THE COAGULATION OF MYOSIN IN MUSCLE

1. Muscle can be prepared in the form of a dry powder in which myosin exists in a state similar to that in intact muscle. As in intact muscle, myosin in powdered muscle is soluble and can be caused to rapidly coagulate. 2. Restoring to powdered muscle the quantity of water previously removed causes coagulation of myosin. The rate of coagulation is considerably slower at 0° than at 20°. 3. Adding the powder to a large volume of dilute salt solution also results in coagulation. 4. The water soluble constituents of muscle can be removed from the powder without thereby causing coagulation. Coagulation occurs in water extracted muscle when it is suspended in a dilute salt solution. 5. Coagulation of myosin in muscle resembles the coagulation of myosin caused by dehydration. 6. Myosin coagulates readily only when it is imbedded in the structure of muscle. The significance for coagulation of the arrangement of myosin particles in muscle has been indicated.     

THE CHANGE IN STATE OF THE PROTEINS OF MUSCLE IN RIGOR

1. When myosin is exposed to a typical denaturing agent (acid) it becomes insoluble and its SH groups are activated. 2. The same number of active SH groups is found in the soluble myosin of resting muscle as in the insoluble myosin of muscle in rigor. No activation of SH groups accompanies the formation of insoluble protein in rigor. 3. When the insoluble myosin of muscle in rigor is treated with a denaturing agent its SH groups are activated. 4. Protein coagulation as brought about by denaturing agents (heat, acid, alkali, alcohol, urea, salicylate, surface forces, ultraviolet light) is a distinctly different change from the coagulation of myosin brought about by the unknown agent in muscle.     

Improved Procedures for Electron Microscopic Visualization of the Cytoskeleton of Cultured Cells

We have developed an improved electron microscopic procedure appropriate for correlative light and electron microscopy of the cytoskeleton. The procedure is based on detergent extraction, chemical fixation, critical point drying, and platinum/carbon coating of cultured cells and the improvements consist of modifications which are minor individually but collectively of substantial impact. They are: inclusion of polyethylene glycol into the extraction medium; cell lysis at room temperature; fixation by sequential application of glutaraldehyde, tannic acid, and uranyl acetate; horizontal position of specimens during dehydration and drying; and uranyl acetate treatment during dehydration. As a result, we have obtained a greatly improved quality of electron microscopic images together with a high consistency of results. Long and straight actin filaments were clearly seen in stress fibers and newly formed lamellipodia. Their polarity was distinctly revealed by decoration with myosin subfragment 1. Depletion of actin from cytoskeletons by gelsolin treatment allowed for better visualization of myosin, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Intermediate filaments exposed by this treatment exhibited numerous side projections in a hitherto unreported millipede-like appearance. The suggested procedure was compatible with immunogold labeling as demonstrated with an antibody to tubulin. Correlative light and electron microscopy of cells microinjected with a fluorescent derivative of myosin II was reliable and efficient, producing a close resemblance between the two kinds of images.     

Osmotic pressure probe of actin-myosin hydration changes during ATP hydrolysis.

Osmotic stress in the 0.5-5 x 10(6) dyne/cm2 range was used to perturb the hydration of actin-myosin-ATP intermediates during steady-state hydrolysis. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) (1000 to 4000 Da), in the 1 to 10 wt% range, which does not cause protein precipitation, did not significantly affect the apparent KM or the Vmax for MgATP hydrolysis by myosin subfragment 1 (S1) alone, nor did it affect the value for the phosphate burst. Consistent with the kinetic data, osmotic stress did not affect nucleotide-induced changes in the fluorescence intensities of S1 tryptophans or of fluorescein attached to Cys-707. The accessibility of the fluorescent ATP analog, epsilon ADP, to acrylamide quenching was also unchanged. These data suggest that none of the steps in the ATP hydrolysis cycle involve substantial hydration changes, which might occur for the opening or closing of the ATP site or of other crevices in the S1 structure. In contrast, KM for the interaction of S1.MgADP.Pi with actin decreased tenfold in this range of osmotic pressure, suggesting that formation of actin.S1.MgADP.Pi involves net dehydration of the proteins. The dehydration volume increases as the size of the PEG is increased, as expected for a surface-excluded osmolyte. The measured dehydration volume for the formation of actin.S1.MgADP.Pi was used to estimate the surface area of the binding interface. This estimate was consistent with the area determined from the atomic structures of actin and myosin, indicating that osmotic stress is a reliable probe of actin.myosin.ATP interactions. The approach developed here should be useful for determining osmotic stress and excluded volume effects in situ, which are much larger than those of typical in vitro conditions.     

