Canine cardiac myosin with special referrence to pressure overload cardiac hypertrophy. I. Subunit composition.

In studies of myosin from left and right ventricles of normal hearts and hypertrophic hearts at 5 weeks and 13 weeks after aortic banding, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows intermediate molecular weight components which derive from heavy chains fragmented in the presence of dodecyl sulfate. The proportion of degraded heavy chains is greater in myosin from hypertrophic hearts than normal hearts, with comparable degradation in left and right ventricle myosin. The observed fragmentation of myosin results from proteolysis due to contaminant proteases or a thermally activated, heat-stable nonenzymatic process, or both. The susceptibility of heavy chains to crude myofibrillar proteases differs in normal and hypertrophic cardiac myosin; however, the kinetics of tryptic digestion are identical for both myosins. With precautions to minimize proteolytic artifacts on dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, preparations of myosin from left and right ventricles of normal and hypertrophic hearts exhibit comparable subunit composition, with approximately molar ratios of heavy chains, light chain L1, and light chain L2. Comparable stoichiometry for the light chain fraction is determined by high speed sedimentation equilibrium at pH 11 and direct fractionation of the different cardiac myosins. We do not confirm reports (e.g. Wikman-Coffelt, J., Fenner, C., Smith, A., and Mason, D. T. (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 1257-1262) of different proportions of light chains in left and right ventricle myosin of normal and hypertrophic canine hearts. The light chains display microheterogeneity, with L1 generating two isoelectric variants and L2 generating two major and two minor variants, but identical mobilities and isoelectric values are obtained in the different myosin preparations.     

Myosin isoenzymes and their subunits in urodelan amphibian fast skeletal muscle. Coexistence of larval and adult heavy chains in neotenic individuals

The distributions of native myosin isoforms were examined by electrophoresis under non-dissociating conditions, in the fast twitch dorsal skeletal muscle of young larvae, neotenic adults and metamorphosed adults of urodelan amphibians. Both heavy and light chains of myosin isoenzymes were analysed. In pyrophosphate acrylamide gel electrophoresis three isoenzymes were demonstrated in larval myosin; other isoforms of lower electrophoretic mobility were observed in metamorphosed adults myosin. Larval and adult isoenzymes were shown to coexist in myosin from neotenic adults. Analysis of heavy chains in denaturing conditions and proteolytic digestion revealed the sequential occurrence during development of two types of heavy chains, one larval and one adult, that coexist in the myosin of neotenic adults only. Analysis of light chain patterns under denaturing conditions revealed the existence of three fast light chains which displayed no modification during the course of development. The neotenic urodelan amphibian species model represents actually the only model in which the coexistence of larval (or neonatal) and adult heavy chains is maintained throughout life in adults.     

The effect of phosphorylation of myosin light chains on the structural state of tropomyosin in thin filaments, decorated with heavy meromyosin

The structural state of tropomyosin (TM) modified by 5-(iodoacetamidoethyl)-aminonaphthalene-1-sulfonate (1.5-IAEDANS) upon F-actin decoration with myosin subfragment 1 (S1) and heavy meromyosin (HMM) in glycerinated myosin- and troponin-free muscle fibers was studied. HMM preparations contained native phosphorylated myosin light chains, while S1 preparations did not. The changes in the polarized fluorescence of 1.5-IAEDANS-TM during the F-actin interaction with S1 were independent of light chains phosphorylation and Ca2+ concentration, but were dependent on these factors during the F-actin interaction with HMM. The binding of myosin heads to F-actin is supposed to initiate conformational changes in TM which are accompanied by changes in the flexibility and molecular arrangement of TM. In the presence of light chains, the structural changes in TM depend on light chains phosphorylation and Ca2+ concentration. The conformational changes in TM seem to be responsible for the mechanisms of coupling of the myosin and tropomyosin modulation system during the actin-myosin interaction in skeletal muscles.     

Protein synthesis, myosin ATPase activity and myofibrillar protein composition in hearts from tumour-bearing rats and mice.

