Lactate dehydrogenase-induced conformational changes of F-actin in myosin-free ghost single fibres

The changes in conformation of F-actin induced by the binding of the glycolytic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase were studied in myosin-free single ghost muscle fibres. The formation of the lactate dehydrogenase-F-actin complex was accompanied by changes in the parameters of intrinsic (tryptophan) and extrinsic (rhodaminyl-phalloin) polarized fluorescence of ghost muscle fibre F-actin. Lactate dehydrogenase stimulated actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase of myosin subfragment 1 by 30%. F-actin of ghost fibres depressed lactate dehydrogenase activity to 20% of the initial values. It is suggested that the energy-providing mechanism is coupled with that of muscle contraction through conformational changes in F-actin.