Thermodynamics of binding water and solute to myosin

From the isopiestic measurements of the extents of adsorption of water vapour by fish myosin at various values of water activities at three different temperatures, the changes in free energy, enthalpy and entropy of dehydration of the protein have been calculated. Extents of excess binding of solvent and solute to myosin have also been determined from isopiestic experiments in the presence of different inorganic salts, sucrose and urea respectively. Mols of water and solute respectively bound in absolute amounts to myosin have been evaluated from these data in limited range of solute concentrations. Free energy changes at different concentrations of these solutes have also been evaluated and their relations with ‘salting-in’ and ‘salting-out’ phenomena have been discussed. The order of the values of the standard free energy change for excess binding calculated with respect to an unified thermodynamic scale are found to be consistent with relative reactivity of binding water to myosin in the presence of inorganic salts, sucrose and urea. Part of this work was presented at the 20th Annual Convention of Chemists of the Indian Chemical Society, Cuttack, 26th-30th December 1983.     

Ultrastructure of the contractile apparatus of rat skeletal muscle embedded in an aqueous medium

The method of tissue embedding in melamine resin was applied to rat skeletal muscle. This method does not require tissue dehydration with organic solvents; only aqueous solutions are used. Electron micrographs of muscles embedded in melamine differ from those embedded in the conventional epoxy resin. In melamine-embedded muscles the actin and myosin filaments appear larger in diameter and subunits can be recognized in cross-sectioned myosin filaments. Within the Z-line, the characteristic patterns described for muscles embedded in epoxy resin are not visible; the spaces between the actin filaments are filled with electron-dense material. This suggests that the Z-line is more compact than could be concluded from epoxy resin-embedded muscle specimens. The M-line appears to be different from what is observed in epoxy-embedded muscle. The membranes appear as several clearly delineated layers. Dehydration rather than the action of the organic solvents per se is the main reason for the differences in the structure of the contractile apparatus between melamine- and epoxy-embedded muscles.     

Concentric photothermal coagulation with basket‐integrated optical device for treatment of tracheal stenosis

A basket‐integrated optical device is developed to consistently treat tubular tissue by centering an optical diffuser in the lumen. Four nitinol arms in conjunction with the optical diffusing applicator are deployed to induce homogeneous circumferential light emission and concentric photothermal coagulation on tracheal tissue. A 1470‐nm laser light is employed for the tissue testing at various irradiation conditions and evaluated in terms of thermal gradient and temperature evolution. Preliminary experiments on liver tissue demonstrate the concentric development of the radial thermal coagulation in the tissue (eccentric ratio = ~5.5%). The interstitial tissue temperature increases with the total amount of energy delivery (around 65°C). Ex vivo trachea testing yields up to 16.5% tissue shrinkage due to dehydration as well as uniform ablation of the cilia and goblet cells in a mucosa layer under 7‐W irradiation for 10 s. The proposed optical device may be a feasible therapeutic method to entail the circumferential coagulation in the tubular tissues in a reliable manner.      

Role of calcium and calpain in complement-induced vesiculation of the platelet plasma membrane and in the exposure of the platelet factor Va receptor

