Effect of divalent cation on the structure of skeletal muscle G-actin molecule.

Trypsin and chymotrypsin were used as probes of structure-divalent cation relationships in G-actin molecule. The pattern of fragments produced has been analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The tryptic product of G-actin, 33 kDa is a protease-resistant fragment in the presence of divalent cations. However, once divalent cations are eliminated from the solution during the digestion, the 33 kDa fragment starts to degrade into smaller peptides via a 30 kDa fragment. On the other hand the chymotryptic product of G-actin, 35 kDa (precursor of 33 kDa) is rather stable even in the absence of divalent cations. In addition it is observed that the presence of divalent cation is necessary for the degradation of G-actin to the 33 kDa fragment by trypsin. The ultra violet and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence spectra of G-actin are changed after the elimination of divalent cations. These results suggest that the structure of G-actin molecule depends on the presence or absence of divalent cations, and that the divalent cation-dependency of G-actin structure is still conserved even after the tryptic digestion.