Structure of Myosin Subfragment-1 from Electron Microscopy and Crystallography

Author(s):  
Donald A. Winkelmann

The primary role of the interaction of actin and myosin is the generation of force and motion as a direct consequence of the cyclic interaction of myosin crossbridges with actin filaments. Myosin is composed of six polypeptides: two heavy chains of molecular weight 220,000 daltons and two pairs of light chains of molecular weight 17,000-23,000. The C-terminal portions of the myosin heavy chains associate to form an α-helical coiled-coil rod which is responsible for myosin filament formation. The N-terminal portion of each heavy chain associates with two different light chains to form a globular head that binds actin and hydrolyses ATP. Myosin can be fragmented by limited proteolysis into several structural and functional domains. It has recently been demonstrated using an in vitro movement assay that the globular head domain, subfragment-1, is sufficient to cause sliding movement of actin filaments.The discovery of conditions for crystallization of the myosin subfragment-1 (S1) has led to a systematic analysis of S1 structure by x-ray crystallography and electron microscopy. Image analysis of electron micrographs of thin sections of small S1 crystals has been used to determine the structure of S1 in the crystal lattice.

Biochemistry ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 641-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Murray ◽  
Annemarie Weber ◽  
Mary K. Knox

1991 ◽  
Vol 279 (3) ◽  
pp. 711-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
D F A McKillop ◽  
M A Geeves

The co-operative binding of myosin subfragment 1 (S1) to reconstituted skeletal-muscle thin filaments has been examined by monitoring the fluorescence of a pyrene probe on Cys-374 of actin. The degree of co-operativity differs when phosphate, sulphate or ADP are bound to the S1 active site. Binding isotherms have been analysed according to the Geeves & Halsall [(1987) Biophys. J. 52, 215-220] model, which proposed that troponin and tropomyosin effected regulation of the actomyosin interaction by controlling an isomerization of the actomyosin complex. The data support the proposal that seven actin monomers associated with a single tropomyosin molecule act as a co-operative unit that can be in one of two states. In the ‘closed’ state myosin can bind to actin, but the subsequent isomerization is prevented. The isomerization is only allowed after the seven-actin unit is in the ‘open’ form. Ca2+ controls the proportion of actin filaments in the ‘closed’ and ‘open’ forms in the absence of myosin heads. The ratio of ‘closed’ to ‘open’ forms is approx. 50:1 in the absence of Ca2+ and 5:1 in its presence.


1986 ◽  
Vol 103 (4) ◽  
pp. 1517-1525 ◽  
Author(s):  
D P Kiehart ◽  
R Feghali

Myosin is identified and purified from three different established Drosophila melanogaster cell lines (Schneider's lines 2 and 3 and Kc). Purification entails lysis in a low salt, sucrose buffer that contains ATP, chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, precipitation with actin in the absence of ATP, gel filtration in a discontinuous KI-KCl buffer system, and hydroxylapatite chromatography. Yield of pure cytoplasmic myosin is 5-10%. This protein is identified as myosin by its cross-reactivity with two monoclonal antibodies against human platelet myosin, the molecular weight of its heavy chain, its two light chains, its behavior on gel filtration, its ATP-dependent affinity for actin, its characteristic ATPase activity, its molecular morphology as demonstrated by platinum shadowing, and its ability to form bipolar filaments. The molecular weight of the cytoplasmic myosin's light chains and peptide mapping and immunochemical analysis of its heavy chains demonstrate that this myosin, purified from Drosophila cell lines, is distinct from Drosophila muscle myosin. Two-dimensional thin layer maps of complete proteolytic digests of iodinated muscle and cytoplasmic myosin heavy chains demonstrate that, while the two myosins have some tryptic and alpha-chymotryptic peptides in common, most peptides migrate with unique mobility. One-dimensional peptide maps of SDS PAGE purified myosin heavy chain confirm these structural data. Polyclonal antiserum raised and reacted against Drosophila myosin isolated from cell lines cross-reacts only weakly with Drosophila muscle myosin isolated from the thoraces of adult Drosophila. Polyclonal antiserum raised against Drosophila muscle myosin behaves in a reciprocal fashion. Taken together our data suggest that the myosin purified from Drosophila cell lines is a bona fide cytoplasmic myosin and is very likely the product of a different myosin gene than the muscle myosin heavy chain gene that has been previously identified and characterized.


1982 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 670-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
A R Strauch ◽  
J R LaFountain

Spermatocytes of the crane-fly, Nephrotoma suturalis, were attached to electron microscope grids and then sheared by applying centrifugal force. Transmission electron microscopy of exposed regions of the cell cortex revealed networks containing arrays of filamentous structures. Networks were present in sheared spermatocytes at all stages of meiosis. The networks of dividing spermatocytes (meta- through telophase) were denser and appeared to contain more aggregated material then networks of prophase cells. The appearance of networks in spermatocytes resembled actin-containing networks of sheared and detergent-extracted human erythrocytes. Networks treated with myosin subfragment 1 under conditions in which muscle F-actin was clearly decorated were not distinguishable from those of untreated cells. Exposure to deoxyribonuclease-1 caused the disruption of networks in sheared spermatocytes as well as in erythrocytes. The results of deoxyribonuclease experiments are interpreted as an indication that actin is a component of the cell cortex in crane-fly spermatocytes.


1978 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 846-852 ◽  
Author(s):  
D A Begg ◽  
R Rodewald ◽  
L I Rebhun

We have developed an improved method for visualizing actin filament polarity in thin sections. Myosin subfragment-1 (S-1)-decorated actin filaments display a dramatically enhanced arrowhead configuration when fixed in a medium which contains 0.2 % tannic acid. With the exception of brush borders from intestinal epithelial cells, the arrowhead periodicity of decorated filaments in a variety of nonmuscle cells is similar to that in isolated myofibrils. The periodicity of decorated filaments in brush borders is significantly smaller. Actin filaments which attach to membranes display a clear, uniform polarity, with the S-1 arrowheads pointing away from the plasma membrane, while those which comprise the stress fibers of myoblasts and CHO cells have antiparallel polarities. These observations are consistent with a sliding filament mechanism of cell motility.


Nature ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 328 (6130) ◽  
pp. 536-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoko Yano Toyoshima ◽  
Stephen J. Kron ◽  
Elizabeth M. McNally ◽  
Kenneth R. Niebling ◽  
Chikashi Toyoshima ◽  
...  

1984 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
C M Goodloe-Holland ◽  
E J Luna

The binding between sonicated Dictyostelium discoideum plasma membrane fragments and F-actin on Sephacryl S-1000 beads was found to be competitively inhibited by myosin subfragment-1. This inhibition is MgATP-sensitive, exhibits a Ki of approximately 5 X 10(-8) M, and is reciprocal, since membranes inhibit the binding of 125I-heavy meromyosin to F-actin on beads. These experiments demonstrate that membrane binding and S-1 binding to F-actin on beads are mutually exclusive and, therefore, that the membrane fragments bind predominantly to the sides, rather than to the ends, of the actin filaments. This conclusion is supported by electron micrographs that show many lateral associations between membrane fragments and bead-associated actin filaments. Such lateral associations could play an important role in the organization and lateral movement of membrane proteins by the cytomusculature.


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