The role of calcium and intracellular calpains in the expression of platelet prothrombinase activity was investigated. Incubation of gel-filtered platelets with complement proteins C5b-9 resulted in alpha-granule and dense granule secretion and exposure of membrane binding sites for coagulation factors Va and Xa. This was accompanied by the release of microparticles from the cell surface that incorporated plasma membrane glycoproteins GP Ib, IIb, and IIIa and the alpha-granule membrane protein GMP-140. Generation of these membrane microparticles was dependent on the presence of extracellular calcium and was accompanied by proteolytic degradation of the cytoskeletal proteins, actin binding protein (ABP), talin, and myosin heavy chain. Microparticle formation was also detected when unstirred platelets were activated by thrombin plus collagen, although proteolysis of ABP, talin, or myosin was not observed. Preincorporation of the calpain inhibitor leupeptin into the platelet cytosol completely blocked C5b-9-induced proteolysis of ABP, talin, and myosin. However, inhibition of this calpain-mediated proteolysis had no effect on platelet secretion, the generation of microparticles, the exposure of membrane sites for factors Va and Xa, or the expression of prothrombinase activity. Furthermore, the microparticles that formed in the presence of leupeptin contained intact ABP, talin, and myosin heavy chain. Prior depletion of ATP with metabolic inhibitors eliminated all platelet responses to thrombin plus collagen, but did not affect C5b-9-induced microparticle formation or exposure of binding sites for factor Va on the microparticles. These data indicate that the formation of microparticles and the expression of platelet prothrombinase activity in response to C5b-9 are dependent upon an influx of calcium into the platelet cytosol, but do not require metabolic energy or calpain-mediated proteolysis of cytoskeletal proteins.     

NEMATODE (OTOSTRONGYLUS CIRCUMLITUS) INFESTATION OF NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS (MIROUNGA ANGUSTIROSTRIS) STRANDED ALONG THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST

Between 1 January 1992 and 31 December 1995, 73 of 487 (15%) juvenile northern elephant seals ( Mirounga angustirostris ) that stranded along the central California coastline and were transported to a rehabilitation center had similar clinical signs. These signs included anorexia, depression, dehydration, and epistaxis, and were accompanied by a neutrophilia. Coagulation assays on five of these animals indicated all five were in a state of disseminated intra-vascular coagulation. Sixty-five of the 73 animals died, and post-mortem examination revealed heavy burdens of Otostrongylus circumlitas in the right ventricle and atrium of the hearts and pulmonary arteries, with occasional nem-atodes in the bronchi and bronchioles. Histologic examination of 33 of these seals showed multiple pulmonary thromboses associated with a suppurative arteritis and occasionally intravascular nematodes, suggesting disseminated intravascular coagulation triggered by an arteritis may be important in causing mortality of elephant seals infested with O. circumlitus. This pathology, combined with the observation that death of juvenile northern elephant seals infected with O. circumlitus usually occurs prior to the parasite reaching reproductive maturity, suggests this is a relatively recent host-parasite association.     

Regulation of embryonic smooth muscle myosin by protein kinase C

Phosphorylation of the 20-kDa light chain regulates adult smooth muscle myosin; phosphorylation by the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent enzyme myosin light chain kinase stimulates the actomyosin ATPase activity of adult smooth muscle myosin; the simultaneous phosphorylation of a separate site on the 20-kDa light chain by the Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent enzyme protein kinase C attenuates the myosin light chain kinase-induced increase in the actomyosin ATPase activity of adult myosin. Fetal smooth muscle myosin, purified from 12-day-old fertilized chicken eggs, is structurally different from adult smooth muscle myosin. Nevertheless, phosphorylation of a single site on the 20-kDa light chain of fetal myosin by myosin light chain kinase results in stimulation of the actomyosin ATPase activity of this myosin. Protein kinase C, in contrast, phosphorylates three sites on the fetal myosin 20-kDa light chain including a serine or threonine residue on the same peptide phosphorylated by myosin light chain kinase. Interestingly, phosphorylation by protein kinase C stimulates the actomyosin ATPase activity of fetal myosin. Moreover, unlike adult myosin, there is no attenuation of the actomyosin ATPase activity when fetal myosin is simultaneously phosphorylated by myosin light chain kinase and protein kinase C. These data demonstrate, for the first time, the in vitro activation of a smooth muscle myosin by another enzyme besides myosin light chain kinase and raise the possibility of alternate pathways for regulating smooth muscle myosin in vivo.     

