pH dependence of myosin binding-induced activation of the thin filament in cardiac myocytes and skeletal fibers.

The pH dependence of myosin binding-induced thin filament activation was determined in permeabilized cardiac myocytes and slow- and fast-twitch single skeletal muscle fibers by experimental lowering of [MgATP] in the Ca(2+)-free solutions bathing the permeabilized preparations. As the pS (where S is [MgATP] and pS is -log[MgATP]) was increased from 3.0 to 8.0, isometric tension increased to a peak value in the pS range of 4.9-5.3. At pH 7.00, the transition from the relaxed to the activated rigor state was steep in cardiac myocytes [Hill value (nH) = 21.2 +/- 3.1 (SE)] and due to the apparent effect of strongly bound cross bridges to cooperatively activate the thin filament in the absence of added Ca2+. At pH 6.20, the steepness of the tension-pS relationship was markedly reduced (nH = 6.1 +/- 1.0) and the midpoint of the relationship (pS50) was shifted to higher pS values in cardiac myocytes. In comparison, reduced pH had no effect on the steepness or position of the tension-pS relationship in single slow- or fast-twitch skeletal muscle fibers. These findings suggest that myosin binding-induced activation of the thin filament is pH dependent in cardiac myocytes but not in skeletal muscle fibers under these experimental conditions in which Ca2+ is absent.