Caldesmon weakens the bonding between myosin heads and actin in ghost fibers

Abstract Earlier studies using polarized microphotometry have shown that caldesmon inhibits the alterations in structure and flexibility of actin in ghost fibers that take place upon the binding of myosin heads (Galązkiewicz et al. (1987) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 916, 368–375). The present investigations, performed with an IAEDANS label attached to myosin subfragment 1 (S-1), revealed that this inhibition results from the weakening of the binding between myosin heads and actin as indicated by the caldesmon-induced increase in the random movement of S-1. Parallel experiments with actin labeled at Cys-374 demonstrated that this effect of caldesmon is transmitted to the C-terminus of the actin molecule resulting in a conformational adjustment in this region of the molecule.