEQ and delta-DSE actins protected S1 from tryptic digestion as well as the wild type and rabbit actins. The activation of S1 ATPase by DNEQ and delta-DSE actins (up to 50 microM) was very low but increased greatly after cross-linking these mutant actins to S1 by dimethyl suberimidate. Thus, the increased dissociation of mutant actins from S1 in the presence of ATP is the main cause for the low acto-S1 ATPase activities. At low-ionic strength conditions and in the presence of methylcellulose, the DNEQ and delta-DSE actins moved in the in vitro motility assays at a mean velocity similar to that of wild type actin (3.0 microns/s). Yet, the sliding velocity of the N-terminal and D24A/D25A and E99A/E100A mutant actins decreased relative to that of the wild type at all levels of external load introduced into the assay and at low densities of heavy meromyosin (HMM) on the cover slip. This indicates a lower relative force generation with the mutant actins. In contrast, the force generated under the same conditions with the 4Ac mutant actin (with four acidic charges at the N terminus) was higher than with wild type actin. At higher-ionic strength conditions (I = 150 mM), the sliding of the DNEQ and delta-DSE as well as that of the D24A/D25A and E99A/E100A actins ceased even in the presence of methylcellulose, while I341A actin (deficient in strong binding to myosin) still moved. These results indicate the importance of electrostatic actomyosin interactions under physiological salt conditions and show functionally distinct roles for the different myosin binding sites on actin.

Houdusse A, Cohen C
Structure of the regulatory domain of scallop myosin at 2 A resolution: implications for regulation.
Structure. 1996; 4: 21-32
Display abstract
BACKGROUND: In contrast to the myosins of vertebrate skeletal muscle, molluscan myosins are regulated molecules whose enzymatic activity is switched on by the direct binding of Ca2+. The head portion (S1) of the molecule consists of a motor domain and a regulatory domain (RD) containing a 'regulatory' and an 'essential' light chain (RLC and ELC, respectively). The structures of scallop myosin RD with bound Ca2+, as well as the S1 fragment of chicken skeletal muscle myosin, have been determined previously to 2.8 A resolution. RESULTS: We have determined the structure at 2.0 A resolution of scallop myosin RD with bound Ca2+. The unusual coordination at the specific Ca(2+)-binding site in the ELC has now been clarified, as has the structural basis for Mg2+ binding to the RLC. A comparison of the scallop RD structure with that in the chicken S1 structure shows differences in the bending of the two RDs in two different places. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these structural results, a model for regulation is proposed in which the Ca(2+)-bound RD is a rigid structure, and transient flexibility of the Ca(2+)-free RD allows the myosin heads to make stabilizing intramolecular linkage which shut off the motor.

Phan BC, Cheung P, Stafford WF, Reisler E
Complexes of myosin subfragment-1 with adenosine diphosphate and phosphate analogs: probes of active site and protein conformation.
Biophys Chem. 1996; 59: 341-9
Display abstract
Previous work has revealed phosphate-dependent differences in the complexes formed from myosin subfragment-1 with adenosine diphosphate (S1.ADP) and aluminum fluoride (AlF4-) or beryllium fluoride (BeFx) [Phan and Reisler, Biophys. J., 66 (1994) A78], with the former resembling more the S1**.ADP.Pi state while the latter resembles more the S1.ATP state. In this work, the conformations of the S1.epsilon ADP.AlF4- and S1.epsilon ADP.BeFx, complexes were examined by nucleotide chase and collisional quenching experiments. epsilon ADP release from S1.epsilon ADP.AlF4- was slower than that from S1.epsilon ADP.BeFx. However, acrylamide titrations of S1.epsilon ADP.AlF4- and S1.epsilon ADP.BeFx showed little difference in nucleotide protection from quenching between the two complexes. This contrasts with the earlier observation on phosphate analog-dependent changes in the reactivity of the SH1 group on S1. To confirm phosphate-related perturbation of the SH1-SH2 sequence, emission spectra of fluorescein (IAF)-labeled SH1 and IANBD-labeled SH2 were recorded for S1 complexes with nucleotides and phosphate analogs. Considerable differences were found between the BeFx and AlF4- complexes with S1.MgADP for both SH1- and SH2-labeled proteins. These results are consistent with a recent crystallographic study of S1 complexes with ADP and phosphate analogs [Fisher et al., Biophys. J., 68 (1995) 19S] and the idea that the opening of the nucleotide cleft on S1 does not change much during ATP hydrolysis [Franks-Skiba et al., Biochemistry, 33 (1994) 12720], while significant changes in the SH1-SH2 region accompany phosphate cleavage.

Rayment I, Smith C, Yount RG
The active site of myosin.
Annu Rev Physiol. 1996; 58: 671-702
Display abstract
The significance of myosin has been expanded recently with the realization that it is found in every eukaryotic cell, where it has a role in cytokinesis, cell division, and vesicle transport. Advances in molecular genetics and expression systems related to myosin and actin have helped to reveal the extent of the myosin superfamily. New motility assays and techniques have provided information about the residues involved in ATP hydrolysis and the conformational change induced by nucleotide binding. The results of these techniques revealing structural and functional information combined with previous studies of the active site of myosin should provide future direction for studying this exciting and rapidly moving area of biochemistry.

Diaz Banos FG, Bordas J, Lowy J, Svensson A
Small segmental rearrangements in the myosin head can explain force generation in muscle.
Biophys J. 1996; 71: 576-89
Display abstract
Poisson-Boltzmann calculations of the distribution of electrostatic potentials around an actin filament in physiological-strength solutions show that negative isopotential surfaces protrude into the solvent. Each protrusion follows the actin two-start helix and is located on the sites implicated in the formation of the actomyosin complex. Molecular dynamic calculations on the S1 portion of the myosin molecule indicate that in the presence of ATP the crystallographically invisible loops (comprising residues 624-649 and 564-579) remain on the surface, whereas in the absence of ATP they can move toward the actin-binding sites and experience electrostatic forces that range from 1 to 10 pN. The molecular dynamics calculations also suggest that during the ATP cycle there exist at least three states of electrostatic interactions between the loops and actin. Every time a new interaction is formed, the strain in the myosin head increases and the energy of the complex decreases by 2kT to 5kT. This can explain muscular contraction in terms of a Huxley-Simmons-type mechanism, while requiring only rearrangements of small mobile S1 segments rather than the large shape changes in the myosin molecule postulated by the conventional tilting head model.

Hasson T, Mooseker MS
Vertebrate unconventional myosins.
J Biol Chem. 1996; 271: 16431-4

Knight PJ
Dynamic behaviour of the head-tail junction of myosin.
J Mol Biol. 1996; 255: 269-74
Display abstract
It has generally been supposed that flexibility in the head-tail junction of myosin is provided by free rotation around the bonds of the polypeptide backbone of a few amino acid residues, but direct evidence for this is lacking. Here it is shown that the binding of an antibody in this region reveals a novel structure in which the bases of the heads are separated by 10 nm, with concomitant 9 nm shortening of the tail and movement of the sites of sharp bends in the tail a similar distance towards the heads. These results suggest that the junction is a dynamic structure in which between 60 and 130 residues of the coiled coil can separate to allow the heads to move apart. They suggest a site for the series elastic element of the cross-bridge, and have implications for the interactions of the two heads with actin subunits in the thin filaments, and the mechanism of movement of other two-headed motor proteins, such as kinesins.

Holmes KC
Muscle proteins--their actions and interactions.
Curr Opin Struct Biol. 1996; 6: 781-9
Display abstract
Muscle contracts by the myosin cross-bridges "rowing' the actin filaments past the myosin filaments. In the past year many structural details of this mechanism have become clear. Structural studies indicate distinct states for myosin S1 in the rigor, ATP or "down' conformation and in the products complex (ADP.Pi) or "up' to state. Crystallographic studies substantiate this classification and yield details of the transformation. The isomerization "up' to "down' is the power stroke of muscle. This consists in the main of large changes of angle of the "lever arm' (at the distal part of the myosin head) which can account for an 11 nm power stroke.

Block SM
Fifty ways to love your lever: myosin motors.
Cell. 1996; 87: 151-7

Minor W et al.
Crystal structure of soybean lipoxygenase L-1 at 1.4 A resolution.
Biochemistry. 1996; 35: 10687-701
Display abstract
Lipoxygenases, which are widely distributed among plant and animal species, are Fe-containing dioxygenases that act on lipids containing (Z,Z)-pentadiene moieties in the synthesis of compounds with a variety of functions. Utilizing an improved strategy of data collection, low temperature, and synchrotron radiation of short wavelength, the structure of ferrous soybean lipoxygenase L-1, a single chain protein of 839 amino acid residues, has been determined by X-ray crystallography to a resolution of 1.4 A. The R-factor for the refined model is 19.7%. General features of the protein structure were found to be consistent with the results of prior crystallographic studies at lower (2.6 A) resolution. In contrast to the prior studies, the binding of a water molecule to the active site Fe was established. The octahedral coordination sphere of the Fe also includes the side chains of His499, His504, His690, and Asn694 as well as the terminal carboxylate of Ile839, which binds as a monodentate ligand. Asn694 is involved in a number of labile polar interactions with other protein groups, including an amide-aromatic hydrogen bond, and appears to be a weak ligand. Several possible access routes for dioxygen and fatty acids to the internal active site and substrate binding cavity are described. The protein structure restricts access to the Fe site such that the formation of an organo-Fe intermediate seems improbable. Structural restrictions pertinent to other proposed reaction intermediates, such as planar pentadienyl and nonplanar allyl radicals, are also discussed.

Katoh T, Morita F
Binding of myosin subfragment 1 to actin.
J Biochem (Tokyo). 1996; 120: 189-92
Display abstract
The dissociation constant for the binding of myosin subfragment 1 (S1) and chromatographed actin in the presence and absence of nucleotide was measured at various ionic strengths and various temperatures. The dissociation constant was of nM order in the absence of nucleotide and increased by approximately 100- and approximately 100,000-fold in the presence of ADP and ATP, respectively. The dissociation constant also increased with increasing ionic strength, irrespective of the presence of nucleotide, and its dependence on the ionic strength was increased by the presence of ATP but decreased by the presence of ADP. The standard enthalpy change and entropy change for the binding of S1 to actin were both positive, irrespective of the presence of nucleotide, indicating that the binding was entropy-driven. The standard entropy change was essentially unaffected by the presence of ADP but was greatly decreased by ATP, suggesting that the large increase in the dissociation constant in the presence of ATP was due to the decrease of hydrophobic interactions. On the other hand, the increase in the dissociation constant for acto-S1 in the presence of ADP might be induced by the decrease of electrostatic interactions.

Kellermayer MS
Analysis of the bound nucleotide in the acto-heavy meromyosin in vitro motility assay.
Physiol Chem Phys Med NMR. 1996; 28: 143-51
Display abstract
Muscle contraction and various forms of cell motility are driven by the interaction of actin and myosin with the simultaneous binding and hydrolysis of ATP. The process can be reconstituted in in vitro motility assays, where actin filaments slide over myosin in an ATP-dependent fashion. We have recently shown that in vitro actin motility persists at unexpectedly low, nanomolar free ATP concentrations if the actomyosin is pretreated with millimolar levels of the nucleotide (10). In these experiments, however, the amount of bound ATP--which could potentially support motility--was not exactly known. In the present work, the amount of nucleotide bound in the in vitro motility assay is directly measured by using radiolabeled ATP analogs in a novel capillary binding assay. The results indicate that although a low quantity of nucleotide remains bound, it is stable and does not seem to be available to support motility.

Mooseker MS, Cheney RE
Unconventional myosins.
Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 1995; 11: 633-75
Display abstract
Myosins are molecular motors that upon interaction with actin filaments convert energy from ATP hydrolysis into mechanical force. Evidence has emerged for the existence of a large, widely expressed and evolutionarily ancient superfamily of myosin genes. In addition to the well-catheterized conventional, filament-forming, two-headed myosin-II of muscle and nonmuscle cells, at least ten additional classes of myosins have been identified. In vertebrates, at least seven of the eleven classes are expressed, and many myosins can be expressed in a single cell type. This review summarizes known structural and functional features of these novel unconventional myosins.

Gopal D et al.
Structural basis for actomyosin chemomechanical transduction by non-nucleoside triphosphate analogues.
Biochemistry. 1995; 34: 12178-84
Display abstract
Methylation of 2-[(2,4-dinitrophenyl)amino]ethyl triphosphate (dNOTP) was found to abolish its ability to support actin sliding in the in vitro motility assay. A comparative study of the interaction of myosin subfragment 1 (S1) and actoS1 with methylated (MdNOTP) and non-methylated dNOTP was undertaken. Both analogues were shown to be substrates for S1 NTPase in the presence of K+/EDTA, Ca2+, or Mg2+, although their rates of hydrolysis in the presence of the divalent cations were significantly greater than that occurring for ATP. However, actin had only a marginal effect on the rate of hydrolysis of MdNOTP, in sharp contrast to its effect on the hydrolysis of dNOTP and ATP which were quite similar. Moreover, while dNODP is able to form stable ternary S1 complexes with orthovanadate (Vi) or berylium fluoride (BeFx), whose formation results in increased thermal stability of S1, the methylated diphosphate analogue was unable to do so. These differences can be related to methylation-induced changes in the conformation of dNOTP indicated by molecular-modeling approaches. These studies suggest that methylation prevents the specific interaction of the aryl ring of dNOTP with S1 in the adenine binding region necessary for the formation of the force-producing intermediate (M. D. P*) during the S1 Mg(2+)-NTPase cycle.