Growing rats and adult weight-stable mice bearing a transplantable methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma were compared with animals with various states of malnutrition. Heart protein synthesis was measured in vivo. Myocardial RNA, myofibrillar protein composition and the Ca2+-activated ATPase activity in heavy chains of native myosin were measured. 'Fingerprints' were made from myosin by trypsin treatment to evaluate possible structural changes in the protein. Cardiac protein-synthesis rate was decreased by 20% in growing tumour-bearing rats, by 35% in protein-malnourished (rats) and by 47% in starved rats, compared with freely fed controls (P less than 0.05). Adult tumour-bearing mice showed no significant decrease in myocardial protein synthesis. Pair-weighed control mice had significantly depressed heart protein synthesis. Protein translational efficiency was maintained in both tumour-bearing rats and mice, but was decreased in several groups of malnourished control animals. The Ca2+-activated myosin ATPase activity was decreased in all groups of malnourished animals, including tumour-bearing mice and rats, without any evidence of a change in cardiac isomyosin composition. We conclude that loss of cardiac muscle mass in tumour disease is communicated by both depressed synthesis and increased degradation largely owing to anorexia and host malnutrition. Increased adrenergic sensitivity in hearts from tumour-bearing and malnourished animals is not communicated by increased Ca2+-activated ATPase activity. This may be down-regulated in all groups with malnutrition, without any observable alterations in the isomyosin profile.     

Ouabain-induced hypertension enhances left ventricular contractility in rats

Chronic ouabain treatment produces hypertension acting on the central nervous system and at vascular levels. However, cardiac effects in this model of hypertension are still poorly understood. Hence, the effects of hypertension induced by chronic ouabain administration ( approximately 8 microg day(-1), s.c.) for 5 weeks on the cardiac function were studied in Wistar rats. Ouabain induces hypertension but not myocardial hypertrophy. Awake ouabain-treated rats present an increment of the left ventricular systolic pressure and of the maximum positive and negative dP/dt. Isolated papillary muscles from ouabain-treated rats present an increment in isometric force, and this effect was present even when inotropic interventions (external Ca(2+) increment and increased heart rate) were performed. However, the sarcoplasmic reticulum activity and the SERCA-2 protein expression did not change. On the other hand, the activity of myosin ATPase increased without changes in myosin heavy chain protein expression. In addition, the expression of alpha(1) and alpha(2) isoforms of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase also increased in the left ventricle from ouabain-hypertensive rats. The present results showed positive inotropic and lusitropic effects in hearts from awake ouabain-treated rats, which are associated with an increment of the isometric force development and of the activity of myosin ATPase and expression of catalytic subunits of the Na(+), K(+)-ATPase.     

Effect of hypertension on hearts of rats trained by swimming

To determine whether a prior chronic swimming program would alter the heart's response to chronic hypertension, female rats were made to swim for 10 wk, and then the left renal artery was stenosed. Heart perfusions were performed 10 wk later. The five groups studied were: control (C), normotensive swimmers (Sw), sedentary hypertensives (H), swimming rats made hypertensive and then allowed to be sedentary (Sw-H-Sd); and swimming animals made hypertensive and continued in a swimming program (Sw-H-Sw). Total heart and left ventricular weights were increased in increasing degrees in the sequence Sw, H, Sw-H-Sd, and Sw-H-Sw. Right ventricular weight was only increased in Sw and Sw-H-Sw. Swimming before the onset of hypertension enhanced total cardiac output and stroke work. Ejection fractions and mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (Vcf) were increased in Sw-H-Sd or Sw-H-Sw vs. controls. Myocardial O2 extraction was increased and coronary flow and myocardial O2 consumption were diminished in all hypertensive groups. However, lactate production was similar in all groups. Myosin adenosinetriphosphatase activity was increased in Sw but decreased in the three H groups. The percent of V1 myosin isozyme was greater and the percent of V3 less in Sw than in C; V1 was diminished and V3 increased in H and Sw-H-Sd; isozymes were normal in Sw-H-Sw.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Synthesis and assembly of native myosin on muscle polyribosomes

