Vladimir Matveev. Evidence of a new type of protein-protein interaction demonstrated by actomyosin

Newest definition of a cellular signal
and description of the protein model of a cellular signal transduction see in the following paper:

V. V. Matveev
Evidence of a new type of protein-protein interaction: desensitized actomyosin blocks Ca²⁺-sensitivity of the natural one.
A possible model for an intracellular signalling system related to actin filaments.
Physiological Chemistry Physics & Medical NMR,
32: 167-179, 2000
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Institute of Cytology
Russian Academy of Sciences
St.Petersburg, Russia

E-mail address: vm@vm1616.spb.edu

Post mail: Institute of Cytology, Lab of Cell Physiology,
194064, St.Petersburg, Tikhoretsky Avenue 4, Russia

I look for a possibility
to continue this work

ABSTRACT

Actin filaments are certainly believed to function as an intracellular signalling system; however, this is not confirmed by direct evidence. We used a two-layer actomyosin gel with a concentration gradient of the troponin-tropomyosin complex (TT-complex, Ca²⁺-sensitive system) between the two layers. To prepare one layer of the system, natural actomyosin (nAM) rich in TT-complex was used. To prepare the second layer, we used desensitized actomyosin (dAM) without the complex. All experiments were made in medium with a low ionic strength. Two phenomena were observed: (1) dAM blocks Ca²⁺-sensitivity of nAM when the dAM weight portion in the system (as well as in mixed nAM+dAM suspension) reaches 40% and more; further increase of the dAM portion does not affect the Ca²⁺-sensitivity; (2) it was electrophoretically shown that a rapid diffusion of the TT-complex from nAM gel into the dAM gel took place. The apparent diffusion coefficient for the TT-complex in dAM gel is about (1-4)×10^-4 cm²/sec, i.e. three orders higher than the same values for protein diffusion in water.

The Abstract with more details see here
Full text in PDF (280Kb)