Interaction of ADP with skeletal and cardiac myosin and their active fragments observed by proton release.

The technique of proton release measurement has been used to explore the binding of ADP to skeletal and cardiac myosins and their active fragments in a variety of conditions. It has proved possible to obtain binding profiles on intact myosin in the filamentous, undissolved form in physiological solvent conditions. Binding constants are given. At higher ionic strength (0.5 M potassium chloride) the binding profile of magnesium-ADP. is compatible with the presence of two types of site, differing from one another both in respect of affinity and the number of protons released per site. Studies with cardiac myosin reveal no such indications of heterogeneity, and are consistent with the presence of a single population of thermodynamically indistinguishable sites. In the absence of divalent cations, in solutions containing potassium ions and EDTA, ADP binds with absorption rather than liberation of protons. The pH profile of proton absorption at saturation can be fitted in terms of an ionising group with an unperturbed pK of 9.4, and at least one of lower pK(5.9). The dissociation constant (pH8 at 5 degrees C) is about 8 microM, and the affinity for uncomplexed ADP is thus only slightly weaker than that for magnesium-ADP