We have used the overload-induced growth of avian muscles to study the assembly of the newly synthesized myosins which were separated by non-denaturing pyrophosphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Using this model, we have observed the appearance of fast-like isomyosins in polyribosomes prepared from slow anterior latissimus dorsi muscle after 72 h of overload. These new isoforms comigrating with native myosin from fast posterior latissimus dorsi muscle were not yet present in cellular extracts from the same muscle. The in vitro translation system utilizing muscle specific polyribosomes directs the synthesis of the corresponding myosin isoforms. Under denaturing conditions, myosin heavy chains and light chains dissociate to the expected subunit composition of each specific isoform. The synthesis and assembly of native myosin on polyribosomes indicate that myosin exists as a single mature protein prior to the incorporation in the thick filament.     

Studies on Ca2+-Mg2+ binding sites of frog skeletal muscle myosin.

From skeletal muscle myosin light chains readily dissociate from the myosin oligomer in the absence of divalent cations, and unlike rabbit skeletal muscle myosin light chains, the released light chains of frog skeletal muscle myosin have a high Ca2+ binding affinity. Whereas each Ca2+ binding light chain of frog skeletal muscle myosin, when in association with the heavy chains bound 1 mol of Ca2+, when in the dissociated state bound 0.5 mol of Ca2+; the latter were readily displaced with low Mg2+ concentrations. Whereas 10(-5) M Mg2+ displaced all of the Ca2+ binding sites on the released light chains at Ca2+ concentration ranges of 10(-7) to 10(-4) M, there was negligible displacement of the Ca2+ binding sites with native frog skeletal muscle myosin under these same conditions.     

Comparative analyses of the kinetics and subunits of myosins from canine skeletal muscle and cardiac tissue.

Two types of canine cardiac myosins, myosin from the free wall of the right ventricle and the free wall of the left ventricle, were compared with canine skeletal muscle myosin from the gastrocnemius. The Vmax values for the ATPase reaction catalyzed by myosin were significantly different among the three types of tissues. For K+-activated myosin the Vmax values in micromoles of Pi per mg per min were: right ventricle, 0.57; left ventricle, 0.72; and gastrocnemius, 0.95. For Ca-2+ -activated myosin the Vmax values were: right ventricle, 0.32; left ventricle, 0.42; gastrocnemius, 0.50. All differences were significant (p smaller than 0.001). For all three types of tissues the Vmax values for NH4+ -activated myosin were the same (2.30). Light chains among all three types of tissues were immunologically identical, whereas the heavy chains of the two cardiac ventricles were immunologically identical with each other; however both were immunologically nonidentical with those of the gastrocnemius. The proportion of myosin light chains to heavy chains was different in the three types of tissue. Of the total protein present in each of the myosins, there was 18% in the light chains of right ventricle myosin, 10% in the light chains of left ventricle myosin, and 13% in the light chains of gastrocnemius. Both left ventricle myosin and myosin from gastrocnemius had significantly less C1d light chain, as compared to myosin from the right ventricle.     

Myosin alkali light chain and heavy chain variations correlate with altered shortening velocity of isolated skeletal muscle fibers

This study examines the myosin isozyme heterogeneity (in terms of both alkali light chains and myosin heavy chains) among skeletal muscle fibers of the rabbit and correlates these isozyme differences with the differences in a contractile property, the velocity of unloaded shortening, of the fibers. The mean velocities of unloaded shortening (pCa 4.3; 12 degrees C) were as follows: psoas IIb fibers, 2.07 fiber lengths/s (n = 25); tibialis anterior (IIb) fibers, 1.63 fiber lengths/s (n = 18); vastus intermedius IIa fibers, 0.98 fiber lengths/s (n = 15); fibers (IIa) from chronically stimulated tibialis anterior, 0.86 fiber lengths/s (n = 16). Peptide maps of the myosins showed that the myosin heavy chains of the two groups of IIb fibers were indistinguishable from each other, but different from the heavy chains of the IIa fibers. However, the difference in maximal shortening velocity of the two groups of IIb fibers was correlated with a difference in the alkali light chain ratio deduced from the intensity ratio of myosin isoforms separated by gel electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions. The vastus intermedius (IIa) and chronically stimulated tibialis anterior (IIa) fibers were indistinguishable in terms of either velocities of unloaded shortening or myosin isozyme contents. Soleus fibers contained only slow-twitch myosin. Thus, among fibers that contained a variety of myosin isozymes, differences in shortening velocities were correlated with the alkali light chain ratio, myosin heavy chain type, or a combination of both.     