Bobkov AA, Levitsky DI
Differential scanning calorimetric study of the complexes of myosin subfragment 1 with nucleoside diphosphates and vanadate or beryllium fluoride.
Biochemistry. 1995; 34: 9708-13
Display abstract
It has been recently shown by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) that the formation of stable complexes of myosin subfragment 1 (S1) with Mg-ADP and orthovanadate (Vi) or beryllium fluoride (BeFx) causes a global conformational change in the S1 molecule which is reflected in a pronounced increase of S1 thermal stability and in a significant change of S1 domain structure [Shriver, J. W., & Kamath U. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 2556-2564; Levitsky, D. I., Shnyrov, V. L., Khvorov, N. V., Bukatina, A. E., Vedenkina, N. S., Permyakov, E. A., Nikolaeva, O. P., & Poglazov, B. F. (1992) Eur. J. Biochem. 209, 829-835; Bobkov, A. A., Khvorov, N. V., Golitsina, N. L., & Levitsky, D. I. (1993) FEBS Lett. 332, 64-66]. In this work, which continues the previous investigations, we report on a DSC study of the complexes of S1 with various nucleoside diphosphates (NDP). In the absence of Vi or BeFx the various Mg(2+)-NDP and Mg(2+)-PPi had a similar effect on the S1 conformation. All of them had practically no influence on the temperature of the thermal transition but increased its sharpness. However, in the presence of Vi or BeFx the effects of Mg(2+)-NDP complexes were quite different from each other and strongly depended on the base structure of NDP; their effectiveness in inducing conformational changes in S1 and the stability of these complexes decreased in the following order: ADP > CDP >> UDP >> IDP > GDP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Molloy JE, Burns JE, Kendrick-Jones J, Tregear RT, White DC
Movement and force produced by a single myosin head.
Nature. 1995; 378: 209-12
Display abstract
Muscle contraction is driven by the cyclical interaction of myosin with actin, coupled to the breakdown of ATP. Studies of the interaction of filamentous myosin and of a double-headed proteolytic fragment, heavy meromyosin (HMM), with actin have demonstrated discrete mechanical events, arising from stochastic interaction of single myosin molecules with actin. Here we show, using an optical-tweezers transducer, that a single myosin subfragment-1 (S1), which is a single myosin head, can act as an independent generator of force and movement. Our analysis accounts for the broad distribution of displacement amplitudes observed, and indicates that the underlying movement (working stroke) produced by a single acto-S1 interaction is approximately 4 nm, considerably shorter than previous estimates but consistent with structural data. We measure the average force generated by S1 or HMM to be at least 1.7 pN under isometric conditions.

Kabsch W, Holmes KC
The actin fold.
FASEB J. 1995; 9: 167-74
Display abstract
X-ray structure analysis of actin and of the NH2-terminal domain of the heat-shock cognate protein Hsc70 has revealed an unexpected extensive structural similarity between these two molecules. Despite the absence of significant similarity of their amino acid sequences, both proteins share the same core architecture and a common nucleotide binding site resembling the structure of hexokinase. All three are ATPases or kinases and bind ATP in association with Mg2+ or Ca2+. The common fold consists of two alpha/beta domains, which are connected by a putative hinge with an ATP-binding site situated between the domains. Each domain contains a five-stranded beta-sheet of identical topology, which suggests that the molecules may have evolved by gene duplication. From a comparison of the three aligned structures, a fingerprint sequence of the adenine nucleotide binding pocket was derived, which predicted that members of the glycerol kinase family should also have a similar fold of their nucleotide binding domain. This was later confirmed when the X-ray structure was published. Data base search with a refined consensus sequence has retrieved other sugar kinases, as well as the prokaryotic cell cycle proteins FtsA, MreB, and StbA, and two Escherichia coli phosphatases. These proteins are predicted to possess a structure similar to actin in the common core region. As exemplified for actin, Hsc70, and glycerol kinase, the diversity of biological function is provided by the polymorphism of the loops joining the beta-strands and helices in the core region and by inserted domains that show high variability.

Ruppel KM, Lorenz M, Spudich JA
Myosin structure/function: a combined mutagenesis-crystallography approach.
Curr Opin Struct Biol. 1995; 5: 181-6
Display abstract
In the past year, the structure of the regulatory domain of scallop myosin has joined that of the chicken skeletal muscle myosin subfragment 1 and provided insights into the regulation of myosin function. Mutagenesis studies in a variety of systems have used the information provided by these structures to create mutant myosins to test models of chemomechanical transduction and its regulation.

Cooke R
The actomyosin engine.
FASEB J. 1995; 9: 636-42
Display abstract
Two recent advances have extended our knowledge of the actomyosin interaction considerably. The first of these is the determination of the crystal structures of the actin monomer and of the myosin head. The structures of these proteins were fit into the quaternary protein complexes of the actin filament, and of the actin filament decorated by the myosin head, using data from fiber diffraction or electron microscopy as constraints. The atomic models of these protein complexes have led to new hypotheses concerning the large conformational changes that must occur in these proteins in order to generate force. The second advance has been the measurements of the forces and displacements of single motor proteins, in particular, of a single myosin molecule interacting with a single actin filament. These data lead to more unambiguous interpretations than did previous mechanical data, which were obtained using ensembles of motors that worked asynchronously on their filaments. This approach brings to the motor field the equivalent of what patch clamp techniques brought to the study of membrane channels: the ability to look at the function of a single molecule.

Hosur MV, Nair B, Satyamurthy P, Misquith S, Surolia A, Kannan KK
X-ray structure of gelonin at 1.8 A resolution.
J Mol Biol. 1995; 250: 368-80
Display abstract
Gelonin is a single chain ribosome inactivating protein (RIP) with potential application in the treatment of cancer and AIDS. Diffraction quality crystals grown using PEG3350, belong to the space group P21, with a = 49.4 A, b = 44.9 A, c = 137.4 A and beta = 98.4 degrees, and contain two molecules in the asymmetric unit. Diffraction data collected to 1.8 A resolution has a Rm value of 7.3%. Structure of gelonin has been solved by the molecular replacement method, using ricin A chain as the search model. Crystallographic refinement using X-PLOR resulted in a model for which the r.m.s deviations from ideal bond lengths and bond angles are 0.012 A and 2.7 degrees, respectively. The final R-factor is 18.4% for 39,806 reflections for which I > 1.0 sigma (I). The C alpha atoms of the two molecules in the asymmetric unit superpose to within 0.38 A for 247 atom pairs. The overall fold of gelonin is similar to that of other RIPs such as ricin A chain and alpha-momorcharin, the r.m.s.d. for C alpha superpositions being 1.3 and 1.4 A, respectively. The catalytic residues (Glu166, Arg169 and Tyr113) in the active site form a hydrogen bond scheme similar to that observed in other RIPs. The conformation of Tyr74 in the active site, however, is significantly different from that in alpha-momorcharin. Three well defined water molecules are located in the active site cavity, and one of them, X319, superposes to within 0.2 A of a corresponding water molecule in the structure of alpha-momorcharin. Any of the three could be the substrate water molecule in the hydrolysis reaction catalysed by gelonin. Difference electron density for a N-linked sugar moiety has been observed near only one of the two potential glycosylation sites in the sequence. The amino acid at position 239 has been established as Lys by calculation of omit electron density maps. The two cysteine residues in the sequence, Cys44 and Cys50, form a disulphide bond, and are therefore not available for disulphide conjugation with antibodies. Based on the structure, the region of the molecule that is involved in intradimer interactions is suggested to be suitable for introducing a Cys residue for purposes of conjugation with an antibody to produce useful immunotoxins.

Grazi E, Magri E, Schwienbacher C, Trombetta G
Osmotic properties of myosin subfragment 1: implications of the mechanism of muscle contraction.
Arch Biochem Biophys. 1995; 322: 97-102
Display abstract
The osmotic behavior of myosin subfragment 1 was studied at 22 degrees C and pH 7.45 in 0.1 m KCl, 2 mm MgCl2, and 10 mm triethanolamine or in 25 mm phosphate, 2 mm MgCl2, and 2 mm MgADP. It was found that, in 0.1 m KCl, myosin subfragment 1 behaved as a spheroidal particle, with an average diameter of 8.09 nm, composed of two myosin subfragment 1 molecules. The lower limit of the thermodynamic dimerization constant was estimated to be 3.5 x 10(4) M-1. Above 5 mm as monomer, myosin subfragment 1 departed from the behavior expected of a dimeric spheroidal model because of the onset of a "hydration force." This force measured at the contact distance between particles equals 2.18 x 10(7) dynes/cm2 and falls off exponentially with a decay distance of 0.27 nm. In 25 mm orthophosphate, myosin subfragment 1, with an increase in the protein osmotic pressure, shifted from the behavior of a sphere to that of a cylinder. Between 1 x 10(5) and 4 x 10(5) dynes/cm2, the behavior of myosin subfragment 1 was different in the presence and in the absence of MgADP. In particular, at 1.8 x 10(5) dynes/cm2, the protein osmotic pressure in frog muscle, myosin subfragment 1 behaved as a sphere of 3.21-nm radius in the presence of MgADP and as a cylinder with a length to diameter ratio of 2.07 in the absence of MgADP. Under the solution conditions used in this work, S1 never behaved as a fully extended particle.

Onishi H, Morales MF, Katoh K, Fujiwara K
The putative actin-binding role of hydrophobic residues Trp546 and Phe547 in chicken gizzard heavy meromyosin.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1995; 92: 11965-9
Display abstract
In the course of myosin-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis, certain amino acid residues in myosin interact with counterparts in actin to produce the relational changes that underlie muscle contraction; some of these interactions are ionic, but the stronger interactions are hydrophobic. In an effort to identify myosin residues participating in hydrophobic interactions, myosin (from smooth muscle) fragments with mutations at suspected sites were engineered and compared with wild-type fragments. It was found that the ATPase of doubly mutated (Trp546Ser and Phe547His) fragments was minimally activated by actin and did not decorate actin well to form the regular arrowhead pattern characteristic of myosin binding to actin filaments. Thus, we suggest that Trp546 and Phe547 are important participants in the hydrophobic actin-myosin interaction.

Manstein DJ, Hunt DM
Overexpression of myosin motor domains in Dictyostelium: screening of transformants and purification of the affinity tagged protein.
J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 1995; 16: 325-32
Display abstract
The eukaryotic organism Dictyostelium discoideum has become one of the organisms of choice for the overexpression of recombinant myosins and myosin fragments. Here, we describe a protocol that facilitates the screening of cells that have been transformed with myosin expression constructs and allows the rapid purification of recombinant myosins. Depletion of cellular ATP is used to recruit most of the endogenous and recombinant myosin into a rigor-like complex with actin. Following cell lysis the insoluble actomyosin complex is precipitated by centrifugation, washed, and Mg(2+)-ATP is added to extract the recombinant protein from the pellet. More than 90% of the protein in the resulting supernatant corresponds to actin, myosin, and the recombinant myosin fragments. Therefore, it is easy to detect any differences in expression level between individual myosin constructs on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Additionally, the dependence of expression on external factors, such as cell density, can be readily determined. Furthermore, the presence of a band corresponding to the recombinant protein indicates that the overexpressed protein has at least some of the functional properties that are characteristic for a myosin motor. This rapid and selective extraction protocol can also be utilized to facilitate the purification of recombinant myosin motors on a preparative scale and has proved particularly useful in the purification of myosin head fragments, that are tagged with histidine residues, by Ni(2+)-chelate affinity chromatography.

Stone DB, Schneider DK, Huang Z, Mendelson RA
The radius of gyration of native and reductively methylated myosin subfragment-1 from neutron scattering.
Biophys J. 1995; 69: 767-76
Display abstract
Reductive methylation of nearly all lysine groups of myosin subfragment-1 (S1) was required for crystallization and solution of its structure at atomic resolution. Possible effects of such methylation on the radius of gyration of chicken skeletal muscle myosin S1 have been investigated by using small-angle neutron scattering. In addition, we have investigated the effect of MgADP.Vi, which is thought to produce an analog of the S1.ADP.Pi state, on the S1 radius of gyration. We find that although methylation of S1, with or without SO42- ion addition, does not significantly alter the structure, addition of ADP plus vanadate does decrease the radius of gyration significantly. The S1 crystal structure predicts a radius of gyration close to that measured here by neutron scattering. These results suggest that the overall shape by crystallography resembles nucleotide-free S1 in solution. In order to estimate the effect of residues missing from the crystal structure, the structure of missing loops was estimated by secondary-structure prediction methods. Calculations using the complete crystal structure show that a simple closure of the nucleotide cleft by a rigid-body torsional rotation of residues (172-180 to 670) around an axis running along the base of the cleft alone does not produce changes as large as seen here and in x-ray scattering results. On the other hand, a rigid body rotation of either the light-chain binding domain (767 to 843 plus light chains) or of a portion of 20-kDa peptide plus this domain (706 to 843 plus light chains) is more readily capable of producing such changes.

Labbe JP, Boyer M, Benyamin Y
Two identical hydrophobic clusters are present on the same actin monomer: interaction between one myosin subfragment-1 and two actin monomers.
FEBS Lett. 1995; 373: 221-4
Display abstract
Two-dimensional hydrophobic clusters analysis (HCA) was used to compare the distribution of hydrophobic clusters along various actin sequence. HCA-deduced patterns were not altered by amino-acid variations throughout the evolution of actin and we observed similar hydrophobic motifs comprising myosin subfragment-1 ATP-independent binding sites. HCA suggested the presence of two groups of identical hydrophobic motifs (A1 and A2) which bound on each side of the S1 (63 kDa-31 kDa) connecting segment in relation with two actin monomers. This connection is important in communications between actin- and nucleotide-binding sites. We postulate that some relation and message between the two motifs A1 and A2 take place through myosin subfragment-1 (63 kDa-31 kDa) connecting segment.

Sellers JR, Goodson HV
Motor proteins 2: myosin.
Protein Profile. 1995; 2: 1323-1423

Smith DA, Geeves MA
Strain-dependent cross-bridge cycle for muscle.
Biophys J. 1995; 69: 524-37
Display abstract
The cross-bridge cycle for actin, S1 myosin, and nucleotides in solution is applied to the sliding filament model for fully activated striated muscle. The cycle has attached and rotated isomers of each actomyosin state. It is assumed that these forms have different zero-strain conformations with respect to the filament and that strain-free rate constants are the nominal solution values. Only one S1 unit of heavy meromyosin is considered. Transition-state theory is used to predict the strain dependences of S1 binding to actin, the force-generating transition to rotated states, and the release/binding of nucleotide and phosphate. We propose that ADP release and ATP binding are blocked by positive strain and phosphate release by negative strain. At large strains, rapid dissociation of S1 nucleotide from actin is expected when the compliant element of the cross-bridge is strained in either direction beyond its elastic limits. The dynamical behavior of this model of muscle contraction is discussed in general terms. Its computed steady-state properties are presented in an accompanying paper.