M-RIP targets myosin phosphatase to stress fibers to regulate myosin light chain phosphorylation in vascular smooth muscle cells

Vascular smooth muscle cell contraction and relaxation are directly related to the phosphorylation state of the regulatory myosin light chain. Myosin light chains are dephosphorylated by myosin phosphatase, leading to vascular smooth muscle relaxation. Myosin phosphatase is localized not only at actin-myosin stress fibers where it dephosphorylates myosin light chains, but also in the cytoplasm and at the cell membrane. The mechanisms by which myosin phosphatase is targeted to these loci are incompletely understood. We recently identified myosin phosphatase-Rho interacting protein as a member of the myosin phosphatase complex that directly binds both the myosin binding subunit of myosin phosphatase and RhoA and is localized to actin-myosin stress fibers. We hypothesized that myosin phosphatase-Rho interacting protein targets myosin phosphatase to the contractile apparatus to dephosphorylate myosin light chains. We used RNA interference to silence the expression of myosin phosphatase-Rho interacting protein in human vascular smooth muscle cells. Myosin phosphatase-Rho interacting protein silencing reduced the localization of the myosin binding subunit to stress fibers. This reduction in stress fiber myosin phosphatase-Rho interacting protein and myosin binding subunit increased basal and lysophosphatidic acid-stimulated myosin light chain phosphorylation. Neither cellular myosin phosphatase, myosin light chain kinase, nor RhoA activities were changed by myosin phosphatase-Rho interacting protein silencing. Furthermore, myosin phosphatase-Rho interacting protein silencing resulted in marked phenotypic changes in vascular smooth muscle cells, including increased numbers of stress fibers, increased cell area, and reduced stress fiber inhibition in response to a Rho-kinase inhibitor. These data support the importance of myosin phosphatase-Rho interacting protein-dependent targeting of myosin phosphatase to stress fibers for regulating myosin light chain phosphorylation state and morphology in human vascular smooth muscle cells.     

Activation of myosin Va function by melanophilin, a specific docking partner of myosin Va

It is known that melanophilin is a myosin Va-targeting molecule that links myosin Va and the cargo vesicles in cells. Here we found that melanophilin directly activates the actin-activated ATPase activity of myosin Va and thus its motor activity. The actin-activated ATPase activity of the melanocyte-type myosin Va having exon-F was significantly activated by melanophilin by 4-fold. Although Rab27a binds to myosin Va/melanophilin complex, it did not affect the melanophilin-induced activation of myosin Va. Deletion of the C-terminal actin binding domain and N-terminal Rab binding domain of melanophilin resulted in no change in the activation of the ATPase by melanophilin, indicating that the myosin Va binding domain (MBD) is sufficient for the activation of myosin Va. Among MBDs, the interaction of MBD-2 with exon-F of myosin Va is critical for the binding of myosin Va and melanophilin, whereas MBD-1 interacting with the globular tail of myosin Va plays a more significant role in the activation of myosin Va ATPase activity. This is the first demonstration that the binding of the cargo molecule directly activates myosin motor activity. The present finding raises the idea that myosin motors are switched upon their binding to the cargo molecules, thus avoiding the waste of ATP consumption.     

Phosphorylation of bovine platelet myosin by protein kinase C

Bovine platelet myosin is phosphorylated by protein kinase C at multiple sites. Most of the phosphate is incorporated in the 20,000-dalton light chain although some phosphate is incorporated in the heavy chain. Phosphorylation of the 20,000-dalton light chain of platelet myosin is 10 times faster than the phosphorylation of smooth muscle myosin. Platelet myosin light chain is first phosphorylated at a threonine residue followed by a serine residue. Dominant phosphorylation sites of the 20,000-dalton light chain are estimated as serine-1, serine-2, and threonine-9. Prolonged phosphorylation by protein kinase C resulted in an additional phosphorylation site which, on the basis of limited proteolysis, appears to be either serine-19 or threonine-18. Phosphorylation by protein kinase C causes an inhibition of actin-activated ATPase activity of platelet myosin prephosphorylated by myosin light chain kinase. Inhibition of ATPase activity is due to a decreased affinity of myosin for actin, and no change in Vmax is observed. It is shown that platelet myosin also exhibits the 6S to 10S conformation transition as judged by viscosity and gel filtration methods. Mg2(+)-ATPase activity of platelet myosin is paralleled with the 10S-6S transition. Phosphorylation by protein kinase C affects neither the 10S-6S transition nor the myosin filament formation. Therefore, the inhibition of actin-activated ATPase activity of platelet myosin is not due to the change in the myosin conformation.     

