| Abstract: | The formation of hybrid myosin and subfragment 1 species by incubation of these proteins with free alkali light chains at physiological ionic and temperature conditions is described. Exchange of bound alkali light chain on myosin by free alkali light chains under these conditions is readily demonstrated from the subunit composition of the isolated myosin. Therefore, the light chain exchange previously described for the one-headed subfragment 1 Sivaramakrishnan, M., & Burke, M (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 2607--2610] also occurs in the two-headed myosin molecule. It is found than the isozyme to hybrid transformation is dependent on both the temperature and the ionic strength of the incubation mixture but is relatively independent of pH in the range 6.5--8.0. A comparison of the SF1(A1) leads to SF1(A2)h system with the SF1(A2) leads to SF1(A1)h system indicates that more hybrid is formed in the latter case. With the assumption that hybrid formation reflects the degree of reversible dissociation exhibited by the isozyme, under the particular experimental condition employed, the data signify that the subunit interactions in the two isozymes are not identical and that the heavy chain--A1 interactions are significantly more stable that the heavy chain--A2 ones. An examination of the ATPase properties of the thermal hybrids in the presence and absence of actin indicates close similarities to their corresponding "native" isozymic counterparts. |