Analysis of myosin light and heavy chain types in single human skeletal muscle fibers

In this study, myosin types in human skeletal muscle fibers were investigated with electrophoretic techniques. Single fibers were dissected out of lyophilized surgical biopsies and typed by staining for myofibrillar ATPase after preincubation in acid or alkaline buffers. After 14C-labelling of the fiber proteins in vitro by reductive methylation, the myosin light chain pattern was analysed on two-dimensional gels and the myosin heavy chains were investigated by one-dimensional peptide mapping. Surprisingly, human type I fibers, which contained only the slow heavy chain, were found to contain variable amounts of fast myosin light chains in addition to the two slow light chains LC1s and LC2s. The majority of the type I fibers in normal human muscle showed the pattern LC1s, LC2s and LC1f. Further evidence for the existence in human muscle of a hybrid myosin composed of a slow heavy chain with fast and slow light chains comes from the analysis of purified human myosin in the native state by pyrophosphate gel electrophoresis. With this method, a single band corresponding to slow myosin was obtained; this slow myosin had the light chain composition LC1s, LC2s and LC1f. Type IIA and IIB fibers, on the other hand, revealed identical light chain patterns consisting of only the fast light chains LC1f, LC2f and LC3f but were found to have different myosin havy chains. On the basis of the results presented, we suggest that the histochemical ATPase normally used for fibre typing is determined by the myosin heavy chain type (and not by the light chains). Thus, in normal human muscle a number of 'hybrid' myosins were found to occur, namely two extreme forms of fast myosins which have the same light chains but different heavy chains (IIA and IIB) and a continuum of slow forms consisting of the same heavy chain and slow light chains with a variable fast light chain composition. This is consistent with the different physiological roles these fibers are thought to have in muscle contraction.     

Effects of regression of cardiac hypertrophy on myocardial contractility and ventricular myosin isoenzymes

The effects of regression of cardiac hypertrophy on myocardial contractility and ventricular myosin isoenzymes were investigated in rats with renovascular hypertension. Six-week-old male Wistar rats were made hypertensive by constriction of one renal artery with a silver clip. Regression of cardiac hypertrophy was induced following the lowering of blood pressure by nephrectomy on the affected side 5–6 weeks after constriction of the renal artery and was maintained for 5–6 weeks. In contrast, myocardial hypertrophy was induced by 10–11 weeks of the hypertensive state. Isometric developed tension of isolated left ventricular papillary muscles was measured, while they were being perfused with Tyrode solution. Left ventricular myosin isoenzymes were separated by pyrophosphate gel electrophoresis. The ventricular to body weight ratio of the nephrectomized group was significantly lower than that of the hypertensive group, although it was greater than that of age-matched normal control rats. There were no significant differences in the isometric developed tension among three groups, the nephrectomized, hypertensive, and normal control rats. However, dT/dtmax tended to decrease in the hypertensive rats and recovered to normal in the nephrectomized rats. The left ventricular myosin isoenzyme pattern was shifted toward VM-3 in hypertensive rats and was shifted back toward VM-1 again in nephrectomized rats.     

A new cardiac myosin characterized from the canine atria.

