Prodan fluorescence reflects differences in nucleotide-induced conformational states in the myosin head and allows continuous visualization of the ATPase reactions.

The noncovalent fluorescent probe 6-propionyl-2-(dimethylamino)naphthalene (prodan) binds stoichiometrically to myosin subfragment-1 (S-1) without affecting the ATPase and actin-binding properties of S-1. Neither ATP nor actin interferes with the prodan binding. Free prodan exhibits a green emission peak at 520 nm. However, the prodan bound to S-1 and the S-1.ADP complex shows blue emission peaks at 460 and 450 nm, respectively, which allow easy separation of the fluorescence contributions from the free and bound probes. In the S-1.ADP.Pi state, the blue emission peak is further shifted to 445 nm with a large (4.5-fold) fluorescence enhancement. Thus, prodan in the presence of S-1 exhibits predominantly blue fluorescence only during ATP hydrolysis, and so visualizes the ATPase reaction continuously. The initial velocities of the steady state of the Mg2+-, Ca2+-, and actin-activated ATPases can be conveniently calculated from the blue fluorescence changes. The ability of different nucleoside triphosphates (NTP) to enhance the blue fluorescence of prodan follows the order ATP > CTP > UTP > ITP > GTP. This order agrees with those of the extent of hydrophobicity near the ribose of the corresponding nucleoside diphosphates (NDP) trapped to S-1 with orthovanadate (Vi) [Hiratsuka, T. (1984) J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 96, 155-162] and the ability of different NTPs to support force production in muscle fibers [Regnier, M., et al. (1993) Biophys. J. 64, A250]. The rate of formation of the corresponding S-1.NDP.Vi complex also follows this order, whereas the NTPase rate follows the reverse order. These results indicate that nucleotide-induced changes in prodan fluorescence correspond to the nucleotide-induced conformational states of S-1. Thus, the use of prodan in studies of the myosin ATPase offers a new and promising approach not only to monitoring the ATPase reaction but also to investigating the structural changes during ATP hydrolysis.