title: Deletion of the myopathy loop of Dictyostelium myosin II and its impact on motor functions.
abstract: One of the putative actin-binding sites of Dictyostelium myosin II is the beta-strand-turn-beta-strand structure (Ile(398)-Leu-Ala-Gly-Arg-Asp(403)-Leu-Val(405)), the "myopathy loop, " which is located at the distal end of the upper 50-kDa subdomain and next to the conserved arginine (Arg(397)), whose mutation in human cardiac myosin results in familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The myopathy loop contains the TEDS residue (Asp(403)), which is a target of the heavy-chain kinase in myosin I. Moreover, the loop contains a cluster of hydrophobic residues (Ile(398), Leu(399), Leu(404), and Val(405)), whose side chains are fully exposed to the solvent. In our study, the myopathy loop was deleted from Dictyostelium myosin II to investigate its functional roles. The mutation abolished hydrophobic interactions of actin and myosin in the strong binding state during the ATPase cycle. Association of the mutant myosin and actin was maintained only through ionic interactions under these conditions. Without strong hydrophobic interactions, the mutant myosin still exhibited motor functions, although at low levels. It is likely that the observed defects resulted mainly from a loss of the cluster of hydrophobic residues, since replacement of Asp(403) or Arg(402) with alanine generated a mutant with less severe or no defects compared with those of the deletion mutant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Komaba, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asukagawa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiratsuka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sutoh
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009218:Myosins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017384:Sequence Deletion
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D009218:Myosins