Canine atrial myosin light chains were electrophoretically distinct from myosins of canine ventricles on 5–20% polyacrylamide gradient slab gels (SDS), giving molecular weights of 26,000 and 21,000 as compared to 28,000 and 18,500 for ventricular myosin light chains. While atrial myosin heavy chains were immunologically identical with ventricular myosin heavy chains, in contrast, there was 8.0% relative cross-reactivity of atrial myosin light chains with left ventricular myosin light chains by radioimunoassay. According to charge separation on two-dimensional polyacrylamide urea gels, atrial myosin light chains were different from those of ventricular myosins. Variances in ATPase activities between atrial and ventricular myosins were strongly demonstrated. There was a lower K⁺ activated ATPase activity in atrial myosin, however the Ca²⁺ activated ATPase activity, at ATP saturation levels, was higher in atrial myosin as compared to ventricular myosins.     

Liver cell myosin: isolation and properties

We have purified myosin from isolated rabbit liver cells that had been previously shown to be well separated from blood vessels and connective tissue (Okamoto, Y. et al. (1983) J. Biochem. 94, 645-653). It comprises a 200-kDa heavy chain and light chains of 24-kDa, 22-kDa, and 17-kDa. In the light chain composition and in the mobility in PPi-PAGE, liver cell myosin differs from the myosin in liver blood vessels. The light chains of liver cell myosin were phosphorylated by myosin light-chain kinase from chicken gizzard and the Mg2+-ATPase activity of phosphorylated myosin was activated 10-fold by F-actin.     

Absence of phosphates from the myosin heavy chains of striated muscles

This work aimed to determine whether the heavy chains of myosin from different striated muscle were phosphorylated. Myosin and its heavy chains were prepared from cardiac and skeletal muscles of rats injected in vivo with radioactive phosphates.The results for radioactive phosphate localization indicate the absence of phosphate from pure heavy chains and from any of their purified fragments, whatever the striated muscle used. In addition, phosphates are present in the myosin phosphorylated light chain and in a contaminating protein closely associated to the myosin heavy chain.     

T4 metabolism in age matched heavy and light rats with good and bad feed efficiency following high- or low-in-fat diet

Rats, fed two diets (high or low in fat content), were at the and of the feeding-period separated in light and in heavy animal groups. The leaner rats from the diet group high in fat content show opposite to the heavier animals of this diet group significantly increased T4 distribution spaces, significantly shortened T4 half life time and lower feed efficiency. T4 serum values, absolute T4 degradation per day and body mass and free thyroxine index in these leaner rats also increased significantly. However comparing heavy rats feed a diet low and light rats fed a diet high in rat content the latter show also a decreased feed efficiency, but no differences in T4 serum concentration or T3 binding capacity of serum proteins, free thyroxine index and T4 degradation. The results in T4 metabolism are discussed in relation to feed efficiency of the investigated animal groups.     

The free heavy chain of vertebrate skeletal myosin subfragment 1 shows full enzymatic activity

Vertebrate skeletal fast-twitch muscle myosin subfragment 1 is comprised of a heavy polypeptide chain of 95,000 daltons and one alkali light chain of either 21,000 daltons (A1) or 16,500 daltons (A2). In the present study, the heavy chain of subfragment 1 has been separated from the alkali light chain under nondenaturing conditions resembling those in vivo. The heavy chain exhibits the same ATPase activity as myosin subfragment 1, indicating that the heavy chain alone contains the catalytic site for ATP hydrolysis and that the alkali light chains are nonessential for activity. The free heavy chain associates readily at 4 degrees C or 37 degrees C with free A1 or A2 to form the subfragment 1 isozymes SF1(A1) or SF1(A2) respectively. Actin activates the MgATPase activity of the heavy chain in the same manner as occurs with the native isozyme, indicating that the heavy chain possesses the actin binding domain.     