Resetar AM, Chalovich JM
Adenosine 5'-(gamma-thiotriphosphate): an ATP analog that should be used with caution in muscle contraction studies.
Biochemistry. 1995; 34: 16039-45
Display abstract
The slowly hydrolyzed ATP analog adenosine 5'-(gamma-thiotriphosphate) (ATP gamma S) has been used in many studies of the muscle motor protein myosin in order to form a stable "weak binding" state analogous to the actin-S1-ATP complex However, the results from studies using ATP gamma S do not always agree with the results of experiments using ATP. The binding of myosin subfragment-1-ATP gamma S to actin has now been studied in some detail to determine its relationship to the actin-S1-ATP state. The binding of myosin subfragment-1-ATP gamma S to actin-troponin-tropomyosin is similar in affinity to the binding of myosin subfragment-1-ATP. Like myosin subfragment-1-ATP, the binding is not Ca(2+)-dependent, and most importantly, myosin subfragment-1-ATP gamma S does not stabilize the active configuration of actin-troponin-tropomyosin. Thus, myosin subfragment-1-ATP gamma S is an analog of myosin subfragment-1-ATP but must be used with caution for two reasons: (1) The binding of ATP gamma S to regulated actomyosin subfragment-1 is Ca(2+)-sensitive, and errors can be made in the interpretation of results if proteins are not fully saturated with nucleotide and a mixture of weak and strong binding states is present. (2) At the high concentrations of myosin subfragment-1 used in some experiments, significant amounts of ADP may form.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

dos Remedios CG, Moens PD
Actin and the actomyosin interface: a review.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 1995; 1228: 99-124
Display abstract
This review deals with the structure of the actin monomer, its assembly into filaments and the loci on F-actin involved in binding myosin. Two distinctly different arrangements of monomers have been suggested for actin filaments. One model proposed by Holmes et al. is well developed. It places the so-called 'large' domain close to the filament axis and the so-called 'small' domain out near the surface of the filament. A second, less-well developed, model proposed by Schutt et al. locates the 'small' domain close to the filament axis and they rotate the monomer so that 'bottom' of the 'large' domain is at the highest radius. We analyze the available evidence for the models of F-actin derived from X-ray diffraction, reconstructions from electron micrographs, fluorescence resonance energy transfer spectroscopy, chemical cross-linking, antibody probes, limited proteolysis, site-directed and natural mutations, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and other techniques. The result is an actin-centered view of the loci on actin which are probably involved in its interaction with the myosin 'head'. From these multiple contacts we speculate on the sequence of steps between the initial weak-binding state of S-1 to the actin filament through to the stable strong-binding state seen in the absence of free Mg-ATP, i.e., the rigor state.

Spudich JA, Finer J, Simmons B, Ruppel K, Patterson B, Uyeda T
Myosin structure and function.
Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1995; 60: 783-91

Walker M, Trinick J, White H
Millisecond time resolution electron cryo-microscopy of the M-ATP transient kinetic state of the acto-myosin ATPase.
Biophys J. 1995; 68: 8791-8791
Display abstract
The structure of the AM-ATP transient kinetic state of the acto-myosin ATPase cycle has been examined by electron microscopy using frozen-hydrated specimens prepared in low ionic strength. By spraying grids layered with the acto-S1 complex with ATP immediately before freezing, it was possible to examine the structure of the ternary complex with a time resolution of 10 ms. Disordered binding of the S1 was observed, suggesting more than one attachment geometry. This could be due to the presence of more than one biochemical intermediate, or to a single intermediate binding in more than one conformation.

Tirion MM, ben-Avraham D, Lorenz M, Holmes KC
Normal modes as refinement parameters for the F-actin model.
Biophys J. 1995; 68: 5-12
Display abstract
The slow normal modes of G-actin were used as structural parameters to refine the F-actin model against 8-A resolution x-ray fiber diffraction data. The slowest frequency normal modes of G-actin pertain to collective rearrangements of domains, motions that are characterized by correlation lengths on the order of the resolution of the fiber diffraction data. Using a small number of normal mode degrees of freedom (< or = 12) improved the fit to the data significantly. The refined model of F-actin shows that the nucleotide binding cleft has narrowed and that the DNase I binding loop has twisted to a lower radius, consistent with other refinement techniques and electron microscopy data. The methodology of a normal mode refinement is described, and the results, as applied to actin, are detailed.

Miller CJ, Cheung P, White P, Reisler E
Actin's view of actomyosin interface.
Biophys J. 1995; 68: 5054-5054
Display abstract
Actomyosin interactions were examined by using yeast actin mutants with alanines replacing charged amino acid pairs D24/D25, E99/E100, D80/D81, and E83/K84. In the in vitro motility experiments, actin filaments of D24A/D25A or E99A/E100A mutants moved in the presence of 0.7% methylcellulose at the velocities of wild-type actin. Without methylcellulose, these mutant filaments, but not the D80/D81 or E83/K84 filaments, dissociated from the assay surface upon addition of ATP. Measurements of myosin subfragment-1 (S1) binding to D24A/D25A- and E99A/E100A-polymerized actins in the presence of ATP revealed a three- and twofold decrease in their binding constant, respectively, compared with wild-type actin. In contrast to this, all monomeric actins had the same binding affinity for S1. The rates and extents of polymerization of D24A/D25A and E99A/E100A actins by S1 were reduced in comparison to wild-type actin. The local structure of subdomain-2 on actin, as probed by subtilisin cleavage, was not altered for either mutant. A twofold decrease in nucleotide exchange was detected for the D24A/D25A mutant actin. These results demonstrate the involvement of the D24/D25 and E99/E100 residues in the weak binding of myosin to actin and reveal that residues D80/D81 and E83/K84 do not modulate actomyosin interactions.

Fisher AJ et al.
Structural studies of myosin:nucleotide complexes: a revised model for the molecular basis of muscle contraction.
Biophys J. 1995; 68: 19262728-19262728
Display abstract
The structures of the MgADP-beryllium fluoride and MgADP-aluminum fluoride complexes of the truncated myosin head from Dictyostelium myosin II are reported. These reveal the location of the nucleotide complex and define the amino acid residues that form the active site. The tertiary structure of the beryllium fluoride complex is essentially identical to that seen previously in the three-dimensional structure of chicken skeletal muscle myosin. By contrast, significant domain movements are observed in the aluminum fluoride complex. These structural findings form the basis of a revised model for the structural basis of the contractile cycle. It is now suggested that the narrow cleft that splits the central 50-kDa segment of the heavy chain provides not only the communication route between the nucleotide-binding pocket and actin but also transmits the conformational change necessary for movement.

Holmes KC
The actomyosin interaction and its control by tropomyosin.
Biophys J. 1995; 68: 2567-2567

Sugimoto Y, Tokunaga M, Takezawa Y, Ikebe M, Wakabayashi K
Conformational changes of the myosin heads during hydrolysis of ATP as analyzed by x-ray solution scattering.
Biophys J. 1995; 68: 29333334-29333334
Display abstract
We have shown for the first time that the myosin head (subfragment-1, S1), the energy-transducing component in the actomyosin motor system undergoes a distinct shape change during hydrolysis of ATP using x-ray solution scattering techniques. Among various analogs for intermediate states of the S1 ATPase cycle, the complexes with MgADP and vanadate (S1.ADP.Vi), MgADP and beryllium fluoride (S1.ADP.BeF3), or MgADP and aluminum fluoride (S1.ADP.AIF4) showed a shape change similar to that in the presence of MgATP, but the complexes with ATP gamma S (S1.ADP gamma S) and MgADP trapped by cross-linking with pPDM (S1.ADP-pPDM) seemed to have a shape similar to that of nucleotide-free S1. These results indicate that the shape of an S1**.ADP.Pi state is more rounded or bent than in other intermediate states of the S1 ATPase cycle. Such changes occur in light chain 2-deficient S1 and also in smooth muscle S1. However, MgADP-fluoride complexes with smooth muscle S1 (without phosphorylation of a regulatory light chain) seemed to have a structure similar to that of nucleotide-free S1. Analysis of x-ray scattering data indicated that a conformational change of S1 in the presence of MgATP might be caused by a hinge-like bending movement between the catalytic and regulatory domains. The global change of S1 is correlated with some specific changes of a nucleotide-binding moiety.

Yount RG, Lawson D, Rayment I
Is myosin a "back door" enzyme?
Biophys J. 1995; 68: 44474749-44474749
Display abstract
ATP has been modeled into the active site of chicken skeletal myosin subfragment-1 using the adenylate kinase.Ap5A structure as a starting reference. The resulting docked ATP.S1 structure is justified in that it rationalizes the photolabeling data from several ATP analogs. The gamma-phosphate of ATP sits at the bottom of the active site pocket and is partially visible via a view along the prominent 50-kDa cleft of S1 but not when viewed from above the active site. It is postulated that actin binding promotes the movement of the P-loop and Arg-245 to allow Pi from ATP to leave via a "back-door" in the 50-kDa fragment while ADP is still bound at the active site. Such a mechanism can explain a number of experimental observations, including the kinetics of ATP hydrolysis, the nucleotide dependence of Pi exchange into ATP, and the formation of stable myosin.ADP.vanadate complexes in muscle fibers.

Waller GS, Ouyang G, Swafford J, Vibert P, Lowey S
A minimal motor domain from chicken skeletal muscle myosin.
J Biol Chem. 1995; 270: 15348-52
Display abstract
The myosin head (S1) consists of a wide, globular region that contains the actin- and nucleotide-binding sites and an alpha-helical, extended region that is stabilized by the presence of two classes of light chains. The essential light chain abuts the globular domain, whereas the regulatory light chain lies near the head-rod junction of myosin. Removal of the essential light chain by a mild denaturant exposes the underlying heavy chain to proteolysis by chymotrypsin. The cleaved fragment, or "motor domain" (MD), migrates as a single band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, with a slightly greater mobility than S1 prepared by papain or chymotrypsin. Three-dimensional image analysis of actin filaments decorated with MD reveals a structure similar to S1, but shorter by an amount consistent with the absence of a light chain-binding domain. The actin-activated MgATPase activity of MD is similar to that of S1 in Vmax and Km. But the ability of MD to move actin filaments in a motility assay is considerably reduced relative to S1. We conclude that the globular, active site region of the myosin head is a stable, independently folded domain with intrinsic motor activity, but the coupling efficiency between ATP hydrolysis and movement declines markedly as the light chain binding region is truncated.

Suda H, Sugimoto M, Chiba M, Uemura C
Direct measurement for elasticity of myosin head.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1995; 211: 219-25
Display abstract
During muscle contraction, chemical energy from ATP hydrolysis is converted to the relative sliding movement of actin and myosin filaments. In order to elucidate the molecular mechanism of sliding-force generation, it is a crucial clue to know an elastic modulus of myosin. Here, we report direct measurements of Young's modulus of myosin head (myosin subfragment-1) isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle, using a surface forces apparatus. Our results show that the elasticity of myosin subfragment-1 has direction and is about 0.3 GPa along the long axis during ATP hydrolysis. When the bow-shaped subfragment-1 is modelled as an elastic rod, the stiffness and the bending fluctuations of subfragment-1 are calculated to be 3-7 pN/nm and about 1 nm, respectively. These results strongly support a model of multiple power strokes rather than the conventional tilting-crossbridge model.

Bertrand R, Derancourt J, Kassab R
The covalent maleimidobenzoyl-actin-myosin head complex. Cross-linking of the 50 kDa heavy chain region to actin subdomain-2.
FEBS Lett. 1994; 345: 113-9
Display abstract
We have identified the region of actin involved in the covalent coupling of maleimidobenzoyl-G-actin to the central 50 kDa segment of the myosin-S-1 heavy chain by analyzing the structure of the maleimidobenzoyl-G-actin-S-1 conjugate using selective proteolytic digestions, amino acid sequence determinations and novel cross-linking reactions between S-1 and different maleimidobenzoyl-G-actin derivatives. The cross-linking is shown to occur only on the stretch of residues 48-67 in actin subdomain-2 with Lys-50, residing on the outer part of the DNase-I-binding loop, as the most likely site of cross-linking. Because the maleimidobenzoyl-F-actin-S-1 complex undergoes the same coupling process, the data provide experimental evidence in favor of the recent model of the rigor F-actin-S-1 complex suggesting a close contact between structural elements of the lower domain of the 50 kDa fragment and the top of actin subdomain-2.

Phan BC, Cheung P, Miller CJ, Reisler E, Muhlrad A
Extensively methylated myosin subfragment-1: examination of local structure, interactions with nucleotides and actin, and ligand-induced conformational changes.
Biochemistry. 1994; 33: 11286-95
Display abstract
The atomic structure of myosin subfragment-1 (S1) has been recently solved for crystals of extensively methylated S1 [Rayment et al. (1993) Science 261, 50-58]. In this study, the effect of such a modification on S1 structure and function was examined. According to the far- and near-ultraviolet CD spectra, the methylation does not affect the secondary structure of S1 but causes limited changes in its tertiary structure. The methylation significantly decreases the affinity of S1 for actin in rigor and, to a lesser degree, that of S1 to actin in the presence of MgATP gamma S. This modification, like the trinitrophenylation of Lys-83, accelerates the dissociation of a nucleotide trapped on S1 either by phosphate analogs or by cross-linking of the SH1 and SH2 thiols. Methylation strongly impairs the coupling between the actin- and nucleotide-binding sites as revealed by the reduced effect of actin on the release of epsilon ADP from the active site. It also causes a complete loss of in vitro motility of actin filaments over methylated HMM. In addition to this, methylation also impairs the communication between other sites on S1 including that between the nucleotide-binding site and SH1, and the actin-binding site and the 27/50 kDa junction and a site at 74 kDa from the N-terminus of S1. These changes are revealed in SH1 modification, thermolysin digestion, and vanadate-dependent photocleavage experiments, respectively. The increased rate of thermal denaturation of S1 and the loss of S1 protection by ADP and actin from this process also indicate flawed communications in methylated S1. It is concluded that these relatively mild but numerous and important changes impair the function of methylated S1.

Xing J, Cheung HC
Vanadate-induced changes in myosin subfragment-1 from cardiac muscle.
Arch Biochem Biophys. 1994; 313: 229-34
Display abstract
The interaction between myosin subfragment-1 from bovine cardiac muscle (CS1) and 1,N6-ethenoadenosine diphosphate (epsilon ADP) was studied using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence methods. The binding constant was found to be 1.52 x 10(6) M-1 at pH 7.5 and 5 degrees C. The intensity decay of epsilon ADP bound to CS1 was resolved into two components over a narrow range of temperatures. The long component was about 22 ns and the short component was between 5 and 7 ns, with fractional amplitudes of about 0.6-0.7 for the long component and 0.3-0.4 for the short component. These data suggest a two-state temperature-sensitive transition of the CS1.epsilon ADP complex. In the presence of orthovanadate (Vi) at 5 degrees C, the decay time of the long component was little affected, whereas the short decay time increased by over 3 ns and the fractional amplitude of the long component decreasing by a factor of 2 to about 0.3 and that of the short component increasing to 0.7. The anisotropy decay of bound epsilon ADP was monoexponential regardless of whether vanadate was present. The recovered single rotational correlation time was 110 ns in the absence of vanadate and 79 ns in the presence of vanadate. The decrease in correlation time suggests an increase in molecular symmetry of the CS1.epsilon ADP.Vi complex. The results are in agreement with previous results obtained from skeletal S1 and indicate that S1 from both isoforms of myosin experiences similar vanadate-induced changes in its hydrodynamic shape. Since the ternary vanadate complex is a stable analogue of the S1.ADP.Pi state, the ligand-induced change in hydrodynamic shape of S1 may be related to the conformational change which myosin head experiences during the ATPase cycle and this change in myosin could be a structural basis for force generation in striated muscle.

