Incorporation of the Ca2+ -binding component (g2) into heavy meromyosin and subfragment-1 of pig cardiac myosin.

A new protein component was found in heavy meromyosin and in subfragment-1 (S-1) prepared by chymotrypsin digestion of pig cardiac myosin in the presence of Ca2+. The molecular weight of this protein was estimated as 15,000 dalton. It was able to bind Ca2+ and showed a similar UV absorption spectrum to that of the g2 light chain. Heavy meromyosin and subfragment-1 which contained the 15,000 dalton component incorporated exogenous g2 and the 15,000 dalton component disappeared after such treatment. We concluded that the 15,000 dalton component was produced from g2 by limitted proteolysis. The subfragment-1 was separated into two protein fractions in equal yield by recycling the gel filtration. One contained the 15,000 dalton component and was able to bind Ca2+ while the other did not contain the component and was unable to bind Ca2+. According to analysis by SDS gel electrophoresis, the large polypeptide chain (the f component) of the first S-1 was approximately 5,000 dalton larger than the f component of the second S-1. The polypeptide corresponding to 5,000 dalton was designated polypeptide-C, because it was released from the C terminal of the f component. It seems to be essential for the attachment of the Ca2+-binding light chain g2. The location of g2 in myosin may thus be at the polypeptide-C which links the head to the tail of myosin.