Abstract
The regulatory light chains, small polypeptides located on the myosin head, regulate the interaction of myosin with actin in response to either Ca2+ or phosphorylation. The demonstration that the regulatory light chains on scallop myosin can be replaced by light chains from other myosins has allowed us to compare the functional capabilities of different light chains1, but has not enabled us to probe the role of features, such as the Ca2+/Mg2+ binding site, that are common to all of them. Here, we describe the use of site-directed mutagenesis to study the function of that site. We synthesized the chicken skeletal myosin light chain in Escherichia coli and constructed mutants with substitutions within the Ca2+/Mg2+ binding site. When the aspartate residues at the first and sixth Ca2+ coordination positions are replaced by uncharged alanines, the light chains have a reduced Ca2+ binding capacity but still bind to scallop myosin with high affinity. Unlike the wild-type skeletal light chain which inhibits myosin interaction with actin, the mutants activate it. Thus, an intact Ca2+/Mg2+ binding site in the N-terminal region of the light chain is essential for regulating the interaction of myosin with actin.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kendrick-Jones, J., Szentkiralyi, E. M. & Szent-Gyorgyi, A. G. J. molec. Biol. 104, 747–775 (1976).
Baba, M. L., Goodman, M., Berger-Cohn, J., DeMaille, J. G. & Matsuda, G. Molec. biol. Evol. 1, 442–455 (1984).
Kretsinger, R. H. CRC Crit. Rev. Biochem. 8, 119–174 (1980).
Kretsinger, R. H. & Nockolds, C. E. J. biol. Chem. 248, 3313–3326 (1973).
Babu, Y. S. et al. Nature 315, 37–40 (1985).
Herzberg, O. & James, M. N. G. Nature 313, 653–659 (1985).
Sundaralingam, M. et al. Science 227, 945–948 (1985).
Collins, J. H. Nature 259, 699–700 (1976).
Kendrick-Jones, J. & Jakes, R. in Boehringer International Sympsium on Myocardial Failure (eds Rieker, G., Weber, A. & Goodwing, J.) 28–40 (Springer, Berlin, 1976).
Matsuda, G., Suzuyama, Y., Maita, T. & Umegane, T. FEBS Lett. 84, 53–56 (1977).
Bagshaw, C. R. & Kendrick-Jones, J. J. molec. Biol. 130, 317–336 (1979).
Bagshaw, C. R. Biochemistry 16, 59–67 (1977).
Craig, R. et al. J. molec. Biol. 140, 35–55 (1980).
Vibert, P. & Craig, R. J. molec. Biol. 157, 299–319 (1982).
Flicker, P. F., Wallimann, T. & Vibert, P. J. molec. Biol. 169, 723–741 (1983).
Adelstein, R. S. & Eisenberg, E. A. Rev. Biochem. 49, 921–956 (1980).
Kendrick-Jones, J. et al. J. molec. Biol. 165, 139–162 (1983).
Leavis, P. C. & Gergely, J. CRC Crit. Rev. Biochem. 16, 235–305 (1984).
Persechini, A., Stull, J. T. & Cooke, R. J. biol. Chem. 260, 7951–7954 (1985).
Szent-Gyorgyi, A. G., Szentkiralyi, E. M. & Kendrick-Jones, J. J. molec. Biol. 74, 179–203 (1973).
Chantler, P. D. & Szent-Gyorgyi, A. G. J. molec. Biol. 138, 473–492 (1980).
Kendrick-Jones, J. et al. in Basic Biology of Muscles: A Comparative Approach (eds Twarog, B. M., Levine, R. J. C. & Dewey, M. M.) 255–272 (Raven, New York, 1982).
Bagshaw, C. R. & Kendrick-Jones, J. J. molec. Biol. 140, 411–433 (1980).
Blombäck, M., Blomback, B., Mammen, E. F. & Pradsad, A. S. Nature 218, 314–318 (1968).
Reinach, F. C. & Fischman, D. A. J. molec. Biol. 181, 411–422 (1985).
Hendry, G. D. et al. FEBS Lett. 144, 11–15 (1982).
Kawasaki, H., Kasai, H. & Okuyama, T. Analyt. Biochem. 148, 297–302 (1985).
Nagai, K. & Thogersen, H. G. Nature 309, 810–812 (1984).
Carter, P., Bedouelle, H. & Winter, G. Nucleic Acids Res. 13, 4431–4443 (1985).
Murray, N., Bruce, S. A. & Murray, K. J. molec. Biol. 132, 493–505 (1979).
Nagai, K., Perutz, M. F. & Poyart, C. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 7252–7255 (1985).
Marston, F. A. O. et al. Biotechnology 2, 800–804 (1984).
Marston, S. B. Prog. Biophys. molec. Biol. 41, 1–41 (1983).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reinach, F., Nagai, K. & Kendrick-Jones, J. Site-directed mutagenesis of the regulatory light-chain Ca2+/Mg2+ binding site and its role in hybrid myosins. Nature 322, 80–83 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/322080a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/322080a0
This article is cited by
-
In vitro production of enzymatically active myosin heavy chain
Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility (1993)
-
Role of gizzard myosin light chains in calcium binding
Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility (1992)
-
Efficiency of muscle contraction. The chemimechanic equilibrium
Naturwissenschaften (1991)
-
Amino acid sequences of myosin essential and regulatory light chains from two clam species: Comparison with other molluscan myosin light chains
Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility (1991)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.