Changes in composition of cardiac myosin light chains in dilated cardiomyopathy: effect on functional properties

A reduction (by 16-24%) in the amount of myosin regulatory light chains (LC2) in all heart sections of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy was found. The appearance of atrial essential light chains in ventricular myosin (up to 23%) not typical for this heart section in norm was also revealed. The decrease in LC2 content leads to a considerable inhibition of actin-activated ATPase activity and a loss of Ca2+ sensitivity of reconstructed filaments of myosin isolated from atria and ventricles of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. The hybridization of myosin molecules from heavy chains of pathological human left ventricular myosin and light chains of pig left ventricular myosin leads to an increase in actin-activated ATPase activity of myosin and its Ca2+ sensitivity to the control level. The data suggest strongly the contribution of LC2-deficit to the distortion of functional properties of myosin in dilated cardiomyopathy. In contrast, the appearance of atrial LC1 in ventricle in dilated cardiomyopathy is a factor improving these properties.     

Regulation of the Actin-Activated Mg-ATPase of Brain Myosin via Phosphorylation by the Brain Ca2+, Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases

We have previously isolated two Ca2+, calmodulin-dependent protein kinases with molecular weights of 120,000 (120K enzyme) and 640,000 (640K enzyme), respectively, by gel filtration analysis from rat brain. Chicken gizzard myosin light-chain kinase and the 120K enzyme phosphorylated two light chains of brain myosin, whereas the 640K enzyme phosphorylated both the two light chains and the heavy chain. The phosphopeptides of the light chains digested by Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease were similar among chicken gizzard myosin light-chain kinase, the 120K enzyme, and the 640K enzyme. Only the seryl residue in the light chains and the heavy chain was phosphorylated by the enzymes. The phosphorylation of brain myosin by any of these enzymes led to an increase in actin-activated Mg-ATPase activity. The results suggest that brain myosin is regulated by brain Ca2+, calmodulin-dependent protein kinases in a similar but distinct mechanism in comparison with that of smooth muscle myosin.     

Age-related difference in cardiac adaptation to chronic hypertension in rats,with and without nifedipine treatement

Three myosin isozymes, V1 ( MHC = Myosin Heavy Chain gene), V2 ( MHC) and V3 ( MHC) that are identified in the cardiac ventricles of most mammals have been shown to shift to a V3 predominance pattern during cardiac growth and in response to left ventricular pressure overload, and to V1 predominance following anti hypertensive treatment. This study examined whether long-term hypertension impairs the ability of the adult heart to restructure myosin isozyme proportions. Using pyrophosphate gel electrophoresis, we studied proportions of cardiac myosin isozymes (V1 and V3) in young (16 weeks) and adult (36 weeks) spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and following 12 weeks of nifedipine (N) treatment in age-matched SHR rats (SHR-N). The values of V1 and V3 myosin isozymes were derived by adding half of the value of V2 to each isozyme proportion. The V3 proportion in the young SHR control (SHR-C) group (49%) was 34% higher (p < 0.05) than in the young Wistar Kyoto control (WKY-C) group (37%). However, the proportion was similarly high, though not statistically significant, in both the adult SHRC (73%) and WKY-C (71%) groups. The proportion in the young SHR-N group (29%) was 41% lower (p < 0.05) than in the young SHR-C group (49%), and the proportion in the adult SHR-N group (47%) was 34% lower (p < 0.05) than in the adult SHR-C group (73%). The ratio of left ventricular weight to body weight (LVW/BW), which determines left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), was higher in both young and adult SHR-C (26%, p < 0.05, and 42%, p < 0.05, respectively) than in WKY-C groups. The mean LVW/BW was 27% (p lt; 0.05) greater in adult than in young SHR-C rats. The LVW/BW in both age groups of treated SHR-N was similar to that in age matched WKY-C rats. Conclusion: Our study showed that a rise in the V3 level occurs in young hypertensive rats, but no rise occurs in the V3 level in adult hypertensive rats. High blood pressure seems to contribute to the high V3 level in young hypertensive rats, but in adult hypertensive rats, high blood pressure does not accentuate the V3 rise already acquired due to the aging process. Nifedipine treatment in both young and adult hypertensive rats prevented the V3 rise due to hypertension and to the aging process. This effect of nifedipine seems to be through its antihypertensive action.