In Vitro Motility Assays with Smooth Muscle Myosin

1996 ◽  
pp. 181-191e ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Sellers
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Smooth Muscle Myosin ◽  
In Vitro Motility ◽  
Muscle Myosin

scholarly journals Smooth muscle myosin cross-bridge interactions modulate actin filament sliding velocity in vitro.

1990 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 453-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
D M Warshaw ◽  
J M Desrosiers ◽  
S S Work ◽  
K M Trybus
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Smooth Muscle Myosin ◽  
Copolymer Composition ◽  
Weakly Bound ◽  
In Vitro Motility Assay ◽  
In Vitro Motility ◽  
Chemically Modified ◽  
Cross Bridges ◽  
Muscle Myosin

Although it is generally believed that phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain of myosin is required before smooth muscle can develop force, it is not known if the overall degree of phosphorylation can also modulate the rate at which cross-bridges cycle. To address this question, an in vitro motility assay was used to observe the motion of single actin filaments interacting with smooth muscle myosin copolymers composed of varying ratios of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated myosin. The results suggest that unphosphorylated myosin acts as a load to slow down the rate at which actin is moved by the faster cycling phosphorylated cross-bridges. Myosin that was chemically modified to generate a noncycling analogue of the "weakly" bound conformation was similarly able to slow down phosphorylated myosin. The observed modulation of actin velocity as a function of copolymer composition can be accounted for by a model based on mechanical interactions between cross-bridges.

Characterization of isoform diversity in smooth muscle myosin heavy chains

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (11) ◽  
pp. 1351-1360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine A. Kelley ◽  
Robert S. Adelstein
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Myosin Heavy Chain ◽  
Heavy Chain ◽  
Smooth Muscle Myosin ◽  
Motility Assay ◽  
In Vitro Motility Assay ◽  
In Vitro Motility ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Muscle Myosin

In this paper we review some of our recent work on the structural and biochemical characterization of isoforms of the heavy chain of vertebrate smooth muscle myosin II. There exist both amino-terminal and carboxyl-terminal alternatively spliced isoforms of the smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (MHC). mRNA splicing at the 3′ end generates two MHCs, which differ in length and amino acid sequence in the carboxyl terminus. We will refer to the longer, 204-kDa isoform as MHC204 and the shorter, 200-kDa isoform as MHC200. We found that MHC204, but not MHC200, can be phosphorylated by casein kinase II on a serine near the carboxyl terminus, suggesting that these isoforms may be differentially regulated. The physiological significance of this phosphorylation is not known. However, as demonstrated in this paper, phosphorylation does not appear to affect filament formation, velocity of movement of actin filaments by myosin in an in vitro motility assay, actin-activated Mg2+ ATPase activity, or myosin conformation. Our results also show that MHC204 and MHC200 form homodimers, but not heterodimers. Purified MHC204 and MHC200 homodimers are not enzymatically different, at least as measured using an in vitro motility assay. The amino-terminal spliced MHC204 and MHC200 isoforms are the result of the specific insertion or deletion of seven amino acids near the ATP-binding region in the myosin head. We refer to these isoforms as inserted (MHC204-I; MHC200-I) or noninserted (MHC204; MHC200), respectively. In contrast to the carboxyl-terminal spliced isoforms, the amino-terminal spliced inserted and noninserted myosin heavy chain isoforms are enzymatically different. The inserted isoform, which is expressed in intestinal, phasic-type smooth muscle, has a higher actin-activated Mg ATPase activity and moves actin filaments at a greater velocity in an in vitro motility assay than the noninserted MHC isoform, which is expressed in tonic-type vascular smooth muscle. The results presented in this review suggest that the alternative splicing of smooth muscle mRNA results in at least four different isoforms of the myosin heavy chain molecule. The potential relevance of these molecular isoforms to smooth muscle function is discussed.Key words: myosin, heavy chain isoforms.

