Biphasic ATP splitting of myosin at low temperature.

Studies were carried out to elucidate the nature of biphasic ATP hydrolysis by myosin at low temperature. 1. The rate of ATP splitting decreased sharply at 3--5 min after initiation of the reaction below a critical temperature (25 degrees and 30 degrees in the presence of Ca-2+ and EDTA, respectively). On the other hand, Mg-2+-ATPase [ED 3.6.1.3] did not exhibit such biphasic kinetics. 2. The Arrhenius plot of the second phase of the reaction after the rate transition gave a straight line whether the temperature of assay was above or below the critical one, giving 5.7 kcal/mole as the activation energy of Da-2+-ATPase showed features similar to those of Ca-2+-ATPase. 3. Michaelis constants for the two phases at 8 degrees were also different. In addition, the first phase of EDTA-ATPase was shown to have two different constants, depending on ATP concentration. 4. The profiles of the dependence of ATPase activity on KCl concentration were essentially the same for both phases, while bending of the time curve was scarecly observed obove pH 8 for Ca-2+-ATPase or at pH 6 for EDTA-ATPase. 5. 2, 4-Dinitrophenol abolished the phase transition for Ca-2+-ATPase and EDTA-ATPase, and heat treatment also minimized the transition for the former.