| Abstract: | Calmodulin (CaM) binding by turkey gizzard myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) causes subtle changes in the fluorescence emission and polarization excitation spectra of the enzyme. Fluorescence experiments using 9-anthroyl-choline (9AC), which competes with ATP in binding, demonstrate mutually stabilizing interactions between the CaM and ATP binding sites corresponding to delta G = -0.6 to -0.7 kcal/mol. Fluorescence titrations in the presence of 9AC or 5,5'-bis[8-(phenylamino)-1-naphthalenesulfonate] confirm the stoichiometry of 1 mol of CaM/MLCK. Phosphorylation of MLCK has no effect on either the protein fluorescence or the binding of ATP and 9AC. The dissociation constant for the MLCL-CaM complex is increased approximately 500-fold on phosphorylation. Values of Kd for the phosphorylated enzyme range from 0.5 to 1.1 microM in 0.2 N KCl, pH 7.3, 25 degrees C. We showed competition between MLCK and other CaM binding proteins and peptides by using both fluorescence and catalytic activity measurements. Competition for CaM occurs with ACTH, beta-endorphin, substance P, glucagon, poly(L-arginine), myelin basic protein, troponin I, and histone H2A. Phosphorylation of the last three proteins by the adenosine cyclic 3',5'-phosphate dependent protein kinase diminishes their ability to compete. Phosphorylation of MLCK by the protein kinase gives 0.95 +/- 0.04 and 2.2 +/- 0.4 mol of incorporated 32P in the presence and absence of CaM, respectively. These stoichiometries agree with those recently reported [Conti, M. A. & Adelstein, R. S. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 3178]. |