Squire JM
The actomyosin interaction--shedding light on structural events: 'plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose'.
J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 1994; 15: 227-31

Squire JM, Harford JJ, al-Khayat HA
Molecular movements in contracting muscle: towards "muscle--the movie".
Biophys Chem. 1994; 50: 87-96
Display abstract
The recent publication of the crystal structures of G-actin and of myosin subfragment-1, together with analysis of a time-resolved series of well sampled low-angle 2D X-ray diffraction patterns from bony fish muscle permits the study of the molecular movements in muscle that are associated with generation and regulation of contractile force. Here it is shown that even though low-angle (i.e. low resolution) X-ray diffraction patterns are being used, these patterns are sensitive, for example, to sub-domain movements of as little as 3 A or 4 degrees within the actin monomers of actin filaments. Actin filament diffraction patterns from whole muscle are being used to define actin domain and tropomyosin movements involved in regulation. Myosin and actin filament diffraction patterns are being used together to start to show how the complete "quasi-crystalline" unit cell in the bony fish muscle A-band can be modelled as a series of time-slices through a typical tetanic contraction of the muscle. In this way, the time sequence of images can be used to create "muscle--the movie".

de la Torre JG
Hydrodynamics of segmentally flexible macromolecules.
Eur Biophys J. 1994; 23: 307-22
Display abstract
Segmentally flexible macromolecules are composed of a few rigid subunits linked by joints which are more or less flexible. The dynamics in solution of this type of macromolecule present special aspects that are reviewed here. Three alternative approaches are described. One is the rigid-body treatment, which is shown to be valid for overall dynamic properties such as translational diffusion and intrinsic viscosity. Another approach is the Harvey-Wegener treatment, which is particularly suited for rotational diffusion. The simplest version of this treatment, which ignores hydrodynamic interaction (HI) effects, is found to be quite accurate when compared to a more rigorous version including HI. A third approach is the Brownian dynamics simulation that, albeit at some computational cost, might describe rigorously cases of arbitrary complexity. This technique has been used to test the approximations in the rigid-body and Harvey-Wegener treatments, thus allowing a better understanding of their validity. Brownian trajectories of simplified models such as the trumbbell and the broken rod have been simulated. The comparison of the decay rates of some correlation functions with the predictions of the two treatments leads to a general conclusion: the Harvey-Wegener treatment determines the initial rate, while the long-time behavior is dominated by the rigid-body relaxation time. As an example of application to a specific biological macromolecule, we present a simulation of an immunoglobulin molecule, showing how Brownian Dynamics can be used to predict rotational and internal dynamics. Another typical example is myosin. Literature data of hydrodynamic properties of whole myosin and the myosin rod are compared with predictions from the Harvey-Wegener and rigid-body treatments. The present situation of the problem on myosin flexibility is analyzed, and some indications are given for future experimental and simulation work.

Goodson HV
Molecular evolution of the myosin superfamily: application of phylogenetic techniques to cell biological questions.
Soc Gen Physiol Ser. 1994; 49: 141-57
Display abstract
We have used distance matrix and maximum parsimony methods to study the evolutionary relationships between members of the myosin superfamily of molecular motors. Amino acid sequences of the conserved core of the motor region were used in the analysis. Our results show that myosins can be divided into at least three main classes, with two types of unconventional myosin being no more related to each other than they are to conventional myosin. Myosins have traditionally been classified as conventional or unconventional, with many of the unconventional myosin proteins thought to be distributed in a narrow range of organisms. We find that members of all three of these main classes are likely to be present in most (or all) eukaryotes. Three proteins do not cluster within the three main groups and may each represent additional classes. The structure of the trees suggests that these ungrouped proteins and some of the subclasses of the main classes are also likely to be widely distributed, implying that most eukaryotic cells contain many different myosin proteins. The groupings derived from phylogenetic analysis of myosin head sequences agree strongly with those based on tail structure, developmental expression, and (where available) enzymology, suggesting that specific head sequences have been tightly coupled to specific tail sequences throughout evolution. Analysis of the relationships within each class has interesting implications. For example, smooth muscle myosin and striated muscle myosin seem to have independently evolved from nonmuscle myosin. Furthermore, brush border myosin I, a type of protein initially thought to be specific to specialized metazoan tissues, probably has relatives that are much more broadly distributed.

Thomas DD
Angular disorder of weak-binding actomyosin cross-bridges.
Biophys J. 1994; 66: 1272-3

Bagshaw CR, Sutcliffe MJ
Another turn for E-F hands.
Nat Struct Biol. 1994; 1: 209-12

Eldin P, Le Cunff M, Vosberg HP, Mornet D, Leger JJ
Mapping of the actomyosin interfaces.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994; 91: 2772-6
Display abstract
Recombinant DNA methods were used to obtain soluble, undenatured fragments of the heavy chain of myosin subfragment 1 (S-1). These fragments were of preselected lengths and could include protease-sensitive segments that are destroyed when other preparation methods are used. Actin binding by each of the three contiguous segments (residues 1-248, 249-524, and 518-722, essentially spanning the entire S-1 heavy chain) was demonstrated. ATP binding, comparable to that of native S-1, was obtained only with a segment consisting of residues 1-524. Competition among the various fragments for actin was also studied. The data are discussed in relation to the recently reported resolved structure of S-1 [Rayment, I., Rypnieski, R. W., Schmidt-Base, K., Smith, R., Tomchick, D. R., Benning, M. M., Winkelmann, D. A., Wesenberg, G. & Holden, H. M. (1993) Science 261, 50-58].

Walker M, White H, Belknap B, Trinick J
Electron cryomicroscopy of acto-myosin-S1 during steady-state ATP hydrolysis.
Biophys J. 1994; 66: 1563-72
Display abstract
The structure of the complex of actin and myosin subfragment-1 (S1) during steady-state ATP hydrolysis has been examined by electron microscopy. This complex is normally dissociated by ATP in vitro but was stabilized here by low ionic strength. Optimal conditions for attachment were established by light-scattering experiments that showed that approximately 70% of S1 could be bound in the presence of ATP. Micrographs of the unstained complex in vitreous water suggest that S1 attaches to actin in a variety of configurations in ATP; this contrasts with the single attached configuration seen in the presence of ADP. The data are therefore compatible with the idea that a change in attached configuration of the myosin cross-bridge is the origin of muscle force. In control experiments where ATP was allowed to hydrolyze completely the binding of the S1 seemed cooperative.

LeBlanc-Straceski JM, Fukui Y, Sohn RL, Spudich JA, Leinwand LA
Functional analysis of a cardiac myosin rod in Dictyostelium discoideum.
Cell Motil Cytoskeleton. 1994; 27: 313-26
Display abstract
Manipulation of the single conventional myosin heavy chain (mhc) gene in Dictyostelium discoideum (Dd) has delineated an essential role for the filament-forming, or light meromyosin (LMM) domain of the myosin molecule in cytokinesis, development, and in the capping of cell surface receptors (see Spudich: Cell Regulation 1:1-11, 1989; Egelhoff et al.: Journal of Cell Biology, 112:677-688, 1991a). In order to assess the functional relationship between sarcomeric and cytoplasmic myosins, a chimeric gene encoding the Dd myosin head and subfragment 2 fused to rat beta cardiac LMM was transfected into both wild-type and Dd mhc null cells. Chimeric myosin was organized into dense cortical patches in the cytoplasm of both wild-type and Dd mhc null cells. Although null cells expressing chimeric mhc at approximately 10% of Dd mhc levels were unable to grow in shaking suspension or to complete development, chimeric myosin was able to rescue capping of cell surface receptors, to associate with filamentous actin, and to localize to the correct subcellular position during aggregation. Deletion of 29 amino acids in the rod corresponding to a previously defined filament assembly competent region eliminated the cortical patches and the posterior localization during chemotaxis. Taken together, these observations suggest that sarcomeric and cytoplasmic myosin rods are functionally interchangeable in several aspects of nonmuscle motility.

Takahashi M
[Structure and function of nonmuscle myosins]
Seikagaku. 1994; 66: 1515-9

Reedy MK, Reedy MC, Schachat F
Tropomyosin. Does resolution lead to reconciliation?
Curr Biol. 1994; 4: 624-6
Display abstract
New electron microscopic data provide direct evidence in support of the classic steric-blocking model for regulation of actin-myosin interactions by tropomyosin.

Tokunaga M
[Nanobiology of muscular contraction]
Tanpakushitsu Kakusan Koso. 1994; 39: 272-80

de Haas F, Perton FG, van Breemen JF, Dijkema JH, Beintema JJ, van Bruggen EF
Identification of two antibody-interaction sites on the surface of Panulirus interruptus hemocyanin.
Eur J Biochem. 1994; 222: 155-61
Display abstract
Negatively stained complexes of Panulirus interruptus (spiny lobster) hemocyanin with two different monoclonal antibodies, named E and J, were studied by electron microscopy and image processing. The attachment site of the antibodies to the hexameric hemocyanin molecule was deduced from two perpendicular views of hemocyanin/antibody complexes, in which either the threefold axis or one of the twofold axes was oriented perpendicular to the supporting film. Images of complexes in these orientations were searched with reference images simulated from the known X-ray structure of P. interruptus hemocyanin. The two sites were further characterized by combining our results from electron microscopy with structural data obtained by X-ray diffraction and other methods. These two antibodies recognize different non-overlapping epitopes. The epitope for clone E is located on domain 3 at the surface of the beta barrel and consists of certain loops, which form connections between beta-strand structures. The epitope for clone J is situated on domain 1 at the surface of an alpha-helical region and consists mainly of certain alpha-helices connecting loops. The orientation of the hemocyanin hexamers in the two complexes is very different, as is demonstrated most clearly when they form chains. Clone E forms complexes with the threefold axes perpendicular to the chain direction, while for clone J the threefold axes seem to be parallel to the main direction. The angle between the Fab part of an IgG molecule and the threefold axis of the hexamer is 60 +/- 5 degrees for clone E and 35 +/- 7 degrees for clone J. This observation is clearly related to the difference in orientation of the hexamers for the two complexes.

Orlova A, Yu X, Egelman EH
Three-dimensional reconstruction of a co-complex of F-actin with antibody Fab fragments to actin's NH2 terminus.
Biophys J. 1994; 66: 276-85
Display abstract
We have decorated F-actin with Fab fragments of antibodies to actin residues 1-7. These antibody fragments do not strongly affect the rigor binding of myosin S-1 to actin, but do affect the binding of S-1 to actin in the presence of nucleotide (DasGupta, G., and E. Reisler, 1989. J. Mol. Biol. 207:833-836; 1991. Biochemistry. 30:9961-9966; 1992. Biochemistry. 31:1836-1841). Although the binding constant is rather low, we estimate that we have achieved about 85% occupancy of the actin sites. Three-dimensional reconstructions from electron micrographs of both negatively stained and frozen-hydrated filaments show that the Fab fragment is bound at the location of the NH2 terminus in the model of Holmes et al. (Holmes, K.C., D. Popp, W. Gebhard, and W. Kabsch. 1990. Nature. 347:37-44) for F-actin, excluding very different orientations of the actin subunit in the filament. Most of the mass of the antibody is not visualized, which is due to the large mobility of the NH2 terminus in F-actin, differences in binding angle within the polyclonal antibody population, or a combination of both of these possibilities.

Finer JT, Simmons RM, Spudich JA
Single myosin molecule mechanics: piconewton forces and nanometre steps.
Nature. 1994; 368: 113-9
Display abstract
A new in vitro assay using a feedback enhanced laser trap system allows direct measurement of force and displacement that results from the interaction of a single myosin molecule with a single suspended actin filament. Discrete stepwise movements averaging 11 nm were seen under conditions of low load, and single force transients averaging 3-4 pN were measured under isometric conditions. The magnitudes of the single forces and displacements are consistent with predictions of the conventional swinging-crossbridge model of muscle contraction.

Ishijima A, Harada Y, Kojima H, Funatsu T, Higuchi H, Yanagida T
Single-molecule analysis of the actomyosin motor using nano-manipulation.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1994; 199: 1057-63
Display abstract
The elementary events in energy transduction by the actomyosin motor, driven by ATP hydrolysis, were directly recorded from multiple and single molecules using a recently developed technique for nano-manipulation of single actin filaments by a microneedle. In order to avoid the effects of random orientation of myosin and association of myosin with an artificial substrate in the surface motility assay, we used single myosin-rod cofilaments with various ratios. Distinct actomyosin attachment, force generation (the power stroke) and detachment events were detected at a very low myosin: rod ratio. At high load, one power stroke generated 5-6 pN peak force and 2.3 pN force averaged over the cycle, which were compatible with those deduced from noise analysis of force fluctuations caused by multiple molecules. As the load was reduced, the length of the power stroke increased. At near zero load, the length of a power stroke was approximately 17 nm. The results suggested that an ATPase cycle produces one power stroke at high load and many ones at low load.

Blotnick E, Muhlrad A
Effect of nucleotides and actin on the intramolecular cross-linking of myosin subfragment-1.
Biochemistry. 1994; 33: 6867-76
Display abstract
The heavy chain of myosin subfragment-1 (S1) is cleaved by limited trypsinolysis into three fragments, 27, 50, and 20 kDa--aligned in this order from the N-terminus. The tertiary structure of the molecule is essentially not affected by trypsinolysis. The spatial relations between the various regions of the molecule and the nucleotide- and actin-induced intramolecular movements were studied by cross-linking tryptic S1 with N-(ethoxycarbonyl)-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ), 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide (EDC), phenylenediglyoxal (PDG), and glutaraldehyde. The formation of cross-linked products was monitored by SDS-PAGE, using the fluorescent probes 9-anthronitrile and N-(iodoacetyl)-N'-(5-sulfo-1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine (IAEDANS), which specifically label the 27- and 20-kDa fragments, respectively. The reaction with the cross-linkers leads to the formation of 50-kDa/20-kDa, 27-kDa/20-kDa, 27-kDa/50-kDa, and 20-kDa/light chain cross-linked products. Of these, the most intensive was the formation of the 50-kDa/20-kDa products, which appeared as a doublet on the SDS-PAGE with all the cross-linkers. This indicates that the interface between the two fragments is rather extended. The presence of MgATP or MgADP promoted the formation of the 20-kDa/50-kDa cross-linked products, especially with the lower electrophoretic mobility band, when EEDQ was used as a cross-linker. With PDG as a cross-linker, MgATP also affected the cross-link formation between the 20-kDa fragment and the light chains whereas it had no influence on the formation of other products. On the other hand, the effect of actin on the cross-linking with the various cross-linkers was quite extensive, and it was manifested in the reduction of cross-link formation between the various S1 domains. It is concluded that both nucleotides and actin induce intramolecular movements in S1 and that the nucleotide-induced movements are more restricted than those induced by actin, which extend to larger regions of the molecule.

