1978 Volume 44 Issue 5 Pages 485-489
Myosin and actin were prepared from fish dorsal, rabbit skeletal, and scallop striated adductor muscles. Actomyosins were synthesized in various combinations of myosin and actin preparations by mixing them in an equal weight ratio. The ATP sensitivity and thermostability of the synthetic actomyosins were studied.
1. All combinations of myosin and actin from fish and rabbit sources gave actomyosins having a high ATP sensitivity, while the combinations of scallop myosin and actin of either fish or scallop produced actomyosins having a lower ATP sensitivity. These results suggest a relatively weak binding of myosin and actin.
2. Judging from the first order rate constant (KD) of inactivation of Ca2+-ATPase, it was found that synthetic actomyosins which contained a definite myosin with various actins maintained exactly the same stability against thermal denaturation, although the synthetic actomyosin is approximately 10 times more stable than its myosin moiety.
3. The thermal inactivation of Ca2+-ATPase of actomyosins synthesized from fish and scallop sources, assayed at various KCI concentrations, gave nearly the same rate constants.