Effects of Troponin on Thermal Unfolding of Actin-Bound Tropomyosin

E. V. Kremneva^1*, O. P. Nikolaeva², N. B. Gusev³, and D. I. Levitsky^1,2

¹Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 33, Moscow 119071, Russia; fax: (095) 954-2732; E-mail: EVKremneva@mail.ru; Levitsky@inbi.ras.ru

²Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia

³Department of Biochemistry, School of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; fax: (095) 939-2747; E-mail: NBGusev@mail.ru

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received August 6, 2002; Revision received October 17, 2002

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Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to study the effect of troponin (Tn) and its isolated components on the thermal unfolding of skeletal muscle tropomyosin (Tm) bound to F-actin. It is shown that in the absence of actin the thermal unfolding of Tm is expressed in two well-distinguished thermal transitions with maxima at 42.8 and 53.8°C. Interaction with F-actin affects the character of thermal unfolding of Tm leading to appearance of a new Tm transition with maximum at about 48°C, but it has no influence on the thermal denaturation of F-actin stabilized by aluminum fluoride, which occurs within the temperature region above 70°C. Addition of troponin leads to significant increase in the cooperativity and enthalpy of the thermal transition of the actin-bound Tm. The most pronounced effect of Tn was observed in the absence of calcium. To elucidate how troponin complex affects the properties of Tm, we studied the influence of its isolated components, troponin I (TnI) and troponin T (TnT), on the thermal unfolding of actin-bound Tm. Isolated TnT and TnI do not demonstrate cooperative thermal transitions on heating up to 100°C. However, addition of TnI, and especially of TnT, to the F-actin-Tm complex significantly increased the cooperativity of the thermal unfolding of actin-bound tropomyosin.

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KEY WORDS: differential scanning calorimetry, actin, tropomyosin, troponin complex, troponin T, troponin I

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