Myosin phosphatase is inactivated by caspase-3 cleavage and phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 during apoptosis

In nonapoptotic cells, the phosphorylation level of myosin II is constantly maintained by myosin kinases and myosin phosphatase. During apoptosis, caspase-3–activated Rho-associated protein kinase I triggers hyperphosphorylation of myosin II, leading to membrane blebbing. Although inhibition of myosin phosphatase could also contribute to myosin II phosphorylation, little is known about the regulation of myosin phosphatase in apoptosis. In this study, we have demonstrated that, in apoptotic cells, the myosin-binding domain of myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1) is cleaved by caspase-3 at Asp-884, and the cleaved MYPT1 is strongly phosphorylated at Thr-696 and Thr-853, phosphorylation of which is known to inhibit myosin II binding. Expression of the caspase-3 cleaved form of MYPT1 that lacked the C-terminal end in HeLa cells caused the dissociation of MYPT1 from actin stress fibers. The dephosphorylation activity of myosin phosphatase immunoprecipitated from the apoptotic cells was lower than that from the nonapoptotic control cells. These results suggest that down-regulation of MYPT1 may play a role in promoting hyperphosphorylation of myosin II by inhibiting the dephosphorylation of myosin II during apoptosis.     

Structure and function of chicken gizzard myosin.

In our previous study (Onishi, H., Susuki, H., Nakamura, k., and Watanabe, S. J. Biochem. 83, 835-847, 1978), we found it to be characteristic of chicken gizzard myosin that thick filaments of gizzard myosin are readily disassembled by a stoichiometric amount of ATP (3 mol of ATP per mol of myosin), and that the ATPase activity of gizzard myosin in the ATP-disassembled state is much lower than that of gizzard myosin disassembled by a high concentration of KCl. We now report the following findings: (1) Thick filaments of (unphosphorylated) gizzard myosin can be in a bipolar structure or in a non-polar structure, depending on the method of preparing the thick filaments. (2) Thick filaments of (unphosphorylated) gizzard myosin in either the bioplar or the non-polar structure are readily disassembled by ATP. (3) Addition of rabbit skeletal C-protein does not confer ATP resistance on thick filaments of (unphosphorylated) gizzard myosin. (4) Unphosphorylated) gizzard myosin in the ATP-disassembled state is in a dimeric form as determined by ultracentrifugation. Moreover, 0.2 M KCl-dissociated gizzard myosin in monomeric form is converted to a dimeric form by ATP. (5) The Mg-ATPase activity of (unphosphorylated) gizzard myosin is much lower in its dimeric form (less than one-tenth) than in its monomeric form. The activity depression observed around 0.15 M KCl is therefore due to the formation of myosin dimers. (6) Skeletal L-meromyosin can increase the very low activity of (unphosphorylated) gizzard myosin ATPase at low ionic strength (0.13 M KCl) by forming ATP-resistant hybrid filaments with (unphosphorylated) gizzard myosin, preventing the formation of myosin dimers. (7) Gizzard myosin in which one of the light-chain components is phosphorylated by myosin light-chain kinase can form thick filaments which are resistant to the disassembling action of ATP. (8) Even in the presence of ATP, thick filaments of phosphorylated gizzard myosin do not disassembled into myosin dimers. Accordingly, the ATPase activity of phosphorylated gizzard myosin does not show activity depression at low ionic strength.     

Targeting by myosin phosphatase-RhoA interacting protein mediates RhoA/ROCK regulation of myosin phosphatase

Vascular smooth muscle cell contractile state is the primary determinant of blood vessel tone. Vascular smooth muscle cell contractility is directly related to the phosphorylation of myosin light chains (MLCs), which in turn is tightly regulated by the opposing activities of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and myosin phosphatase. Myosin phosphatase is the principal enzyme that dephosphorylates MLCs leading to relaxation. Myosin phosphatase is regulated by both vasoconstrictors that inhibit its activity to cause MLC phosphorylation and contraction, and vasodilators that activate its activity to cause MLC dephosphorylation and relaxation. The RhoA/ROCK pathway is activated by vasoconstrictors to inhibit myosin phosphatase activity. The mechanism by which RhoA and ROCK are localized to and interact with myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP) is not well understood. We recently found a new member of the myosin phosphatase complex, myosin phosphatase-rho interacting protein, that directly binds to both RhoA and the myosin-binding subunit of myosin phosphatase in vitro, and targets myosin phosphatase to the actinomyosin contractile filament in smooth muscle cells. Because myosin phosphatase-rho interacting protein binds both RhoA and MLCP, we investigated whether myosin phosphatase-rho interacting protein was required for RhoA/ROCK-mediated myosin phosphatase regulation. Myosin phosphatase-rho interacting protein silencing prevented LPA-mediated myosin-binding subunit phosphorylation, and inhibition of myosin phosphatase activity. Myosin phosphatase-rho interacting protein did not regulate the activation of RhoA or ROCK in vascular smooth muscle cells. Silencing of M-RIP lead to loss of stress fiber-associated RhoA, suggesting that myosin phosphatase-rho interacting protein is a scaffold linking RhoA to regulate myosin phosphatase at the stress fiber.     