Bordas J, Lowy J
Studies on the mechanism of force production in intact striated muscles.
J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 1994; 15: 489-90

Naber N, Lorenz M, Cooke R
The orientation of spin-probes attached to Cys374 on actin in oriented gels.
J Mol Biol. 1994; 236: 703-9
Display abstract
Changes in protein orientation are thought to be involved in the generation of force that occurs in active muscle. To address the possibility that such changes occur in the actin filament, a spin label was attached to Cys374 of actin and its orientation was measured for filaments that were aligned in capillaries. In the best aligned samples the label was found in two populations, one with a narrow distribution of angles centered at an average angle of 36 (+/- 4) degrees, and a second in a broad distribution centered at an average angle of 45(+/- 4) degrees. The birefringence of the samples was high and X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the actin filaments were well aligned with average angles similar to the population of the better aligned spin labels, suggesting that the more disordered population of probes arose from either disorder of the probe relative to the protein, or from disorder of a local portion of the protein. When myosin subfragment-1 (S-1) was also included with the actin, molar ratio 1 S-1 to 4 actins, there was little change in the angular distribution of either of the two probe populations. We conclude that the binding of the myosin head does not produce appreciable alterations in the orientation of this domain.

Grazi E, Magri E, Schwienbacher C, Trombetta G
Actin may contribute to the power stroke in the binary actomyosin system.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1994; 200: 59-64
Display abstract
At the physiological protein osmotic pressure, the angle formed between the long axis of the actin monomer and the pointed end of the filament axis is roughly 61 degrees in F-actin and about 90 degrees in the myosin subfragment 1--decorated F-actin. This implies that, in the course of the contractile cycle, actin itself contributes, by about 4 nm, to the displacement of the actin filament toward the center of the sarcomer.

Hu SH et al.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the auto-inhibited twitchin kinase.
J Mol Biol. 1994; 236: 1259-61
Display abstract
An auto-inhibited fragment of twitchin kinase (residues 5890 to 6262) has been crystallized by vapor diffusion techniques using polyethylene glycol 4000 as the precipitant at pH 7.25 to 7.5 at 4 degrees C. We have found that MgSO4 and glycerol were essential for large crystal growth. The crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2, with unit cell dimensions of a = 144.1 A, b = 168.3 A and c = 60.6 A. They are suitable for X-ray analysis and diffract to a resolution of at least 2.8 A.

Henry GD, Maruta S, Ikebe M, Sykes BD
Observation of multiple myosin subfragment 1-ADP-fluoroberyllate complexes by 19F NMR spectroscopy.
Biochemistry. 1993; 32: 10451-6
Display abstract
Fluoroaluminate and fluoroberyllate are potent inhibitors of the ATPase activity of myosin. Inhibition requires the presence of ADP, and much evidence has accumulated to suggest that the tetrahedral fluoroaluminate and fluoroberyllate ions act as phosphate analogues, binding with high affinity at the active site in the position normally occupied by the terminal phosphate of ATP. Both the S1-ADP-fluoroaluminate and the S1-ADP-fluoroberyllate species are thought to resemble kinetic intermediates in the actomyosin ATPase cycle. Characterization of S1-bound fluoroaluminate by 19F NMR is straightforward; a single resonance identified as AlF4- is observed easily [Maruta, S., Henry, G.D., Sykes, B.D., & Ikebe, M (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 7093-7100]. Bound fluoroberyllate, by contrast, was found to give rise to four separate peaks: a downfield pair at -80 and -83.5 ppm and an upfield pair at -101.5 and -103 ppm, suggesting the existence of four distinct types of S1-ADP-fluoroberyllate complex. The relative intensities of the bound resonances can be altered by changing rhe F:Be ratio during complex formation. Integration of a spectrum acquired in the presence of a fluorine-labeled nucleotide derivative, 3'(2')-O-(4-fluorobenzoyl)-ADP, in place of ADP yielded a bound fluoride to nucleotide ratio of 1.7-1.9 to 1, showing that the major bound fluoroberyllate species cannot be BeF3- as is usually thought. It is proposed that the bound fluoroberyllates correspond to the neutral species BeF2(H2O)2 and BeFOH(H2O)2 and the negatively charged species [BeF2OH.H2O]- and [BeF3.H2O]-, although other possibilities are discussed.

Bobkov AA, Khvorov NV, Golitsina NL, Levitsky DI
Calorimetric characterization of the stable complex of myosin subfragment 1 with ADP and beryllium fluoride.
FEBS Lett. 1993; 332: 64-6
Display abstract
The thermal unfolding of the myosin subfragment 1 (S1) in its stable complex with ADP and beryllium fluoride (S1.ADP.BeF3-) was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. It has been shown that the structure of the S1 molecule in the S1.ADP.BeF3- complex is similar to that of S1 in its complex with ADP and orthovanadate (S1.ADP.Vi) but differs radically from that of nucleotide-free S1 and S1 in the S1.ADP complex. It is concluded that the S1.ADP.BeF3- complex can be considered, like the S1.ADP.Vi complex, a stable structural analogue of the myosin head.ADP.Pi transition state of the myosin-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis.

Reedy MK
Myosin-actin motors: the partnership goes atomic.
Structure. 1993; 1: 1-5

Ritchie MD, Geeves MA, Woodward SK, Manstein DJ
Kinetic characterization of a cytoplasmic myosin motor domain expressed in Dictyostelium discoideum.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993; 90: 8619-23
Display abstract
A detailed kinetic study of the interaction of a recombinant myosin head fragment (MHF) of Dictyostelium discoideum with actin and adenine nucleotides has been made by using a combination of rapid-reaction, equilibrium, and fluorescence methods. MHF is equivalent in size to a proteolytic fragment of skeletal muscle myosin, subfragment 1 (S1), the simplest unit of myosin to retain enzymatic and functional activity. The results show that qualitatively the interactions of MHF with nucleotides and actin are the same as those of S1. Both bind to rabbit actin with the same affinity, although differences in the rate constants of their interactions with nucleotides in the presence and absence of actin occur. The rate of ATP binding to MHF and the subsequent cleavage step are significantly slower than the corresponding rates with S1. The dissociation of a fluorescent analog of ADP from MHF was 5-fold faster than from S1, while its rate of binding MHF was 3-fold slower, resulting in a weaker association equilibrium constant. The ATP-induced isomerization of the actoMHF complex was 10-fold slower than for actoS1, but the binding affinities of ADP for actoMHF and actoS1 were indistinguishable. The results suggest a different degree of coupling between the nucleotide and actin binding sites of MHF and S1 which may be a common feature of nonmuscle myosins. They also provide the basis for a study of specifically modified myosins with which one can probe the sites of interaction with nucleotides or actin, as well as functional motility.

Andreeva AL, Andreev OA, Borejdo J
Structure of the 265-kilodalton complex formed upon EDC cross-linking of subfragment 1 to F-actin.
Biochemistry. 1993; 32: 13956-60
Display abstract
The conventional model of force generation in muscle requires the presence of at least two different contact areas between the myosin head (S1) and the actin filament. It has been found that S1 has two sites available for carbodiimide cross-linking, but it is generally believed that the myosin head can be cross-linked to only one actin through either site. We provide here, for the first time, evidence that one S1 can be cross-linked to two separate actin molecules. The covalent complex of one S1 with two actins was found to have an apparent molecular mass of 265 kDa. The formation of the 265-kDa acto-S1 complex was strongly dependent on the ratio of S1 to actin. Limited tryptic digestion converted the 265-kDa product into the 240-kDa complex by releasing a 27-kDa N-terminal S1 fragment. Limited subtilisin digestion of the 265-kDa covalent acto-S1 complex yielded 29-, 93-, and 66-kDa peptides which corresponded to the 29-kDa N-terminal domain of S1, actin-44-kDa (central domain of S1) and actin-22-kDa (C-terminal domain of S1) complexes, respectively. These peptides could be generated only if a single S1 has been cross-linked to two separate actins. The 265-kDa acto-S1 complex (S1:actin ratio = 0.5) had 60% of the ATPase activity of the 175-185-kDa acto-S1 complex (S1:actin ratio = 1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Taylor EW
Molecular muscle.
Science. 1993; 261: 35-6

Winkelmann DA, Kinose F, Chung AL
Inhibition of actin filament movement by monoclonal antibodies against the motor domain of myosin.
J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 1993; 14: 452-67
Display abstract
Conformational transitions in defined regions of the motor domain of skeletal muscle myosin involved in ATP hydrolysis, actin binding and motility were probed with monoclonal antibodies. Competition binding assays demonstrate that three different monoclonal antibodies react with spatially related sites on the myosin heavy chain. One recognizes a sequential epitope between residues 65 and 80 and has no effect on actin filament movement in an in vitro motility assay despite tight binding to myosin and acto-S1. The other two monoclonal antibodies react with sequential epitopes between residues 29 and 60 and both inhibit actin filament movement. A fourth monoclonal antibody reacts with the N-terminus of the heavy chain (residues 1-12) at a spatially distinct site on the myosin head and also inhibits actin filament movement. These four monoclonal antibodies have been mapped by immunoelectron microscopy to the large, actin binding region of the myosin head; however, the antibody binding sites remain accessible on rigor complexes of acto-S1. Thus, this group of monoclonal antibodies identify sequential epitopes in a mobile segment of the myosin heavy chain. In addition, two conformation-sensitive monoclonal antibodies are described that are affected by ATP and actin binding to myosin S1, and display distinct and marked inhibitory effects on actin filament movement. In contrast, an anti-light chain monoclonal antibody that binds near the myosin head-rod junction has little effect on the number and velocity of moving actin filaments. These results identify mobile regions on the myosin head that are perturbed by antibody binding and that may be linked to force production and motion.

Prochniewicz E, Katayama E, Yanagida T, Thomas DD
Cooperativity in F-actin: chemical modifications of actin monomers affect the functional interactions of myosin with unmodified monomers in the same actin filament.
Biophys J. 1993; 65: 113-23
Display abstract
We have chemically modified a fraction of the monomers in actin filaments, and then measured the effects on the functional interaction of myosin with unmodified monomers within the same filament. Two modifications were used: (a) covalent attachment of various amounts of myosin subfragment-1 (S1) with the bifunctional reagent disuccinimidyl suberate and (b) copolymerization of unmodified actin monomers with monomers cross-linked internally with 1-ethyl-3-(dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide. Each of these modifications abolished the interaction of the modified monomers with myosin, so the remaining interactions were exclusively with unmodified monomers. The two modifications had similar effects on the interaction of actin with myosin in solution: decreased affinity of myosin heads for unmodified actin monomers, without a change in the Vmax of actin-activated myosin ATPase activity. However, modification (b) produced much greater inhibition of actin sliding on a myosin-coated surface, as measured by an in vitro motility assay. These results provide insight into the functional consequences of cooperative interactions within the actin filament.

Yanagida T, Harada Y, Ishijima A
Nano-manipulation of actomyosin molecular motors in vitro: a new working principle.
Trends Biochem Sci. 1993; 18: 319-24
Display abstract
Techniques have been recently developed that allow the direct observation of single actin filaments and their manipulation, using glass microneedles, in the nanometer range. Further development of these techniques has made possible the detection of subpiconewton-level forces of individual myosin heads. This in vitro motility model is sensitive in the submillisecond range and has allowed us to determine the force generation of an actomyosin motor directly at the molecular level. The results have led to a new conceptual framework for chemo-mechanical energy transduction in the molecular motor.

Yount RG
Subfragment 1: the first crystalline motor.
J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 1993; 14: 547-51

Titus MA
Multitasking with myosin.
Trends Genet. 1993; 9: 187-8

Highsmith S, Eden D
Myosin-ATP chemomechanics.
Biochemistry. 1993; 32: 2455-8
Display abstract
The hydrodynamic size of rabbit skeletal muscle myosin subfragment 1 (S1) is decreased when S1 and MgATP form the steady-state intermediate S1-MgADP,P(i). The rotational decay time, tau, determined by transient electrical birefringence techniques was 259 ns for S1-MgADP,P(i) and 271 ns for S1-MgADP at 3 degrees C in low ionic strength solutions. The data were interpreted using a hydrodynamic model consisting of a rigid linear four-bead structure that had a point at the center of one of the inner beads about which the structure can bend. The structure of S1-MgADP was approximated by adjusting the bend angle to 20 degrees. The best fit to the S1-MgADP,P(i) decay time was then obtained when the angle was increased to 38 degrees. The results obtained using this simple model suggest that MgATP binding and hydrolysis changes the structure of S1 so that one end of it moves by at least 3.9 nm. The reverse of this process, during product release, would provide a displacement large enough to account for most of the ATP-driven filament sliding that occurs in muscle or in in vitro motility assays.

Holmes KC, Tirion M, Popp D, Lorenz M, Kabsch W, Milligan RA
A comparison of the atomic model of F-actin with cryo-electron micrographs of actin and decorated actin.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 1993; 332: 15-22
Display abstract
We compare the atomic model calculated from the crystal structure and the X-ray fiber diagram of orientated F-actin1) with the 3-D reconstructions produced from cryo-electron microscopy of actin2). Out to 30A resolution the two structures are essentially identical. Furthermore, by combining the atomic model with the reconstruction of S1-decorated actin filaments2) one can establish the nature of the actin binding site for myosin in the rigor complex. Each myosin head binds to two actin molecules on two distinct sites. Some of the actin residues involved in each of these binding sites can be identified. Furthermore, the atomic model of actin may be combined with the reconstruction of the S1 decorated thin filament to establish the tropomyosin binding site in the rigor complex. This result is compared with the model of tropomyosin-actin derived from an analysis of the X-ray fibre diagram of a reconstituted thin filament and are shown to be very similar.

Morales MF, Ue K, Bivin DB
The region in myosin S-1 that may be involved in energy transduction.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 1993; 332: 235-40
Display abstract
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.

Katayama E
Gross structural features of myosin head during sliding movement of actin as studied by quick-freeze deep-etch electron microscopy.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 1993; 332: 47-54
Display abstract
With quick-freeze deep-etch electron microscopy coupled with mica-flake technique, I showed previously that myosin subfragment-1 (S1) attached to F-actin in the presence of ATP is short and rounded, in contrast to its elongated and tilted appearance under rigor condition [J. Biochem. 106, 751-770 (1989)]. I further indicated that each head of heavy meromyosin (HMM) changes its configuration in a likely manner as above by the addition of various nucleotides, i.e. heads were pear-shaped in the absence of nucleotide, in a ball-on-a-stick appearance when complexed with ADP and strongly kinked to the particular direction in the presence of ATP or ADP.Vi [J. Muscle Res. Cell Motility 12, 313 (1991)]. Such morphological data not only corroborates the independent biophysical evidences suggesting gross conformational changes of myosin head upon binding ATP or ADP.Vi, but also provide strong evidence for the distinct polarity in the structure of each myosin head. Negatively stained image of chemically cross-linked acto-S1 also included cross-bridges sharply kinked to the same direction, confirming the above observation. Attempts were made to examine if such conformational change of myosin cross-bridge occurs during actomyosin superprecipitation. Samples were quick-frozen during rapid turbidity-increasing phase where actin filaments actively slide past myosin heads. The resultant image included actin-attached myosin heads all in a kinked configuration with the same polarity as observed for HMM. Several heads associated with a single actin filament were bent to the same direction suggesting that myosin heads might be in a kinked configuration with distinct polarity during contraction.

