Actomyosin interaction at low ATP concentrations.

In vitro motility assay (IVMA) experiments were performed to analyze the movement of actin filaments sliding on a pavement of myosin molecules at different [ATP] and [ADP]. In standard experimental conditions at [ATP] = 2 mM, about 80% of the actin filaments move in unloaded conditions with a constant velocity. However, a fraction of at least 20% static actin filaments is always present. The accepted explanation is the occurrence of damaged "rigor"-like myosin heads that do not undergo the normal ATP-dependent cycling motion. However, in a series of IVMA experiments performed at different [ATP] we observed that the mobility of actin filaments increased with lowering [ATP]. We investigated the influence of [ATP] on the number of mobile actin filaments. IVMA experiments were performed at controlled nucleotide concentrations and the percentage of mobile filaments accurately determined by specific operator-guided software. The value of ΔG ATP involved was determined. Results showed that the number of mobile actin filaments sliding on type 2B heavy meromyosin isoform (2B HMM) increased at very low [ATP] accompanied by less negative ΔG ATP values. Similar results were obtained by increasing [ADP]. Performing experiments at the same [ATP] with different myosin types, we found a higher number of mobile actin filaments on slow type 1 HMM with respect to type 2B HMM while the highest number of mobile actin filaments was found on single-head myosin (S1 fraction). We also found that [ATP] did not influence the percentage of mobile actin filaments sliding on S1. Our results reveal novel aspects of actomyosin interaction.

Chemical and biochemical thermodynamics: Is it time for a reunification?

The thermodynamics of chemical reactions in which all species are explicitly considered with atoms and charge balanced is compared with the transformed thermodynamics generally used to treat biochemical reactions where atoms and charges are not balanced. The transformed thermodynamic quantities suggested by Alberty are obtained by execution of Legendre transformation of the usual thermodynamic potentials. The present analysis demonstrates that the transformed values for ΔrG'0 and ΔrH'0can be obtained directly without performing Legendre transformations by simply writing the chemical reactions with all the pseudoisomers explicitly included and charges balanced. The appropriate procedures for computing the stoichiometric coefficients for the pseudoisomers are fully explained by means of an example calculation for the biochemical ATP hydrolysis reaction. It is concluded that the analysis has reunited the "two separate worlds" of conventional thermodynamics and transformed thermodynamics. In addition, it is also shown that the value of the conditional Gibbs energy of reaction, ΔrG', for a biochemical reaction is the same of the value of ΔrG for any chemical reaction involving pseudoisomers of the biochemical reagents.

Balanced biochemical reactions: a new approach to unify chemical and biochemical thermodynamics.

A novel procedure is presented which, by balancing elements and electric charge of biochemical reactions which occur at constant pH and pMg, allows assessing the thermodynamics properties of reaction Δ(r)G'°, Δ(r)H'°, Δ(r)S'° and the change in binding of hydrogen and magnesium ions of these reactions. This procedure of general applicability avoids the complex calculations required by the use of the Legendre transformed thermodynamic properties of formation Δ(f)G'°, Δ(f)H'° and Δ(f)S'° hitherto considered an obligatory prerequisite to deal with the thermodynamics of biochemical reactions. As a consequence, the term "conditional" is proposed in substitution of "Legendre transformed" to indicate these thermodynamics properties. It is also shown that the thermodynamic potential G is fully adequate to give a criterion of spontaneous chemical change for all biochemical reactions and then that the use of the Legendre transformed G' is unnecessary. The procedure proposed can be applied to any biochemical reaction, making possible to re-unify the two worlds of chemical and biochemical thermodynamics, which so far have been treated separately.

Chemical and biochemical thermodynamics: from ATP hydrolysis to a general reassessment.

The Legendre-transformed Gibbs energy change for a biochemical reaction, Delta(r)G', is shown to be equal to the nontransformed Gibbs energy change, Delta(r)G, of any single reaction involving selected chemical species of the biochemical system. These two Gibbs energies of reaction have hitherto been thought to have different values. The equality of the quantities means that a substantial part of biochemical and chemical thermodynamics, previously treated separately, can be treated within a unified thermodynamic framework. An important consequence of the equality of Delta(r)G and Delta(r)G' is that the Gibbs energy change of many enzyme reactions can be quantified without specifying which chemical species is the active substrate of the enzyme. Another consequence is that the transformed standard Gibbs energy change of a reaction, Delta(r)G'(0), can be calculated by a simple analytical expression, rather than the complex computational methods of the past. The equality of the quantities is restricted to Gibbs energy changes and does not apply to enthalpy or entropy changes.

Quantitative mathematical expressions for accurate in vivo assessment of cytosolic [ADP] and DeltaG of ATP hydrolysis in the human brain and skeletal muscle.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy affords the possibility of assessing in vivo the thermodynamic status of living tissues. The main thermodynamic variables relevant for the knowledge of the health of living tissues are: DeltaG of ATP hydrolysis and cytosolic [ADP], the latter as calculated from the apparent equilibrium constant of the creatine kinase reaction. In this study we assessed the stoichiometric equilibrium constant of the creatine kinase reaction by in vitro (31)P NMR measurements and computer calculations resulting to be: logK(CK)=8.00+/-0.07 at T=310 K and ionic strength I=0.25 M. This value refers to the equilibrium: PCr(2-)+ADP(3-)+ H(+)=Cr+ATP(4-). We also assessed by computer calculation the stoichiometric equilibrium constant of ATP hydrolysis obtaining the value: logK(ATP-hyd)=-12.45 at T=310 K and ionic strength I=0.25 M, which refers to the equilibrium: ATP(4-)+H(2)O=ADP(3-)+PO(4)(3-)+2H(+). Finally, we formulated novel quantitative mathematical expressions of DeltaG of ATP hydrolysis and of the apparent equilibrium constant of the creatine kinase reaction as a function of total [PCr], pH and pMg, all quantities measurable by in vivo (31)P MRS. Our novel mathematical expressions allow the in vivo assessment of cytosolic [ADP] and DeltaG of ATP hydrolysis in the human brain and skeletal muscle taking into account pH and pMg changes occurring in living tissues both in physiological and pathological conditions.

Determination of protonation constants of some fluorinated polyamines by means of 13C NMR data processed by the new computer program HypNMR2000. Protonation sequence in polyamines.

The p K(a) values of 6-fluoro-4,8-diazadodecane-1,12-diamine (6-fluorospermine) (1), 6,6-difluoro-4,8-diazadodecane-1,12-diamine (6,6-difluorospermine) (2), 6-fluoro-4-azaoctane-1,8-diamine (6-fluorospermidine) (3) and 6,6-difluoro-4-azaoctane-1,8-diamine (6,6-difluorospermidine) (4) in D(2)O solution have been determined at 40 degrees C from (13)C NMR chemical shifts data using the new computer program HypNMR2000. The enthalpies of protonation of compounds 1-4 and the parent amines spermine (5) and spermidine (6) have been determined from microcalorimetric titration data. The values of Delta H degrees were used to derive basicity constants relative to 25 degrees C. The NMR data have been analysed by two different methods to obtain information on the protonation sequence in the polyamines 1-5. The protonation sequence for spermine is related to its biological activity.