Monoclonal antibodies localize changes on myosin heavy chain isozymes during avian myogenesis

Monoclonal antibodies were used to identify and localize by immunoelectron microscopy epitopes on myosin isozymes. An antibody that reacts with an amino-terminal fragment of the myosin heavy chain maps on the myosin head 140 A distal to the head-rod junction. It identifies an epitope that is shared on adult and embryonic myosin, and detects two transitions in myosin expression during avian pectoralis myogenesis. Another antibody maps to the carboxyl terminus of the myosin rod. It is specific for an adult fast myosin epitope that is not detected in early developing pectoralis muscle. In contrast, an epitope that is present throughout development is identified by an antibody that reacts with a myosin light chain. This light chain epitope is localized at the head-rod junction. These results demonstrate structural changes in widely separated regions of the myosin molecule accompanying the sequential expression of developmental myosin isozymes.     

The influence of trace amount of calponin on the smooth muscle myosins in different states

Calponin (CaP), a thin filament-associated protein, plays an important role in the regulation of smooth muscle contractility. It has been known that CaP inhibits the actin-activated myosin MgATPase activity via binding to F-actin, and stimulates myosin MgATPase activity via binding to myosin. Our recent study revealed a new phenomenon that trace amount of CaP (TAC) could influence the function of different states of myosin. Our data showed that in the absence of actin, CaP, even in the concentration of 0.0001 microM, significantly increased the precipitations of 1 microM unphosphorylated myosin, Ca(2+)-CaM dependently, and independently phosphorylated myosin by MLCK, and stimulated the MgATPase activities of these myosins slightly but significantly. However, no obvious change of precipitation of myosin phosphorylated by PKA was observed, indicating the relative selective effect of TAC. In the presence of actin, myosin, and TAC, the increase of myosin precipitation was abolished, and no obvious changes of actin precipitations and actin-activated myosin MgATPase activities were observed implicating the highly efficiency of TAC on myosin being present in the absence of actin. Although we cannot give conclusive comments to our results, we propose that the high efficiency of TAC-myosin interaction is present in the regulation of the function of myosin when actin is dissociated from myosin, even if CaP/myosin ratio is very low; this high efficient interaction between TAC and myosin can be abolished by actin. However, why and how TAC can possess such a high efficiency to influence myosin and how the physiological significance of the high efficiency of TAC is in regulating the interaction between myosin and actin remain to be investigated.     

Effects of Ca(2+) and calmodulin on the motile activity of characean myosin in vitro

It is well known that the cytoplasmic streaming of characean cells is readily inhibited by Ca(2+). However, neither the actin-activated MgATPase nor the in vitro motile activity of purified characean myosin were inhibited by Ca(2+). Recently, amino acid sequence of characean myosin was determined in our laboratory and the sequence revealed that characean myosin contains six calmodulin binding sites in the neck region. We also detected calmodulin in quickly prepared characean myosin fraction. It is, therefore, possible that the insensitivity of characean myosin to Ca(2+) is due to the dissociation of some calmodulin molecules from the neck region during the course of protein purification. To determine strictly the Ca(2+) sensitivity of characean myosin, we intentionally used crude preparation of characean myosin to reduce the possibility of calmodulin dissociation and examined the motile activity of characean myosin in vitro in the presence of excess characean calmodulin. We could not observe any drastic inhibition of characean myosin activity by Ca(2+). The results suggest that the brief cessation of cytoplasmic streaming is not caused by the direct inhibition of myosin activity by Ca(2+).