Titus MA
Myosins.
Curr Opin Cell Biol. 1993; 5: 77-81
Display abstract
The number and variety of myosins that have been identified has increased greatly over the past few years, and is still growing. Myosins have been classified into at least six distinct classes. Research during the last year has concentrated on identifying the roles of various myosins.

Yamamoto K
ATPase activities of the two cross-linked species of actin and myosin.
J Biochem (Tokyo). 1993; 114: 770-2
Display abstract
We describe cross-linking conditions for myosin subfragment-1 and actin with 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide, with which the compositions of cross-linked species can be altered. The specific Mg-ATPase activity of cross-linked subfragment-1 in these preparations was almost the same in spite of the differences in the compositions of the cross-linked species. This suggests that the two kinds of cross-linked species have almost the same ATPase activity, and that the cross-linking at these different sites nearly equally facilitates the formation of the strong binding state which accompanies the release of ADP and Pi.

Andreev OA, Andreeva AL, Borejdo J
Polarization of fluorescently labeled myosin subfragment-1 fully or partially decorating muscle fibers and myofibrils.
Biophys J. 1993; 65: 1027-38
Display abstract
Fluorescently labeled myosin heads (S1) were added to muscle fibers and myofibrils at various concentrations. The orientation of the absorption dipole of the dye with respect to the axis of F-actin was calculated from polarization of fluorescence which was measured by a novel method from video images of muscle. In this method light emitted from muscle was split by a birefringent crystal into two nonoverlapping images: the first image was created with light polarized in the direction parallel to muscle axis, and the second image was created with light polarized in the direction perpendicular to muscle axis. Images were recorded by high-sensitivity video camera and polarization was calculated from the relative intensity of both images. The method allows measurement of the fluorescence polarization from single myofibril irrigated with low concentrations of S1 labeled with dye. Orientation was also measured by fluorescence-detected linear dichroism. The orientation was different when muscle was irrigated with high concentration of S1 (molar ratio S1:actin in the I bands equal to 1) then when it was irrigated with low concentration of S1 (molar ratio S1:actin in the I bands equal to 0.32). The results support our earlier proposal that S1 could form two different rigor complexes with F-actin depending on the molar ratio of S1:actin.

Trayer IP
Molecular motors. Coming soon--the movie.
Nature. 1993; 364: 101-3

Schroder RR et al.
Three-dimensional atomic model of F-actin decorated with Dictyostelium myosin S1.
Nature. 1993; 364: 171-4
Display abstract
Elucidation of the molecular contacts between actin and myosin is central to understanding the force-generating process in muscle and other cells. Actin, a highly conserved globular protein found in all eukaryotes, polymerizes into filaments (F-actin) for most of its biological functions. Myosins, which are more diverse in sequence, share a conserved globular head of about 900 amino acids in length (subfragment-1 or S1) at the N-terminal end of the molecule. S1 contains all the elements necessary for mechano-chemical force transduction in vitro. Here we report an atomic model for the actomyosin complex produced by combining the atomic X-ray structure of F-actin and chicken myosin S1 with a three-dimensional reconstruction from electron micrographs of frozen-hydrated F-actin decorated with recombinant Dictyostelium myosin S1. The accuracy of the reconstruction shows the position of actin and myosin molecules unambiguously.

Andreev OA, Andreeva AL, Markin VS, Borejdo J
Two different rigor complexes of myosin subfragment 1 and actin.
Biochemistry. 1993; 32: 12046-53
Display abstract
Our previous titration and cross-linking experiments showed that myosin subfragment 1 (S1) can bind to one or two monomers in F-actin [Andreev, O. A., & Borejdo, J. (1991) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 177, 350-356; (1992a) J. Muscle Res. Cell Motil. 13, 523-533; (1992b) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 188, 94-101]. In the present work we used a sedimentation method to extend these studies to equilibrium binding and a stopped flow method to investigate its kinetics. Both equilibrium and kinetic data indicated the existence of two different rigor complexes. On the basis of these data we developed a model which suggested that binding of S1 to F-actin occurred in two steps: (i) initial rapid binding to one monomer of F-actin, A + M<==>A.M and (ii) a consequent slow binding to a neighboring monomer, A.M + A<==>A.M.A, where A stands for actin and M for myosin subfragment 1. The second reaction can proceed only if the neighboring actin site is unoccupied. The model fit the equilibrium and kinetic binding data with equilibrium constants K1 = 6 x 10(6) M-1 and K2 = 4 and kinetic constants k+1 = 10.5 x 10(6) M-1 s-1, k-1 = 1.75 s-1, k+2 = 0.8 s-1, and k-2 = 0.2 s-1, where the subscripts refer to the reactions i and ii. These results corroborate our hypothesis that myosin head can make two types of complexes with F-actin and support our speculation that during a power stroke in contracting muscle a myosin head may first bind to one and then to two actins.

Bobkov AA, Levitskii DI, Golitsyna NL, Khvorov NV, Poglazov BF
[Formation of stabile complexes of myosin subfragment-1 with ADP and orthovanadate or beryllium fluoride in the presence of calcium ions]
Dokl Akad Nauk. 1993; 330: 508-10

Wakabayashi K et al.
Small-angle synchrotron x-ray scattering reveals distinct shape changes of the myosin head during hydrolysis of ATP.
Science. 1992; 258: 443-7
Display abstract
In the energy transduction of muscle contraction, it is important to know the nature and extent of conformational changes of the head portion of the myosin molecules. In the presence of magnesium adenosine triphosphate (MgATP), fairly large conformational changes of the myosin head [subfragment-1 (S1)] in solution were observed by small-angle x-ray scattering with the use of synchrotron radiation as an intense and stable x-ray source. The presence of MgATP reduced the radius of gyration of the molecule by about 3 angstrom units and the maximum chord length by about 10 angstroms, showing that the shape of S1 becomes more compact or round during hydrolysis of MgATP. Comparison with various nucleotide-bound S1 complexes that correspond to the known intermediate states during ATP hydrolysis indicates that the shape of S1 in a key intermediate state, S1-bound adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and phosphate [S1**.ADP.P(i)], differs significantly from the shape in the other intermediate states of the S1 adenosine triphosphatase cycle as well as that of nucleotide-free S1.

Highsmith S, Murphy AJ
Electrostatic changes at the actomyosin-subfragment 1 interface during force-generating reactions.
Biochemistry. 1992; 31: 385-9
Display abstract
The ionic strength dependence of the binding of rabbit skeletal muscle myosin subfragment 1, S1, to F-actin in the presence of saturating concentrations of MgATP or MgADP was analyzed in order to determine the association constants at zero ionic strength [K(0)] and the products of the net effective electric charges (magnitude of zMzA) at the binding interfaces. K(0) and magnitude of zM A were 1 x 10(6) M-1 and 17 esu2 for S1-MgADP,P, and 5 x 10(7) M-1 and 7 esu2 for S1-MgADP, respectively, for binding to F-actin at 25 degrees C. At ionic strengths near physiological, the increase in affinity is close to 10(4)-fold for this transition that may correspond to force generation in muscle fibers. The large, from 17 to 7 esu2, decrease in the electrostatic contribution to binding appears to be correlated with a much larger increase in nonelectrostatic interactions, unlike the simpler transition of actin-bound S1-MgADP to S1, which appears to be due entirely to electrostatic changes [Highsmith, S. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 10690-10694]. These results for acto-S1-MgADP,P to acto-S1-MgADP suggest that a substantial transformation of the actin binding site on S1 occurs even if there is a translocation to a new interface.

Levitskii DI
[Myosin head structure]
Biokhimiia. 1991; 56: 1539-66
Display abstract
The current data and concepts of the structural organization of the head of myosin, one of the major muscle proteins, are reviewed. The primary structure of the isolated myosin head (myosin subfragment-1) heavy chain and localization in it of sites and groups responsible for the binding and hydrolysis of ATP and myosin interaction with actin, are considered. Evidence is given of reciprocal spatial distribution of these sites and their localization on the myosin head surface. Some present-day concepts on the domain organization of the myosin head and its changes occurring during binding and hydrolysis of ATP, are discussed. A model describing the folding of the heavy and light chains in the myosin head is proposed.

Schmid MF et al.
Crystallographic analysis of acrosomal bundle from Limulus sperm.
J Mol Biol. 1991; 221: 711-25
Display abstract
The acrosomal process of Limulus sperm contains a bundle of filaments composed of actin and a 102 kDa protein in a 1:1 molar ratio. The structure of the bundle in true discharge was investigated by electron cryomicroscopy, X-ray scattering and crystallographic image analysis. A bundle can be characterized as a quasi-crystal with continuously varying views along the bundle axis. Each segment of the bundle is found to obey the symmetry of space group P1, with a = b = 147 A, c = 762 A, alpha = 90 degrees, beta = 90.6 degrees, gamma = 120 degrees. A unit cell contains a helical repeat of the filament with a selection rule following that of an actin filament. A 24 A projection map based on the h0l view was reconstructed after averaging 5300 unit cells from six electron images. Filaments in this projection are well separated and clearly display a 21 screw symmetry. This screw symmetry results from the helical parameters of the bundle filament and is found to be a non-crystallographic symmetry element present in the unit cell. Our structural analysis has led to the proposal that the assembly of a stable bundle with a defined maximum diameter can be controlled by the crystallographic packing of the twisted filaments.

Pirtskhalava MK, Esipova NG, Tumanian VG, Zaalishvili MM
[Transitions of the left poly-L-proline II helix-right alpha helix type in the regions of myosin subfragment S2 of cross-striated muscle as a possible conformational basis for a mechanical-chemical act]
Biofizika. 1991; 36: 1083-93
Display abstract
Local conformational states of fibrous fragments of myosin molecules from striated muscle have been studied. Analysis of the amino acid sequences of the rat embryonic skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain and the nematode myosin heavy chain have been performed with the aim to estimate the influence of electrostatic interactions on secondary structure stability of these fragments. The heterogeneity of stability of alpha-helical conformation along the fibrous fragment have been found on the basis of estimation of interaction between side group charges and between side group charges and main chain charges. Periodically located short sections have been found in the N-terminal half of the myosin rod where clusters of Asp and Glu destabilize alpha-helical structure being ionized. Changes of the distribution of charges near the latter sections bring about conformational transitions from left-handed polyproline II helix to right alpha-helix or vice versa. The new scheme of orientation of fibrous part of the cross-bridge in relation to the thick filament for various stages of muscle contraction process suggests asynchronous character of transitions in the different sites. It may be proposed that existence of alteration left- and right-helical fragments in N-terminal half of fibrous part of heavy myosin chain determines zigzag form of this part of myosin molecule in resting muscle. A model of the cross-bridge movement in the course of ATP hydrolysis has been suggested.

Issartel JP, Dupuis A, Morat C, Girardet JL
Fluoride, beryllium and ADP combine as a ternary complex in aqueous solution as revealed by a multinuclear NMR study.
Eur Biophys J. 1991; 20: 115-26
Display abstract
Different kinds of nucleotide binding enzymes are sensitive to fluoroberyllate complexes (BeFx) and fluoroaluminate complexes (AlFy). It has been hypothesized that the effects of these fluorometals are related to the generation at a nucleotide binding site of a pseudo nucleoside triphosphate, consisting of a fluorometal moiety bound to the beta phosphate group of a molecule of nucleoside diphosphate (Bigay et al. 1985; Lunardi et al. 1985). In order to establish whether ternary complexes comprising ADP, beryllium and fluoride can exist in slightly alkaline solution in the absence of enzyme, we have carried out a multinuclear (31P, 9Be and 19F) NMR study. In preliminary experiments, pyrophosphate (PPi) was substituted for ADP and taken as a simpler analog of nucleoside diphosphate. In the absence of fluoride, three types of PPi-Be complexes were generated: two of these were bidentate chelates with either one or two pyrophosphate molecules bound per beryllium; the third one was a monodentate complex. It is probable that the same types of combination exist between the polyphosphate chain of ADP and Be. In the presence of fluoride, both ADP and PPi combined with beryllium to form ternary complexes. These complexes consisted of monofluoroberyllate(-BeF) or difluoroberyllate(-BeF2) bound to the two phosphates of one molecule of ADP or PPi as a bidentate chelate. We failed to observe the formation of complexes between ADP and trifluoroberyllate(-BeF3). The relevance of this study to the biological effects of fluoride and beryllium on various enzymic reactions is discussed.

Winkelmann DA, Baker TS, Rayment I
Three-dimensional structure of myosin subfragment-1 from electron microscopy of sectioned crystals.
J Cell Biol. 1991; 114: 701-13
Display abstract
Image analysis of electron micrographs of thin-sectioned myosin subfragment-1 (S1) crystals has been used to determine the structure of the myosin head at approximately 25-A resolution. Previous work established that the unit cell of type I crystals of myosin S1 contains eight molecules arranged with orthorhombic space group symmetry P212121 and provided preliminary information on the size and shape of the myosin head (Winkelmann, D. A., H. Mekeel, and I. Rayment. 1985. J. Mol. Biol. 181:487-501). We have applied a systematic method of data collection by electron microscopy to reconstruct the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the S1 crystal lattice. Electron micrographs of thin sections were recorded at angles of up to 50 degrees by tilting the sections about the two orthogonal unit cell axes in sections cut perpendicular to the three major crystallographic axes. The data from six separate tilt series were merged to form a complete data set for 3D reconstruction. This approach has yielded an electron density map of the unit cell of the S1 crystals of sufficient detail. to delineate the molecular envelope of the myosin head. Myosin S1 has a tadpole-shaped molecular envelope that is very similar in appearance to the pear-shaped myosin heads observed by electron microscopy of rotary-shadowed and negatively stained myosin. The molecule is divided into essentially three morphological domains: a large domain on one end of the molecule corresponding to approximately 60% of the total molecular volume, a smaller central domain of approximately 30% of the volume that is separated from the larger domain by a cleft on one side of the molecule, and the smallest domain corresponding to a thin tail-like region containing approximately 10% of the volume. This molecular organization supports models of force generation by myosin which invoke conformational mobility at interdomain junctions within the head.