Thiophosphorylation independently activates each head of smooth muscle myosin in vitro

1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (5) ◽  
pp. C1160-C1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Harris ◽  
C. J. Stromski ◽  
E. Hayes ◽  
D. M. Warshaw
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Myosin Light Chain ◽  
Smooth Muscle Myosin ◽  
Mechanical Activity ◽  
In Vitro Motility Assay ◽  
In Vitro Motility ◽  
Measured Activity ◽  
Coated Surface ◽  
Muscle Myosin

To determine whether thiophosphorylation of the 20-kDa myosin light chain activates each head of smooth muscle myosin independently of the head with which it is paired, chicken gizzard smooth muscle myosin was randomly thiophosphorylated, producing a mixture of unphosphorylated and singly and doubly thiophosphorylated myosin. Thiophosphorylation levels were measured by glycerol-urea gels, and the activity of this myosin was determined by actin-activated adenosinetriphosphatase measurements and in an in vitro motility assay, where the velocity of actin filaments moving over a myosin-coated surface is measured. Activity at each thiophosphorylation level was similar to that previously observed for mixtures of unphosphorylated and doubly thiophosphorylated myosin (D. E. Harris, S. S. Work, R. K. Wright, N. R. Alpert, and D. M. Warshaw. J. Muscle Res. Cell Motil. 15: 11-19, 1994). All doubly thiophosphorylated myosin was then formed into filaments and removed from randomly thiophosphorylated myosin by centrifugation. The remaining myosin (mixture of unphosphorylated and singly phosphorylated myosin), which could not polymerize because of their conformation, retained approximately 70% activity compared with mixtures of unphosphorylated and doubly thiophosphorylated myosin. Thus a thiophosphorylated smooth muscle myosin head can produce substantial biochemical and mechanical activity, even when it is paired with an unphosphorylated partner.

scholarly journals Light chain phosphorylation regulates the movement of smooth muscle myosin on actin filaments.

1985 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 1897-1902 ◽  
Author(s):  
J R Sellers ◽  
J A Spudich ◽  
M P Sheetz
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Smooth Muscles ◽  
Smooth Muscle Myosin ◽  
Vitro Assay ◽  
Skeletal Muscle Myosin ◽  
Myosin Filaments ◽  
Muscle Myosin ◽  
Rate Of Movement

In smooth muscles there is no organized sarcomere structure wherein the relative movement of myosin filaments and actin filaments has been documented during contraction. Using the recently developed in vitro assay for myosin-coated bead movement (Sheetz, M.P., and J.A. Spudich, 1983, Nature (Lond.)., 303:31-35), we were able to quantitate the rate of movement of both phosphorylated and unphosphorylated smooth muscle myosin on ordered actin filaments derived from the giant alga, Nitella. We found that movement of turkey gizzard smooth muscle myosin on actin filaments depended upon the phosphorylation of the 20-kD myosin light chains. About 95% of the beads coated with phosphorylated myosin moved at velocities between 0.15 and 0.4 micron/s, depending upon the preparation. With unphosphorylated myosin, only 3% of the beads moved and then at a velocity of only approximately 0.01-0.04 micron/s. The effects of phosphorylation were fully reversible after dephosphorylation with a phosphatase prepared from smooth muscle. Analysis of the velocity of movement as a function of phosphorylation level indicated that phosphorylation of both heads of a myosin molecule was required for movement and that unphosphorylated myosin appears to decrease the rate of movement of phosphorylated myosin. Mixing of phosphorylated smooth muscle myosin with skeletal muscle myosin which moves at 2 microns/s resulted in a decreased rate of bead movement, suggesting that the more slowly cycling smooth muscle myosin is primarily determining the velocity of movement in such mixtures.

scholarly journals Muscle myosins form folded monomers, dimers, and tetramers during filament polymerization in vitro

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (27) ◽  
pp. 15666-15672
Author(s):  
Xiong Liu ◽  
Shi Shu ◽  
Edward D. Korn
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Muscle Contraction ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Critical Concentration ◽  
Smooth Muscle Myosin ◽  
Myosin Filaments ◽  
Muscle Myosin

Muscle contraction depends on the cyclical interaction of myosin and actin filaments. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms of polymerization and depolymerization of muscle myosins. Muscle myosin 2 monomers exist in two states: one with a folded tail that interacts with the heads (10S) and one with an unfolded tail (6S). It has been thought that only unfolded monomers assemble into bipolar and side-polar (smooth muscle myosin) filaments. We now show by electron microscopy that, after 4 s of polymerization in vitro in both the presence (smooth muscle myosin) and absence of ATP, skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle myosins form tail-folded monomers without tail–head interaction, tail-folded antiparallel dimers, tail-folded antiparallel tetramers, unfolded bipolar tetramers, and small filaments. After 4 h, the myosins form thick bipolar and, for smooth muscle myosin, side-polar filaments. Nonphosphorylated smooth muscle myosin polymerizes in the presence of ATP but with a higher critical concentration than in the absence of ATP and forms only bipolar filaments with bare zones. Partial depolymerization in vitro of nonphosphorylated smooth muscle myosin filaments by the addition of MgATP is the reverse of polymerization.

scholarly journals Enhanced force generation by smooth muscle myosin in vitro.

