Lysozyme-induced suppression of enzymatic and motile activities of actin-myosin: Impact of basic proteins

Abstract

Electrostatic interactions between actin filaments and myosin molecules, which are ubiquitous proteins in eukaryotes, are crucial for their enzymatic activity and motility. Nonspecific electrostatic interactions between proteins are unavoidable in cells; therefore, it is worth exploring how ambient proteins, such as polyelectrolytes, affect actin-myosin functions. To understand the effect of counterionic proteins on actin-myosin, we examined ATPase activity and sliding velocity via actin-myosin interactions in the presence of the basic model protein hen egg lysozyme. In an in vitro motility assay with ATP, the sliding velocity of actin filaments on heavy meromyosin (HMM) decreased with increasing lysozyme concentrations. Actin filaments were completely stalled at a lysozyme concentration above 0.08 mg/mL. Lysozyme decreased the ATP hydrolysis rate of the actin-HMM complex but not that HMM alone. Co-sedimentation assays revealed that lysozyme enhanced the binding of HMM to actin filaments in the presence of ATP. Additionally, lysozyme could bind to actin and myosin filaments. The inhibitory effect of poly-l-lysine, histone mixture, and lactoferrin on the motility of actin-myosin was higher than that of lysozyme. Thus, nonspecific electrostatic interactions of basic proteins are involved in the bundling of actin filaments and modulation of essential functions of the actomyosin complex.