Kim H, Lipscomb WN
Comparison of the structures of three carboxypeptidase A-phosphonate complexes determined by X-ray crystallography.
Biochemistry. 1991; 30: 8171-80
Display abstract
The structures of the complexes of carboxypeptidase A (CPA) with two tight-binding phosphonate inhibitors have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The inhibitors, Cbz-Phe-ValP-(O)-Phe[ZFVP(O)F] and Cbz-Ala-GlyP-(O)-Phe[ZAGP(O)F], bind noncovalently to CPA with dissociation constants (Ki's) of 11 fM and 710 pM, respectively. The CPA-ZFVP(O)F complex crystallizes in the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell parameters a = 65.3 A, b = 63.4 A, and c = 76.0 A, and the CPA-ZAGP(O)F complex crystallizes in the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell parameters a = 63.4 A, b = 65.9 A, and c = 74.4 A. Both structures were determined by molecular replacement to a resolution of 2.0 A. The final crystallographic residuals are 0.189 for the CPA-ZFVP(O)F complex and 0.191 for the CPA-ZAGP(O)F complex. The CPA-ZFVP(O)F complex exhibits the lowest Ki yet determined for an enzyme-inhibitor interaction. Comparison of the CPA-ZFVP(O)F structure with that of the CPA-ZAAP(O)F complex [Kim, H., & Lipscomb, W.N. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 5546-5555] indicates the likely important contributions of hydrophobic and weakly polar enzyme-inhibitor interactions to the exceptional stability of the CPA-ZFVP(O)F complex. Among these interactions is a network of four aromatic rings of CPA and ZFVP(O)F in a configuration that allows stabilizing aromatic-aromatic edge-to-face interactions from one ring to the next. A comparison of the structures of the CPA-ZFVP(O)F, CPA-ZAAP(O)F and CPA-ZAGP(O)F complexes shows that all three phosphonates assume a similar binding mode in the active-site binding groove of CPA. For ZAGP(O)F, the glycyl P1 residue does not lead to an anomalous or a partially disordered binding mode as seen in some previous complexes of CPA involving dipeptide analogue inhibitors with glycyl P1 residues. The additional enzyme-inhibitor interactions for these tripeptide phosphonates secure a binding mode in which a Pi portion of the inhibitor is clearly bound by the corresponding Si binding subsite. These three phosphonates have been implicated as transition-state analogues of the CPA-catalyzed reaction. The phosphinyl groups of these phosphonates coordinate to the active-site zinc in a manner that has been proposed as a characteristic feature of the general-base (Zn-hydroxyl or Zn-water) mechanism for the CPA-catalyzed reaction. Further mechanistic proposals are made for Arg-127, whose probable role in binding substrates is apparent in these CPA-phosphonate complexes.

Chase PB, Beck TW, Bursell J, Kushmerick MJ
Molecular charge dominates the inhibition of actomyosin in skinned muscle fibers by SH1 peptides.
Biophys J. 1991; 60: 352-9
Display abstract
It is not definitively known whether the highly conserved region of myosin heavy chain around SH1 (Cys 707) is part of the actin-binding site. We tested this possibility by assaying for competitive inhibition of maximum Ca-activated force production of skinned muscle fibers by synthetic peptides which had sequences derived from the SH1 region of myosin. Force was inhibited by a heptapeptide (IRICRKG) with an apparent K0.5 of about 4 mM. Unloaded shortening velocity of fibers, determined by the slack test, and maximum Ca-activated myofibrillar MgATPase activity were also inhibited by this peptide, but both required higher concentrations. We found that other cationic peptides also inhibited force in a manner that depended on the charge of the peptide; increasing the net positive charge of the peptide increased its efficacy. The inhibition was not significantly affected by altering solution ionic strength (100-200 mM). Disulfide bond formation was not involved in the inhibitory mechanism because a peptide with Thr substituted for Cys was inhibitory in the presence or absence of DTT. Our data demonstrate that the net charge was the predominant molecular characteristic correlated with the ability of peptides from this region of myosin heavy chain to inhibit force production. Thus, the hypothesis that the SH1 region of myosin is an essential part of the force-producing interaction with actin during the cross-bridge cycle (Eto, M., R. Suzuki, F. Morita, H. Kuwayama, N. Nishi, and S. Tokura., 1990, J. Biochem. 108:499-504; Keane et al., 1990, Nature (Lond.). 344:265-268) is not supported.

Johnson WC Jr, Bivin DB, Ue K, Morales MF
A search for protein structural changes accompanying the contractile interaction.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991; 88: 9748-50
Display abstract
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.

Bejsovec A, Anderson P
Functions of the myosin ATP and actin binding sites are required for C. elegans thick filament assembly.
Cell. 1990; 60: 133-40
Display abstract
We have determined the positions and sequences of 31 dominant mutations affecting a C. elegans muscle myosin heavy chain gene. These mutations alter thick filament structure in heterozygotes by interfering with the ability of wild-type myosin to assemble into stable thick filaments. These assembly-disruptive mutations are missense alleles affecting the globular head of myosin. The most strongly dominant alleles alter highly conserved residues of the myosin ATP binding site, indicating that functions of the myosin ATPase are important for thick filament assembly. Other alleles alter the site at which myosin binds actin.

Yanagida T
Loose coupling between chemical and mechanical reactions in actomyosin energy transduction.
Adv Biophys. 1990; 26: 75-95
Display abstract
In order to study the mechanochemical coupling in actomyosin energy transduction, the sliding distance of an actin filament induced by a myosin head during one ATP hydrolysis cycle was obtained using an in vitro movement assay, which permitted quantitative and simultaneous measurements of (1) the movements of single fluorescently-labeled actin filaments on myosin bound to coverslip surfaces and (2) the ATPase rates. The sliding distance was determined as (the working-stroke time in one ATPase cycle, Tws) x (the filament velocity, v). The working-stroke time (Tws) was obtained from the ATPase turnover rate of myosin during the sliding (kT), the ATP hydrolysis time on myosin heads (delta T) and the ON-rate at which myosin heads enter into the working-stroke when they encounter actin (kON); Tws approximately 1/kT-delta T-1/kON. kON was estimated by analyzing the movements of very short (40 nm) filaments. The resulting sliding distance during one ATP hydrolysis cycle near zero load was greater than 100 nm, which is about 10 times longer than that expected for a single attachment-detachment cycle between an actin monomer and a myosin head. This leads to the conclusion that the coupling between the chemical and mechanical reactions is not rigid in a one to one fashion.

Ward R, Murray JM
Three-dimensional structure of frozen-hydrated paracrystals of myosin rod.
J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 1990; 11: 403-18
Display abstract
Myosin rod, the tail fragment of myosin, aggregates into various structures at physiological ionic strength. One form, the type II paracrystal, a thin, ribbon-like species, has recently been studied using conventional electron microscopy and was shown to possess two-dimensional order and, further, is likely to be useful in the investigation of the arrangement of myosin molecules in the backbone of the vertebrate muscle thick filament (Ward & Bennett, 1989). We have now examined this aggregate in the frozen-hydrated state by cryo-electron microscopy. Image analysis indicated that the projected structure has the same p12, plane group symmetry as seen after negative staining. A three-dimensional map, calculated from projections, indicated that the structure comprises a bilayer arrangement of strands of grouped rod molecules, with the strands parallel in each layer. The layers themselves are related by screw symmetry. Strands in adjacent layers have opposing polarity with their long axes at an angle of 32 degree to each other. Protein density measurements, carried out on unstained specimens using electron energy-loss spectroscopy, showed that the 44 X 13 X 13 nm unit cell is composed of 40% protein. The density measurements indicated that 9-12 rod molecules pass through each strand. Modelling rod molecules with 43 nm parallel overlaps in a body-centered tetragonal lattice produced a strand that compared favorably with the reconstructed strand. The size and content of these strands suggests that they are analogous to subfilaments observed in the vertebrate myosin thick filament.

Milligan RA, Whittaker M, Safer D
Molecular structure of F-actin and location of surface binding sites.
Nature. 1990; 348: 217-21
Display abstract
Comparisons of three-dimensional maps of vertebrate muscle thin filaments obtained by cryo-electron microscopy and image analysis, reveal the molecular structure of F-actin, the location of the C terminus of the monomer and the positions of the binding sites of tropomyosin, the myosin head and the N-terminal portion of the myosin A1 light chain on the filament. These data provide strong constraints for evaluating models built from the atomic structure of the monomer and the subsequent identification of molecular contacts.

Kabsch W, Mannherz HG, Suck D, Pai EF, Holmes KC
Atomic structure of the actin:DNase I complex.
Nature. 1990; 347: 37-44
Display abstract
The atomic models of the complex between rabbit skeletal muscle actin and bovine pancreatic deoxyribonuclease I both in the ATP and ADP forms have been determined by X-ray analysis at an effective resolution of 2.8 A and 3A, respectively. The two structures are very similar. The actin molecule consists of two domains which can be further subdivided into two subdomains. ADP or ATP is located in the cleft between the domains with a calcium ion bound to the beta- or beta- and gamma-phosphates, respectively. The motif of a five-stranded beta sheet consisting of a beta meander and a right handed beta alpha beta unit appears in each domain suggesting that gene duplication might have occurred. These sheets have the same topology as that found in hexokinase.

Peckham M, Irving M
Myosin crossbridge orientation in demembranated muscle fibres studied by birefringence and X-ray diffraction measurements.
J Mol Biol. 1989; 210: 113-26
Display abstract
Muscle contraction is generally thought to involve changes in the orientation of myosin crossbridges during their ATP-driven cyclical interaction with actin. We have investigated crossbridge orientation in equilibrium states of the crossbridge cycle in demembranated fibres of frog and rabbit muscle, using a novel combination of techniques: birefringence and X-ray diffraction. Muscle birefringence is sensitive to both crossbridge orientation and the transverse spacing of the contractile filament lattice. The latter was determined from the equatorial X-ray diffraction pattern, allowing accurate characterization of the orientation component of birefringence changes. We found that this component decreased when relaxed muscle fibres were put into rigor at rest length, and when either the ionic strength or temperature of relaxed fibres was lowered. In each case the birefringence decrease was accompanied by an increase in the intensity of the (1,1) equatorial X-ray reflection relative to that of the (1,0) reflection. When fibres that had been stretched largely to eliminate overlap between actin- and myosin-containing filaments were put into rigor, there was no change in the orientation component of the birefringence. When isolated myosin subfragment-1 was bound to these rigor fibres, the orientation component of the birefringence increased. The birefringence changes at rest length are likely to be due to changes in the orientation of myosin crossbridges, and in particular of the globular head region of the myosin molecules. In relaxed fibres from rabbit muscle, at 100 mM ionic strength, 15 degrees C, the long axis of the heads appears to be relatively well aligned with the filament axis. When fibres are put into rigor, or the temperature or ionic strength is lowered, the degree of alignment decreases and there is a transfer of crossbridge mass towards the actin-containing filaments.

Mornet D, Bonet A, Audemard E, Bonicel J
Functional sequences of the myosin head.
J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 1989; 10: 10-24
Display abstract
Muscle contraction originates from the sliding of myosin filaments on actin filaments, the energy for which is supplied by the hydrolysis of adenosine-5-triphosphate (ATP) by myosin. The nucleotide first binds to the acto-myosin complex in the myosin head (or subfragment-1), producing a conformational change which induces actin dissociation. The release of phosphate (Pi) then allows a return to the strong actin-myosin association, corresponding to the rigor state. We discuss here certain controversial points arising from current concepts of the actin and nucleotide binding regions at the amino acid sequence level within the subfragment-1 heavy chain. We consider the actin and nucleotide binding regions to be two distinct sites (for each of these regions) one of which is shared competitively between actin and the nucleotide. In our model the cyclical actin-S1 association-dissociation steps correspond to different ATP, actin and ADP affinities for the same amino acid sequence of the S1 heavy chain, contributing alternatively to a single hydrolytic nucleotide site or a strong actin site. We propose the existence of a flexible segment that forms or dismantles the nucleotide or actin sites. The large region (amino acids 540-707) overlapping the actin-myosin interface appears to be the main flexible region of the S1 molecule and we propose that this particular sequence plays a key role in the dissociation pathway of the actin-myosin complex and in the conversion of chemical energy into the mechanical energy of contraction.

Combeau C, Carlier MF
Characterization of the aluminum and beryllium fluoride species bound to F-actin and microtubules at the site of the gamma-phosphate of the nucleotide.
J Biol Chem. 1989; 264: 19017-21
Display abstract
Aluminum fluoride and beryllium fluoride complexes have previously been shown to bind tightly to F-ADP-actin and GDP-microtubules in competition with Pi and to mimic the XDP-Pi transient state of the polymerization. The structure of the bound complexes is investigated here in further detail. Using a fluoride ion-specific electrode, the number of fluoride atoms per aluminum or beryllium atom in the bound complex could be determined. The results indicate that AIF-4 and either BeF2(OH)-.H2O or BeF3-.H2O are the tightly bound species in both F-actin and microtubules. The dependences of the binding on pF and pH are consistent with this conclusion. The possible geometries of aluminum and beryllium fluorides in the gamma-phosphate subsite of the nucleotide are discussed in correlation with the catalytic mechanism of nucleotide hydrolysis.

Vibert PJ
Domain structure of the myosin head in correlation-averaged images of shadowed molecules.
J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 1988; 9: 147-55
Display abstract
Electron microscope images of rotary shadowed myosin heads and subfragment-1 (S1) have been computationally aligned and averaged using correlation methods. Average images show reproducible detail within the 'pear-shaped' envelope of the head; the major features are invariant in S1 and in intact heads, in two mirror-related views of the head, and in the presence and absence of ATP. The averages support the view that the head contains two main structural domains separated by a cleft, and that the region of the neck close to the head-rod junction is flexible. They also reveal the inadequacy of the conventional method of correcting the measured dimensions of shadowed particles for the supposed thickness of the 'metal coat'.

Tokunaga M, Sutoh K, Toyoshima C, Wakabayashi T
Location of the ATPase site of myosin determined by three-dimensional electron microscopy.
Nature. 1987; 329: 635-8
Display abstract
Both ATP hydrolysis by myosin and the accompanying cyclic association-dissociation of actin and myosin are essential for muscle contraction. It is important for understanding the molecular mechanism of contraction to know the three-dimensional locations of the two major functional sites of myosin: the ATPase site and the actin-binding site. We have determined the position of the ATPase site of myosin using three-dimensional image reconstruction from electron micrographs and site-specific labelling with the avidin-biotin system. The ATPase site is about 5 nm from the tip of the myosin head and is about 4 nm away from the actin-binding site of myosin. This is the first report of the three-dimensional location of an enzyme active site by electron microscopy.