1994 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 202-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. VanBuren ◽  
S. S. Work ◽  
D. M. Warshaw
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Smooth Muscle Myosin ◽  
Force Generation ◽  
Muscle Myosin

scholarly journals Smitin, a novel smooth muscle titin–like protein, interacts with myosin filaments in vivo and in vitro

2002 ◽  
Vol 156 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoungtae Kim ◽  
Thomas C.S. Keller
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Ionic Strength ◽  
Smooth Muscle Cells ◽  
Muscle Cells ◽  
Smooth Muscle Myosin ◽  
Globular Domain ◽  
Contractile Apparatus ◽  
Myosin Filaments ◽  
Muscle Myosin

Smooth muscle cells use an actin–myosin II-based contractile apparatus to produce force for a variety of physiological functions, including blood pressure regulation and gut peristalsis. The organization of the smooth muscle contractile apparatus resembles that of striated skeletal and cardiac muscle, but remains much more poorly understood. We have found that avian vascular and visceral smooth muscles contain a novel, megadalton protein, smitin, that is similar to striated muscle titin in molecular morphology, localization in a contractile apparatus, and ability to interact with myosin filaments. Smitin, like titin, is a long fibrous molecule with a globular domain on one end. Specific reactivities of an anti-smitin polyclonal antibody and an anti-titin monoclonal antibody suggest that smitin and titin are distinct proteins rather than differentially spliced isoforms encoded by the same gene. Smitin immunofluorescently colocalizes with myosin in chicken gizzard smooth muscle, and interacts with two configurations of smooth muscle myosin filaments in vitro. In physiological ionic strength conditions, smitin and smooth muscle myosin coassemble into irregular aggregates containing large sidepolar myosin filaments. In low ionic strength conditions, smitin and smooth muscle myosin form highly ordered structures containing linear and polygonal end-to-end and side-by-side arrays of small bipolar myosin filaments. We have used immunogold localization and sucrose density gradient cosedimentation analyses to confirm association of smitin with both the sidepolar and bipolar smooth muscle myosin filaments. These findings suggest that the titin-like protein smitin may play a central role in organizing myosin filaments in the contractile apparatus and perhaps in other structures in smooth muscle cells.

scholarly journals Affinity for MgADP and force of unbinding from actin of myosin purified from tonic and phasic smooth muscle

2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (3) ◽  
pp. C653-C660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renaud Léguillette ◽  
Nedjma B. Zitouni ◽  
Karuthapillai Govindaraju ◽  
Laura M. Fong ◽  
Anne-Marie Lauzon
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Alternative Hypothesis ◽  
In Vitro Motility Assay ◽  
In Vitro Motility ◽  
Tonic Muscle ◽  
Latch State ◽  
Muscle Myosin ◽  
Phasic Smooth Muscle

Smooth muscle is unique in its ability to maintain force at low MgATP consumption. This property, called the latch state, is more prominent in tonic than phasic smooth muscle. Studies performed at the muscle strip level have suggested that myosin from tonic muscle has a greater affinity for MgADP and therefore remains attached to actin longer than myosin from phasic muscle, allowing for cross-bridge dephosphorylation and latch-bridge formation. An alternative hypothesis is that after dephosphorylation, myosin reattaches to actin and maintains force. We investigated these fundamental properties of smooth muscle at the molecular level. We used an in vitro motility assay to measure actin filament velocity (νmax) when propelled by myosin purified from phasic or tonic muscle at increasing [MgADP]. Myosin was 25% thiophosphorylated and 75% unphosphorylated to approximate in vivo conditions. The slope of νmax versus [MgADP] was significantly greater for tonic (−0.51 ± 0.04) than phasic muscle myosin (−0.15 ± 0.04), demonstrating the greater MgADP affinity of myosin from tonic muscle. We then used a laser trap assay to measure the unbinding force from actin of populations of unphosphorylated tonic and phasic muscle myosin. Both myosin types attached to actin, and their unbinding force (0.092 ± 0.022 pN for phasic muscle and 0.084 ± 0.017 pN for tonic muscle) was not statistically different. We conclude that the greater affinity for MgADP of tonic muscle myosin and the reattachment of dephosphorylated myosin to actin may both contribute to the latch state.

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