Johnson KA
Pathway of the microtubule-dynein ATPase and the structure of dynein: a comparison with actomyosin.
Annu Rev Biophys Biophys Chem. 1985; 14: 161-88
Display abstract
Dynein and myosin show several important similarities in design as well as some interesting differences in detail. Both ATPases function as crossbridges that undergo microscopic movements to drive the sliding of filaments, which results in macroscopic movements. They share a common design employing globular heads attached to flexible strands. Each head contains one ATP-binding site and one filament-binding site, and the binding of ATP induces an extremely rapid dissociation of the crossbridge-filament "rigor" complex. Following ATP hydrolysis, which is readily reversible, the crossbridge reassociates with the filament and returns to its original state with the release of products. Thus, the nucleotide-induced changes in conformation are effectively used to couple the hydrolysis of ATP to the dissociation and reassociation of the crossbridge in order to produce a force for net movement according to the Lymn-Taylor-Eisenberg model. The utilization of nucleotide-binding energy to induce a change in conformation can be rationalized in terms of our understanding of enzyme catalysis in general, whereby substrate binding energy is used to induce a change in conformation that stabilizes the transition state for catalysis. In these crossbridge ATPases, the substrate-induced change in conformation also serves to weaken the crossbridge-filament interaction. The pathway is symmetrical, with a return to the tight (filament) binding state coupled to product release. The ball on a string design may provide a reasonable basis to explain how a unidirectional force is obtained from a symmetrical cycle; opposite changes in conformation with the binding and release of the nucleotide produce a significant force only when pulling on the flexible strand. Moreover, the very rapid dissociation of the crossbridge following ATP binding limits the time that a negative force is in effect and also prevents a rigor crossbridge from retarding the sliding movements generated by other crossbridges. Myosin and dynein exhibit nearly identical kinetic constants governing ATP binding and the ATP-induced dissociation of the crossbridge. These appear as invariant steps that may reflect the basic principles of enzyme catalysis as applied to the mechanochemical cycle. The rates of ATP hydrolysis and synthesis by myosin and dynein differ slightly, but in each case the reactions are readily reversible with an equilibrium constant less than one. Steps involving the loss and rebinding of products occur at rates two to three orders of magnitude faster for dynein than for myosin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Goody RS, Reedy MC, Hofmann W, Holmes KC, Reedy MK
Binding of myosin subfragment 1 to glycerinated insect flight muscle in the rigor state.
Biophys J. 1985; 47: 151-69
Display abstract
The binding of rabbit muscle myosin subfragment 1 (S1) to glycerinated insect flight muscle fibers has been studied by low-angle x-ray diffraction, quantitative sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis, quantitative interference microscopy, and electron microscopy. Changes induced in the rigor x-ray diffraction pattern are consistent with the idea that vacant myosin-binding sites on thin filaments are filled by exogenous S1. Electron microscopy indicates that S1 permeates and labels fibers and fibrils completely. Electron micrographs also show that cross-bridges are not displaced by exogenous S1 under the conditions used, and this is supported by the unchanged mechanical stiffness of the S1-labeled fibers. The amount of bound S1, as measured by gel electrophoresis and interference microscopy, together with the magnitude of the intensity changes in the x-ray diffraction pattern, is consistent with a thick filament structure that contains four molecules of endogenous myosin per 14.5 nm of its length, but does not agree well with earlier estimates of six myosins per crown. Lack of information on possible inhibition of S1-binding by factors other than the presence of cross-bridges, e.g., troponin, render uncertain calculations of the number of attached cross-bridges in the rigor state. However, it appears that at least 75% of the endogenous myosin heads are attached. Occupancy of binding sites on thin filaments after incubation with S1 is high, probably greater than 85%, so that x-ray scattering from those parts of the structure that adhere to the symmetry of the thin filaments can be treated as diffraction from S1-decorated thin filaments. In addition, we show in thin flared X cross sections that exo-S1 heads bind to actin with the geometry described in decorated actin by Taylor, K.A., and L.A. Amos.

Botts J et al.
On the mechanism of energy transduction in myosin subfragment 1.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984; 81: 2060-4
Display abstract
It is proposed that the myosin subfragment 1 moiety of the muscle contractile apparatus is a self-contained "engine" whose operational plan is based on the interactive nature of ATP (or degradation intermediate) binding and actin binding, made possible by an intersite communication system. It is suggested that the spatial information required for examining this engine can, at least provisionally, be derived from fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements interpreted by the Forster equation and that the existence of an intersite communication system can be deduced from piece-wise detection of interacting pairs of points.

Holmes KC, Goody RS
The nature of the actin cross-bridge interaction.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 1984; 170: 373-84
Display abstract
Evidence from sequence studies and from proteolysis suggests that S1 consists of three domains. Cross-linking studies show that one S1 can bind to two actin monomers which may lie in different strands of the actin long helix. The S1-actin interaction comprises two states "weak" and "strong". We suggest there are distinct hinged binding sites, "weak" and "rigor", of which only the rigor site is sensitive to tropomyosin control. If one takes the weak binding domain to be a "nose-cone" which is attached to the rest of the S1 by a flexible covalent hinge allowing the rigor link to be formed independently a number of structural phenomena observed in fibres may be explained.

Hibberd MG, Goldman YE, Trentham DR
Mechanical response to photochemical release of ATP within skinned muscle fibres.
Biochem Soc Trans. 1983; 11: 151-151

Highsmith S, Jardetzky O
Actin-induced changes in the dynamics of myosin subfragment-1 detected by nuclear magnetic resonance.
Ciba Found Symp. 1983; 93: 156-8
Display abstract
Analysis of high resolution 1H NMR spectra for myosin and myosin subfragment-1 (S-1) indicates that S-1 has an unusual structure, about 20% of which is mobile. The rest of the myosin molecule and F-actin are rigid by comparison. A wide variety of perturbations do not affect the S-1 internal mobility and suggest that the mobile structure is located in the interior of S-1. Actin binding uniquely quenches the internal motions entirely. The F and G forms have a similar effect. Nucleotide binding restores the internal motions under conditions known to cause dissociation of the acto-S-1 complex. A model of force generation by the actomyosin-nucleotide system, which incorporates this striking actin-induced change in S-1 structural dynamics, is proposed and discussed.

Ajtai K, Szilagyi L, Biro EN
Study of the structure of HMM . Vanadate complex.
FEBS Lett. 1982; 141: 74-7

Mendelson R
X-ray scattering by myosin S-1: implications for the steric blocking model of muscle control.
Nature. 1982; 298: 665-7

Winzor DJ, Ward LD, Nichol LW
Reappraisal of the binding of myosin subfragment 1 to regulated filaments in terms of the steric model of muscle relaxation.
Arch Biochem Biophys. 1982; 217: 397-400

Amos LA, Huxley HE, Holmes KC, Goody RS, Taylor KA
Structural evidence that myosin heads may interact with two sites on F-actin.
Nature. 1982; 299: 467-9

Vibert P, Craig R
Three-dimensional reconstruction of thin filaments decorated with a Ca2+-regulated myosin.
J Mol Biol. 1982; 157: 299-319

Yano M, Yamamoto Y, Shimizu H
An actomyosin motor.
Nature. 1982; 299: 557-9

Borejdo J
Magnesium adenosine 5'-diphosphate influences proteolytic susceptibility of myosin in myofibrils.
Biochemistry. 1982; 21: 234-41
Display abstract
The proteolytic susceptibility of the subfragment 2/light meromyosin junction [heavy meromyosin (HMM) junction] of myosin was employed as a probe of the cross-bridge conformation. The proteolysis was carried out in the myofibrils where myosin assembled in arrays typical of the in vivo organization. When subfragment I formation was inhibited by saturating the Nbs2 [5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid)] light chains with Mg2+ ions, chymotrypsin attacked exclusively the HMM junction. The rate of this attack was assessed by measuring the rate of HMM formation by quantitative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and by following absorbance changes associated with the solubilization of myofibrillar suspensions. Under rigor conditions, the myofibrils were relatively resistant to the chymotryptic attack. The presence of MgAMP-PNP or MgPPi did not affect the rate of proteolytic attack. On the other hand, binding of MgADP had a powerful stimulating influence on the HMM site digestibility. The dissociation constant for the effect of MgADP was 10 microM less than Kd less than 50 microM. MgADP did not exercise its unique effect through destabilization of myosin filaments or through dissociation of the actomyosin complex. These results are explained in terms of a change in the myosin cross-bridge conformation brought about by the binding of MgADP to the active site.

Wagner PD, Giniger E
Hydrolysis of ATP and reversible binding to F-actin by myosin heavy chains free of all light chains.
Nature. 1981; 292: 560-2

Hendrickson CM
Problems associated with models of cytoplasmic streaming in capillary tubes.
Arch Biochem Biophys. 1981; 210: 537-9

Bishop EA, Gray BF
A comment on ATPase driven streaming in a reconstituted contractile system.
J Biochem (Tokyo). 1981; 90: 881-3
Display abstract
The production of chemo-mechanical effects in a reconstituted system of purified muscle proteins had been studied. It was found that the "streaming" effects observed (by previous workers) in the circular slit of a stream cell were observed under conditions where the absence of artefacts could not be guaranteed. In particular, convective motion motion, due to small temperature gradients is shown to be present, resulting in streaming even in the absence of essential components of the system such as ATP. Temperature inhomogeneities of the order of only 0.1 K . mm-1 are sufficient to cause motion, and any future experiments on streaming must be thermally homogeneous to a greater accuracy than this if valid conclusions are to be drawn.

Wakabayashi T, Toyoshima C
Three-dimensional image analysis of the complex of thin filaments and myosin molecules from skeletal muscle. II. The multi-domain structure of actin-myosin S1 complex.
J Biochem (Tokyo). 1981; 90: 683-701
Display abstract
A three-dimensional image of the "rigor" complex of actin and chymotryptic myosin subfragment-1 (S1) was reconstituted from electron micrographs of specimens embedded in unbroken and unbacked stain sheets of uranyl acetate over the holes of perforated carbon films to an effective resolution of 20 A radially and 26 A axially. The morphological unit of actin-S1 complex consists of at least three domains and myosin S1 shows a multi-domain submolecular structure. Possible ways to assign actin to one or more of these three domains are discussed. Two candidates for the shape of S1 molecule are also shown. Both candidates have a complex "embryo"-like shape. The solid model of the actin-S1 complex appears to be far less polar than that shown in the original electron micrographs or the projected density map of the reconstituted image shown by Toyoshima and Wakabayashi (1). The conspicuous polarity of the arrowhead pattern is related to the projected image of the spiral shape of the main part of the S1 molecule, which is almost at right angles to the helix axis. As one way to reconcile the non-tilted configuration of S1 in the rigor complex with sliding theory, the possibility of a pivoting mechanism (rotation of S1 head in the horizontal plane normal to the helix axis rather than in the vertical plane parallel to the helix axis) is discussed.

Yagi N, Dickens MJ, Bennett PM, Offer G
Electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction of a hexagonal net of light meromyosin.
J Mol Biol. 1981; 149: 787-803

Namba K, Wakabayashi K, Mitsui T
X-ray structure analysis of the thin filament of crab striated muscle in the rigor state.
J Mol Biol. 1980; 138: 1-26

Garcia de la Torre J, Bloomfield VA
Conformation of myosin in dilute solution as estimated from hydrodynamic properties.
Biochemistry. 1980; 19: 5118-23
Display abstract
On the basis of the current knowledge of the structure and dimensions of myosin and its parts, we analyze available data on hydrodynamic properties (translational diffusion, rotational diffusion, and intrinsic viscosity) for comparison with values calculated for models with varying geometry. Special attention is paid to detecting flexibility effects in those properties. After obtaining a plausible model for subfragment S-1, we concentrate on the conformation of the rodlike parts of myosin. Although uncertainties in the experimental values do not allow a rigorous, quantitative analysis, we show how hydrodynamic data provide evidence for the flexibility of the rod at the joint of subfragment S-2 and light meromyosin.

Shukla KK, Levy HM, Ramirez F, Marecek JF, Meyerson S, Kuhn ES
Distribution of [18O]Pi species from [gamma-18O]ATP hydrolysis by myosin and heavy meromyosin. Evidence for two kinds of myosin-active site differing in their rate of intermediate oxygen exchange.
J Biol Chem. 1980; 255: 11344-50

Shoham M, Steitz TA
Crystallographic studies and model building of ATP at the active site of hexokinase.
J Mol Biol. 1980; 140: 1-14

Goody RS, Hofmann W
Stereochemical aspects of the interaction of myosin and actomyosin with nucleotides.
J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 1980; 1: 101-15
Display abstract
The five possible analogues of ATP and the three possible analogues of ADP which contain single non-bridging sulphur atoms instead of oxygen in the polyphosphate structure have been used as probes of the interaction of nucleotides with myosin and actomyosin. Evidence is presented for the requirement of an alpha, beta, gamma-tridentate complex of magnesium and ATP as the substrate for myosin. Of the four possible tridentate MgATP diastereomers, the delta exo isomer (nomenclature of Cornelius & Cleland, 1978) appears to be the actual substrate.

Wells JA, Knoeber C, Sheldon MC, Werber MM, Yount RG
Cross-linking of myosin subfragment 1. Nucleotide-enhanced modification by a variety of bifunctional reagents.
J Biol Chem. 1980; 255: 11135-40

Morales MF, Botts J
On the molecular basis for chemomechanical energy transduction in muscle.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979; 76: 3857-9
Display abstract
Herein it is developed that energy transduction in muscle is an activity of myosin S-1 and its ligands, actin (A) and nucleotide (N). S-1 shares with other molecular particles (e.g., hemoglobin) the property that binding events at one of its sites, the N-site, influences binding events at a remote site, the A site (specifically, influences both the actin affinity and actin attachment angle at the A site). However, there is a crucial difference between S-1 and the better-known systems. Because the N site is enzymatic, it has a temporal sequence of occupants; this imposes a temporal sequence of actin attitudes--i.e., a sequence of mechanical events.

Shukla KK, Levy HM
Evidence from oxygen exchange measurements for a cooperative interaction between the two heads of myosin.
Nature. 1977; 266: 190-1

Abe S, Maruyama K
Dynamic viscoelastic study of acto-heavy meromyosin in solution.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 1974; 342: 160-72

Tonomura Y, Oosawa F
Molecular mechanism of contraction.
Annu Rev Biophys Bioeng. 1972; 1: 159-90

Squire JM
General model of myosin filament structure. II. Myosin filaments and cross-bridge interactions in vertebrate striated and insect flight muscles.
J Mol Biol. 1972; 72: 125-38

Takeuchi K, Tonomura Y
Formation of acto-H-meromyosin and acto-subfragment-1 complexes and their dissociation by adenosine triphosphate.
J Biochem (Tokyo). 1971; 70: 1011-26